In a recent presentation to the 3 political parties represented in the provincial legislature, Canadian Federation of Independent Business Vice-President (Atlantic) Peter O'Brien said taxpayers need a "reasonable return" on the money they invest in the only medical school in the Maritimes. Getting physicians to practise in underserviced areas would be one such return.

O'Brien says the federation, which represents 94 000 businesses across the country, recommends hiking tuition fees at Dalhousie and then offering "significant" bursaries to offset this to students willing to practise in an underserviced area after graduation. "We have to look at ways to encourage those young physicians to go into rural areas, even for 3 or 4 years," says O'Brien. He adds that physician shortages have a direct impact on businesses and communities.

But Dr. Micheline Ste-Marie, associate dean of undergraduate medical education and student affairs at Dalhousie, says the federation plan is simplistic. The main problem, she says, is that there are no checks and balances to determine who is sent to work in under-represented, primarily rural, areas. "Do you selectively apply this to people who volunteer?" she asked. "There are people who will not do well in an underserviced area. One has to be realistic about the value of what you get."