Officials came together on Monday to officially celebrate the launch of the Southern Alberta Medical Program.
The SAMP is one of two newly-established Rural Medical Education Training Centres in the province, and is a joint project between the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge.
The goal of the training program is to boost the ranks in physician capacity in rural and regional areas of southern Alberta. Its first cohort of students are already in training, with the hope to decrease a lack of physicians for rural communities.
Officials said research has shown that recruiting learners from rural and regional areas, and training them in these locations, leads to more doctors choosing to practice in smaller-sized communities.
“This new program is an important step in building Alberta’s physician workforce, expanding access to care and ensuring more Albertans can receive care closer to home,” said Justin Wright, Alberta’s Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services.
In addition to a partnership being formed between the U of C, U of L and provincial government, relationships were developed with the Alberta Medical Association, the Rural Health Professions Action Plan, and rural communities in southern Alberta, in order to bring the SAMP project to life.
“So much work needed to be done behind the scenes to make this happen, and what I learned from participating in this process is how committed everyone is to this issue and how passionate people are to creating a meaningful solution to physician access,” said Dr. Richard Buck, the associate dean of SAMP.
Students in the program will follow the U of C’s three-year undergraduate medical educational curriculum. That focuses on generalism and patient-centeredness.
Officials said pre-clerkship learning during students’ first 18 months of training will primarily take place on the U of L campus. Clerkship will then occur in rural communities across the region, as well as in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.
Officials added that Indigenous health, cultural safety and community engagement will serve as important components of learner development.
“We are expanding opportunities for students to pursue medical education closer to home while gaining valuable experience in rural and regional communities across southern Alberta,” said Dr. Sandra Davidson, PhD, provost and vice-president (academic) at the University of Calgary. “This program is an important milestone for both institutions and for the communities we serve, and we are grateful to the Government of Alberta for its investment in a program that will create new pathways for students, support the development of the health-care workforce and improve access to care across the region.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Michelle Helstein, provost and vice-president (academic) at the U of L said the program will highlight the best of both post-secondary institutions.
“SAMP is an excellent example of how collaboration can create meaningful impact for students and communities alike,” said Helstein. “By combining the strengths of our two institutions, alongside crucial provincial funding, we’re helping to expand access to medical education while foregrounding rural and regional practice to support a stronger and more sustainable health-care system in Alberta.”
The first cohort of students includes 20 learners, with capacity for up to 30 students in each following year. Officials said full program capacity will see about 90 learners undergoing training by 2029.
“This program has the potential to build long-term sustainable capacity for physicians eager to work in our city and in rural and regional areas of southern Alberta, and that’s why celebrating today’s launch is so significant,” said Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen, adding the vision of this project was a ‘long time in the making’.
“It really is gratifying to see where we are today and the promise of what’s to come.”
More on the program is available on the University of Lethbridge website.
