Medical residency students can receive bursaries if they commit to practicing in rural or remote communities in Alberta. (Photo: Prostockstudio | Dreamstime.com)

By David Opinko

Alberta creating bursaries for doctors in rural & remote communities

Oct 3, 2024 | 2:35 PM

The Government of Alberta has announced a new program that aims to get more physicians working in smaller communities across the province.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says, among the steps to be taken under the Rural Health Action Plan, it is creating bursaries for family doctors, medical first responders and emergency medical responders.

“There is an urgent need for customized supports in rural and remote communities across Alberta. This action plan will serve as a roadmap to build and maintain access to high-quality health care in these areas of the province,” says LaGrange.

Rural and Remote Family Medicine Resident Physician Bursary Pilot Program

This initiative will see a total of $16 million over two years go to family medicine residents who can commit to practicing in rural or remote parts of the province.

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It is for medical students in their final year of an undergraduate medical program at any medical university who have been matched with a family medicine residency program at the Universities of Calgary or Alberta.

Bursaries will also be available for residents currently completing a family medicine residency at those two universities, regardless of their year of study.

In return, they will be locked into their community for three years after completing their residency.

Those under the rural stream can receive $125,000 and those who practice in remote areas will get $200,000.

Applications for 2024-25 will open this December.

Medical First Responder Grant and Emergency Medical Responder Education Grant

The government is allocating $800,000 to create new Medical First Responder (MFR) Agencies and $600,000 for communities with existing emergency medical responder (EMR) services to recruit and train a local workforce.

MFR agencies, such as fire departments, provide initial medical care to people in emergency situations before more advanced medical help arrives. They often consist of trained volunteers or professionals who are equipped for a wide range of medical emergencies, including cardiac arrests, traumatic injuries and respiratory distress.

The MFR Grants will be used to fund up to 16 new programs at $50,000 each.

The EMR Education Grant program is expected to fund around 25 courses.

The Rural Health Action Plan can be read in full on the Government of Alberta website.