University of Alberta launches program to boost rural healthcare access

A new Alberta program aims to improve healthcare in rural and northern communities.

Medical students at the University of Alberta, who are part of the program, are gearing up for their first-ever training in smaller communities, hoping to address a rural doctor shortage.

“This was a program that I never would’ve even imagined would exist,” said Megan Hopkins, a first-year medical student in the Northern Alberta Medical Program. “When I found out it was coming, that was something that was very exciting to me.”

Hopkins, who was born and raised in Grande Prairie in northern Alberta, is one of 30 medical students starting their training there as part of the Northern Alberta Medical Program. Hopkins says she’s happy to be able to give back to her community where doctors are now needed the most.

“We have multiple places that have ER closures multiple time a week because there are no physicians there,” said Hopkins. “And to be able to train 30 new students every year and then eventually is something that will benefit not only the students and learners but also all the Albertans in those communities and indirectly take some pressure off of the large city centres that are overflowing with patients right now.”

Dr. Richard Martin, a family doctor from Grande Prairie, told CityNews the program is the first step towards making healthcare more accessible in smaller communities.

“It’s partly increasing the number of doctors who can graduate from the U of A, but it’s also giving those graduating doctors different experiences that allow them to meet the needs of all of the population that is so far less well served simply because of geography,” Dr. Martin said.

Students in the program will train as generalists, which includes family doctors, internal medicine, pediatrics and other primary care providers.

Hopkins says she hopes the program will help make healthcare accessible to all Albertans equally.