In a letter to the editor of the Lethbridge Herald, 12 members of the medical community praise the Government of Alberta’s decision to allocate $43M of its budget to the University of Lethbridge’s Rural Medical Teaching School as a strong first step. The authors write that the school could be informed by successful regional and international models, in order to encourage students to become Family Practitioners in the areas where they train. They note that they are particularly happy to see that the investment prioritizes healthcare in rural, underserved regions. The authors conclude by calling for more funding for the school as well as an autonomous budget, a focused admissions policy, and a curriculum with a rural focus and emphasis on team-training.
