The University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine and the University of Lethbridge are now accepting applications for the Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP), a three-year MD program focused on rural and regional health care. Beginning in July 2026, about 20 students will complete 18 months of classroom learning in Lethbridge’s Rural Medical Education Program Training Centre, followed by 18 months of clinical placements in communities such as Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Pincher Creek. The program aims to address physician shortages in underserved regions outside of major city centres like Calgary and Edmonton. “If you recruit locally and train locally, there’s a better chance they’ll stay local,” said SAMP Associate Dean Dr Richard Buck.
