UNews - Southern Alberta Medical Program

Lethbridge-based Ward Bros. Construction selected to renovate Southern Alberta Medical Program teaching facility

caroline.zentner — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 21:18:09 +0000

Ward Bros. Construction has been selected to renovate the Centre for Community Wellbeing (CCW), on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus, which will house the new Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP). An innovative partnership between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and ULethbridge, SAMP offers students the opportunity to earn a UCalgary medical degree while completing their training in southern Alberta.

Ward Bros. is a family-owned firm with experience delivering education and community infrastructure across southern Alberta. Its portfolio includes commercial and industrial projects, new and modernized school facilities and major civic landmarks such as the Prairie Winds Secondary School and Coaldale’s recently completed Shift Community Recreation Centre.

“We’re pleased to be working with Ward Bros., a trusted local contractor with deep roots in southern Alberta,” says Gene Lublinkhof, Director of Major Construction Projects at ULethbridge. “Their experience and community ties make them an ideal partner for this important transformation.”

The 5,000 square metre, purpose-designed space for medical education will include teaching areas, an anatomy lab and a new clinic to support hands-on learning. The reimagined CCW will serve as the central hub for SAMP and the space within which the next generation of physicians will learn, grow and be trained to serve their communities.

Once complete, the renovation, supported by the Government of Alberta’s $43-million investment, will expand the province’s distributed medical-education capacity and support efforts to address physician shortages in rural and underserved areas.

Architects selected for design of new Southern Alberta Medical Program medical education facility

trevor.kenney — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 15:27:49 +0000

A familiar space in Lethbridge is being reimagined for the future of health care, and for the learners who are interested in delivering care to rural and regional southern Alberta communities.

Design firm DIALOG is recreating the Community Centre for Wellbeing (CCW) into a new medical education and clinical facility that will be the home of the Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP). An innovative partnership between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, SAMP offers students the opportunity to earn a UCalgary medical degree while completing their training in southern Alberta.

Planning and design for the updated building are now underway, with construction expected to begin soon and the facility set to open in July 2027.

Renovations will create 5,000 square metres of purpose-designed space for medical education, including teaching areas, an anatomy lab, and a new clinic to support hands-on learning.

“This is about creating the right space for future physicians to learn, grow and serve their communities,” says Dr. Richard Buck, Associate Dean for SAMP. “Our entire approach, from curriculum to clinical placements, has been built to reflect the demands and opportunities of rural and regional medicine. We’re excited to welcome students who feel called to serve rural and regional communities, and to support them with a space built for that purpose."

Designed with flexibility, sustainability and community in mind, the facility will feature natural lighting, a calming and safe aesthetic, and adaptable learning environments. Indigenous-informed design will also help guide the development of inclusive and culturally aware spaces for learners and patients alike.

“Our team was inspired by the program’s mission to train physicians in the places they’re needed most,” says Yvonne Choe, Architect and Partner, DIALOG. “We approached this project with the goal of creating a space that feels rooted in the land and culture of southern Alberta, while advancing health-care education.”

DIALOG brings extensive experience in large-scale health and community infrastructure, including Calgary’s Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre and the city’s new event centre, Scotia Place.

The project is supported by the Government of Alberta’s investment of $43 million and represents a key milestone in the development of distributed medical education across the province.

About DIALOG

Driven by its core values, DIALOG is committed to changing the world through great design. A multidisciplinary, B Corp design practice comprising architects, urban planners, interior designers, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, landscape architects, and sustainability and building performance consultants, DIALOG has over 600 employees across North America. Focusing on complex design projects, DIALOG’s portfolio spans civic & culture, higher education, healthcare, hospitality, government, mixed-use living, workplace, sports & recreation, bridges & urban infrastructure, retrofit, science & technology, transit, aviation, retail, and urbanism planning & policy. The practice has studios in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and San Francisco. DIALOG is a proud Partner of the World Economic Forum. Visit https://dialogdesign.ca/.

Admissions now open for Southern Alberta Medical Program

trevor.kenney — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 16:17:35 +0000

A new chapter in Alberta’s medical education system has begun. Admissions are now open for the Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP) — a three-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program designed for students ready to build their future in rural and regional health care.

SAMP’s first cohort of students begins learning in July 2026.

Delivered through an innovative partnership between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, SAMP offers students the opportunity to earn a UCalgary medical degree while completing their training in southern Alberta.

“We’ve been building this program with students in mind from the very beginning,” says Dr. Richard Buck, Associate Dean of SAMP. “From curriculum design to clinical placements, every element is centred around preparing future physicians for the realities of rural and regional care.”

Funded by the Government of Alberta, Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres use a distributed education model that emphasizes continuity of care, community connection, and clinical readiness — all while contributing to a more resilient health-care system for the region.

“Training physicians in southern Alberta requires trust, relationships, and long-term commitment,” says Dr. Rebecca Schiff, Deputy Provost at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. “Through this partnership, we’re helping students form ties to the people and places they’ll serve, beginning in medical school and continuing throughout their careers.”

SAMP’s first cohort of students begins learning in July 2026. Students will complete their degrees through an intensive, community-integrated curriculum that responds to the growing need for sustainable, locally grounded approaches to medical education — particularly in areas where physician access remains essential.

“The launch of admissions marks a significant milestone in our quest to deliver education and training solutions for the health workforce in rural areas and Indigenous communities,” says CSM Dean Dr. Todd Anderson, MD. “This innovative distributed medical education program offers an exceptional opportunity for students, especially those with strong roots in rural and regional communities, to begin their medical journey closer to home.”

Applications are now open through the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary’s admissions portal. Students from all disciplines are welcome to apply.

To learn more or begin your application, visit: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/mdprogram/future-students/admissions

Cormican scholarship award the first to support growth of new Southern Alberta Medical Program

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 15:58:06 +0000

While the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP) is still in its infancy, a prominent southern Alberta family has stepped forward to establish the program’s first scholarship award in perpetuity — the Dr. Cormican Excellence Scholarship in Rural Medicine.

Created through a $25,000 gift from Dr. Aileen Cormican, which will be endowed and matched by the ULethbridge Board of Governors matching program, the scholarship will provide one minimum $2,000 award annually to a ULethbridge student who is admitted to the Southern Alberta Medical Program.

Dr. Aileen Cormican says she is cognizant of her Lethbridge roots and the unique regional challenges the area faces with regards to health care.

"There are a lot of talented individuals and bright minds in our city and region, and we need to do our best to keep them here and practicing in our communities,” says Cormican, a senior staff specialist at the Chinook Regional Hospital, a radiologist, and CEO of her own international teleradiology corporation. She also recently was appointed to the ULethbridge Senate.

SAMP was established early in 2024 in partnership with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and is designed to train medical students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and in rural communities across southern Alberta. One of two Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres in the province, learners will train alongside other health-care professionals, gaining practical medical experience. The program will enroll learners who are identified as being likely to practice in rural areas upon graduation.

The Cormican scholarship will give preference to students who have graduated from a high school in a district south of Calgary. Eligible students must have completed a minimum of 60 credit hours at ULethbridge. Cormican says she is cognizant of her Lethbridge roots, her family originally settled in Allerston and farmed in Milk River, and the unique regional challenges the area faces with regards to health care.

“The pursuit of medicine is hard enough; we need to make sure we are doing the right things to keep health-care professionals here for our region by attracting and then supporting medical students and keeping physicians in southern Alberta," she says.

Cormican is a practicing member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. Also a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, she earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Biomedical Technology from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Queensland. She is a graduate of the Harvard Medical School Global Health Care Leaders Program.

With a fundamental belief in giving back to community and the spirit of philanthropy, she credits those who supported her own academic journey, and with this gift, pays tribute to their philanthropic vision.

“I was fortunate enough to receive a Chancellor's full tuition scholarship to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary for academic merit and community involvement and was a nominee for the Rhodes and Queens Golden Jubilees Awards. Without that and the generosity from others, I truly would not be where I am today,” she says.

“The people of Lethbridge have a history of supporting community, right from the city’s humble history as an early settler town — it established its own Galt Hospital, the original mines, created a UNESCO-worthy high-level bridge, created both the Japanese Gardens and the architectural wonder of ULethbridge, to the more recent infrastructure projects like CASA and the Agrifood Hub — Lethbridge has always created its legacy.”

Cormican is excited to be the first to support SAMP with a scholarship gift and confident others will recognize the vast potential of the program and how it could transform health care in southern Alberta through similar gifts.

"We can all make a difference in our community, with whatever our talents or gifts are,” she says. “I think my grandparents would be proud of what their hard work and sacrifices amounted to through the generations. They were humble farmers, a miner and janitor, and all were as equally important. You don't have to be "something big" as society defines it to effect great change.”

Lethbridge doctor named Regional Lead of new Southern Alberta Medical Program

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 16:43:11 +0000

The Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP) has reached another significant milestone as it prepares for its first cohort of undergraduate medical students, naming Dr. Richard M. Buck, MD, as the program’s Regional Lead.

Buck practices in Lethbridge within the Emergency Department of Chinook Regional Hospital and is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. As Regional Lead, he is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership to develop and implement SAMP, supporting medical education training in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Indigenous and rural communities throughout southern Alberta.

Dr. Richard M. Buck, who practices in the Emergency Department of Chinook Regional Hospital, is excited to assume his new role and help build the program.

“Dr. Buck is uniquely qualified for this very important role given his strong teaching background and familiarity with the specific challenges of finding physicians to work in rural communities,” says Dr. Rebecca Schiff, PhD, ULethbridge’s deputy provost. “His role will be key in developing partnerships for medical education in southern Alberta and helping to promote interprofessional learning, teaching and research to support rural generalist practice and team-based care.”

Buck has extensive training and experience in medical education, first earning a Bachelor of Education (mathematics and French) and Bachelor of Science from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg before completing his medical degree at the UManitoba in 2001.

“It’s exciting and I’m really looking forward to it,” says Buck. “It’s also a little bit intimidating because this is such a big project and it’s going to be challenging, but the chance to grow our own talent here is massive. I worked an ER shift recently and to see so many people who have difficulty getting access to a family doctor — it’ll be wonderful to be part of this project.”

Buck has long been a proponent of preparing the next generation of physicians. He’s participated in doctor training from the time he completed his own residency, working as a site director and in an administrative capacity. He takes pride in helping young physicians find their way.

“When you see them have their ‘aha’ moments, that feels the best. You see them make a connection with a patient or they use that clinical tidbit that they’d only read about in medical school and now they’ve used it to make a diagnosis — it’s exciting to see,” he says.

Dr. Todd Anderson, MD, dean of UCalgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, is delighted to welcome the respected physician and teacher to this new leadership role.

“I’m very confident that Dr. Buck will strengthen this valuable partnership between our universities as we work together to train new physicians and enhance health care access across southern Alberta.

“Dr. Buck has been deeply committed to our medical school for well over a decade. He is a dedicated teacher to students and residents who also has played a vital role in preceptor development. We’re very fortunate to have someone of his caliber in this position.”

The SAMP program will see an increase in the training of rural physicians immediately with undergraduate medical students beginning at ULethbridge in 18 months, as it aims to improve the availability of physicians in rural areas.

Buck says it’s important to look at what SAMP means to health care in Alberta long term. It’s why the medical community has been talking about its potential for so long.

“I think what it means long term is a stable supply of physicians,” says Buck. “We’re not just trying to fill gaps, we’re also looking at it like so many other careers — doctors change professions, they retire — so you need people to fill those roles. Also, I hope what it says to people is that if you’re planning on moving to southern Alberta, we have a strong and stable health-care system you can rely on. That may be a little pollyannaish, but having a medical school here is a big, big part of that and can be very impactful.”

Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres one step closer with Memorandum of Understanding

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 May 2024 16:07:31 +0000

The next step in expanding health-care capacity in southern Alberta was formalized today with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary's Penny Werthner, left, and ULethbridge's Michelle Helstein sign the Memorandum of Understanding.

Early last month, the Government of Alberta announced operational and capital funding to establish Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres to enhance physician training across the province. One of two centres will be located on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus. Through this innovative partnership, aspiring medical professionals will have the opportunity to complete the entirety of their ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary medical degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

“One of the great challenges for families in small- to mid-sized communities in southern Alberta is accessing a family physician. This includes rural and Indigenous communities that struggle with health care capacity,” says Dr. Michelle Helstein, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Provost and Vice-President (Academic). “Through this partnership we will see local students recruited and trained across southern Alberta, greatly increasing the probability they will continue to practice in these underserved communities for years to come.”

The formalizing of the partnership through the MOU is an important next step in the process of developing the framework that will deliver this crucial programming. The institutions will now work on an agreement to jointly deliver the medical training program.

“Expanding physician training capacity in Alberta post-secondaries can lead to a significantly healthier population. We are excited to work collaboratively with our colleagues at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge with the support of the Government of Alberta as we create the future of health together to better serve the diverse health needs of the people of southern Alberta,” says Dr. Penny Werthner, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

The Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres will use a distributed medical education model, whereby the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta (in cooperation with Northwestern Polytechnic) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary (in cooperation with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge) partner with local institutions to develop the regional training campuses. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge training will occupy a major portion of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Centre for Community Wellbeing facility.

Expanding physician training across Alberta

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 21:03:10 +0000

Rural communities across Alberta are facing a shortage of physicians, forcing rural Albertans to travel long distances to seek medical care. The Government of Alberta is working with post-secondary institutions to train more physicians in rural areas because students who learn in rural communities are more likely to stay and work in them after completing their training.

Alberta’s government is supporting collaborative efforts from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Northwestern Polytechnic to develop new Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary will partner with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to develop the new training centre in Lethbridge, and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta will partner with Northwestern Polytechnic to develop the new training centre in Grande Prairie.

ULethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Digvir Jayas shakes hands with Minister Rajan Sawhney following the announcement of the Rural Medical Education Program.

“Albertans deserve access to timely medical care in every corner of our province. Establishing the new training centres in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie is the first of many steps to solve the rural physician shortage. Advanced Education is committed to increasing support for Alberta’s medical schools and providing significant support to encourage more physicians to live and practice in rural settings.”

Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education

“Addressing health care staffing challenges in rural Alberta is one of our top priorities. We are implementing a wide range of actions to attract and retain physicians in rural communities, and these regional training centres are part of that work. They will provide excellent training opportunities for rural medical students and at the same time, will strengthen the local primary health care system and help take pressures off local emergency departments.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

Together, the training centres will contribute more than 100 practicing physicians every year and will offer hands-on learning experiences in rural communities surrounding the training centres. Students will train alongside other health professionals, gaining practical medical experience while serving rural patients.

Once up and running, the training centres will provide primary care in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie, with each general practitioner in the teaching clinic caring for approximately 1,200 patients. These clinics will also operate after regular hours to reduce congestion in local emergency departments, adding much needed primary-care capacity.

“Access to a family physician is an incredible challenge for many families in small- to mid-sized centres across southern Alberta – including rural and Indigenous communities. Investing in a program that recruits local students, and trains them in areas across southern Alberta, will lead to more doctors practicing in those areas for decades to come.”

Digvir Jayas, Ph.D., president and vice-chancellor, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

“There has never been more demand for dedicated and skilled medical professionals with ties to rural communities. Northwestern Polytechnic is grateful for the opportunity to be part of a collaborative way forward that will help attract, educate and retain the physicians needed in our northernmost communities and across Alberta.”

Dr. Vanessa Sheane, president and CEO, Northwestern Polytechnic

Budget 2024 investments would be used for both capital and clinic operations in Grande Prairie and Lethbridge. This includes renovations to accommodate local student training, including the addition of classrooms as well as simulation and clinical training to meet accreditation standards. Of the total funding, $43.2 million in capital funding will be provided for the new training centre in Lethbridge, $55.6 million will support operating expenses for the training centres in both Lethbridge and Grande Prairie, and an additional $126 million will support the overall physician training expansion.

"This is an important investment in medical education and primary healthcare in our province. These regional training centres will give more students access to a world-class education with hands-on training in rural settings. I'm proud that we can play a leading role in building a more robust healthcare system in Alberta."

Bill Flanagan, president and vice-chancellor, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta

“We’re excited about this important program expansion between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, which will open more doors of opportunity to attract, educate and retain the health workforce that is greatly needed in rural areas. The collective efforts of this post-secondary network will help to deliver quality health care and continuity of care across our province for years to come.”

Dr. Ed McCauley, president and vice-chancellor, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary

This investment builds off work funded in 2023, when Advanced Education provided $1 million to a Working Group on Rural Physicians to explore the feasibility of expanding Alberta’s medical training pathways with the goal of improving access to physicians in rural and remote areas of the province.

Quick facts

• The Ministries of Health and Advanced Education are jointly responsible for the education of physicians in Alberta.

• Currently, there are two Doctor of Medicine programs in Alberta: one at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and one at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary.

• Since 2022, Alberta’s government has invested more than $225 million to create more than 12,500 new seats at post-secondary institutions across the province, including more than 3,700 seats in healthcare related programs.

• Alberta’s government is working with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary to increase the number of undergraduate medical training seats, residency positions for newly graduated doctors and residency positions for international medical graduates.

• The Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres will use a distributed medical education model - a program in which universities partner with local institutions to develop regional training campuses where medical students complete most of their medical education outside metropolitan regions.

UNews - Southern Alberta Medical Program

Lethbridge-based Ward Bros. Construction selected to renovate Southern Alberta Medical Program teaching facility

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