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Overview

Rural Alberta South is a unit of the Family Medicine residency program of the University of Calgary. Rural Alberta South and its sister unit, Rural Alberta North, make up the Alberta Rural Family Medicine Network (ARFMN).

The best setting for training rural family physicians is rural family practice, so the 10-15 residents accepted into the program each year are exposed to a wide variety of rural medicine. Rotations in our 17 designated sites include more isolated settings and larger towns. Rotations in Yellowknife and Whitehorse are also available.

Through the CaRMS match residents choose a home base for the two years in either Medicine Hat (CaRMS code 807231) or Lethbridge (CaRMS code 807131).  Family Medicine rotations can occur in the communities of Bassano, Brooks, Bow Island, Cardston, Claresholm, Crowsnest Pass, Drumheller, Fort Macleod, High River, Pincher Creek, Raymond, Rocky Mountain House, Olds, Strathmore, Sundre, Taber and Vulcan.

Rural residents also need to develop competencies in hospital medicine and acquire a wide variety of procedural skills. Specialty rotations in the regional cities of Lethbridge and Medicine Hat facilitate this process. Reflecting the needs of rural practice, the program includes an anaesthesia rotation to provide the resident with advanced airway management skills and an orthopaedic rotation to develop confidence in management of common musculoskeletal trauma. In response to resident feedback, an ICU rotation in a tertiary centre occurs in the second year.

All rotations are preceptor-based, with the RAS resident usually the only learner. This allows an individualized teaching program and greater access to clinical experience. As RAS is one of the most elective rich programs in the nation, the resident is able to tailor the program to meet his or her needs.

Monthly academic days in the regional centers, together with a regular schedule of journals clubs and problem-based small group CME provide academic programming. Regular one and two-day workshops allow the delivery of further academic content and provide peer support for our residents. Completion of ACLS and ATLS is required prior to starting the program.

Residents have extensive information technology support. Laptop computers supplied to the residents ensure access to key medical databases at all our teaching sites, while the ARFMN Exchange server allows delivery of academic programming and provides residents and faculty with opportunities for networking.