New Rural Education Supplement and Integrated Doctor Experience (RESIDE) program
RESIDE will provide $6 million in an effort to recruit and retain up to 20 new family physicians per year in rural Alberta over the next three years. Fifteen communities will be part of the first year of intake for the program and eligible communities will be reviewed annually.
Applications opened on Tuesday, February 1 for physicians finishing their residency programs to apply for $60,000 for undergraduate tuition fee reimbursement, as well as a remote community incentive ranging from $20,000 to $40,000. Additional supports, including three months of free accommodations, community orientation and continuing community engagement, will also be available. In exchange, physicians will provide three years of service in a designated rural community.
The program is being administered by the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP). The AMA’s Section of Rural Medicine is supportive of the program and hopes to work in conjunction with RhPAP and the Government of Alberta to ensure the program addresses some of the challenges facing rural medicine. |