Purpose
Since 1997, the Physician Skills Enrichment Grant Program has supported rural physicians in accessing continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities to better meet the needs of their communities. This grant allows physicians to identify established training programs or develop learning opportunities with a preceptor/mentor to upgrade their skills or learn new ones.
The grant is intended to help ease the financial burden of CME by offsetting some of the training costs and expenses incurred while away from practice. RhPAP also offers compensation for physician preceptors when mentorship is a required component of the learning experience.
Training
RhPAP supports learning opportunities ranging from a minimum of one day to a maximum of 52 weeks of study or training. Eligible training opportunities range from informal coaching with a specialist to formal education programs. Past RhPAP physician enrichment funding has supported:
- Oncology training
- Foundation Course in Occupational Medicine
- Cardiac Stress Testing training
- Rural Ultrasound Fellowship
- Family Practice Anesthesia (FPA) Enhanced Skills Residency Programs (University of Alberta and University of Calgary)
- Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
- Emergency Department Echo (EDE)
- Diploma in Practical Dermatology
- Other approved programs
Eligibility
Physicians eligible for funding through the Physician Skills Enrichment Grant Program include:
- Rural physicians who have lived and practiced in a community that meets the definition of rural Alberta community for at least 12 consecutive months. A rural community is defined as a community with fewer than 15,000 people and outside the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) boundaries of Calgary or Edmonton.
- Locum tenens physicians who have practiced in the same rural Alberta community for at least 24 consecutive months will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Community-based rural physicians who have lived and practiced in a rural Alberta community for at least 12 consecutive months will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Application Requirements
- The physician must be licensed in Alberta through their applicable professional regulatory body.
- The physician must be willing to sign a return of service agreement for a specified timeframe after completing the training.
- The training can range from one day to no more than twelve months, depending on the physician’s background and the agreed-upon learning objectives.
- Physicians applying for a year-long program will be required to upload an up-to-date curriculum vitae.
- Physicians may be asked to upload a letter of support from their Zone Medical Director outlining the need for training and confirming the Authority’s willingness to provide the necessary resources (staff, equipment, OR time, etc.) to allow them to practise the new skills to serve the medical needs of the region.
- Funding will not be provided for any training days during which the physician bills as the primary provider for clinical services. Funding may be considered for days when the physician is participating in supervised training and billing only in a clearly secondary role (eg. surgical assistant).
As of April 1, 2025, applications from eligible rural physicians will be considered for funding if the training is upcoming or has started within 90 days of the funding application submission date. Applications will not be considered if the training started more than 90 days before the application was submitted.
Physicians are responsible for applying and registering for their training program, along with arranging any logistical support (including preceptors) needed to pursue the training.
If you have questions about applying for a Physician Skills Enrichment grant or identifying suitable training opportunities, please email physicians@rhpap.ca.
The Physician Skills Enrichment Grant Program was formerly known as the Peter K. Lindsay Physician Skills Enrichment Training Program.
Learn more about the impact Dr. Peter K. Lindsay had on rural health in Alberta.