Purpose
Since 1997, the Peter K. Lindsay (PKL) Physician Skills Enrichment Program has provided rural physicians with financial support to upgrade their skills or develop new ones to meet the needs of their communities. This grant program allows physicians to identify their training needs or develop learning opportunities to address these needs. The grant covers training costs and expenses while the physician is away from practice. RhPAP also compensates physician preceptors for coaching experiences when a preceptor is a required part of the learning.
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 include a variety of opportunities, from informal coaching with a specialist to formal education programs. Past enrichment training has covered:
- Oncology training
- Foundation Course in Occupational Medicine
- Cardiac Stress Testing training
- Rural Ultrasound Fellowship
- Family Practice Anesthesia (FPA)
- Other approved programs
Eligibility
Physicians eligible for funding through the PKL Physician Skills Enrichment 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.
- Locums 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.
Additional 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.
- Applications will not be considered if the course or training has already started.
Application Requirements
To apply for PKL Physician Skills Enrichment funding, you will need to submit the following with your application:
- A letter of support from your zone medical director confirming the need for your training and the Authority’s willingness to provide the necessary resources (staff, equipment, OR time, etc.) to allow you to practise the new skills to serve the medical needs of the region.
- For year-long programs, an up-to-date curriculum vitae.
Note: Once you initiate the application form, you will have the option to save and continue later. The link you receive to the form will remain active for 30 days. After 30 days, or once you have submitted your application, you will no longer be able to make changes.