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Rural - Lethbridge - Family Medicine

University of CalgaryRural, AlbertaCMG stream

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Open on carms.ca(opens in a new tab)

CaRMS program description, 2027 match, last approved 8 Sep 2026 · See the 2026 version

2027 match programs, from CaRMS as of 5 Oct 2026. Programs can still change until file review opens 26 November; we re-check every two weeks. Always confirm on CaRMS (opens in a new tab).

Positions (approx. quota)
10 positions
Length
2 years
Stream
CMG
Discipline
Family Medicine
Applications per year
201–400
Applicants offered interviews
76–100%
Accreditation
Accredited
CaRMS program ID
35706

Bands are 5-year averages the program reports to CaRMS. They describe past cycles, not your odds.

Summary

  • This two-year rural family medicine program is based at Lethbridge, with specialty rotations at Chinook Regional Hospital.
  • Residents complete 16 weeks of rural family medicine in first year and 24 weeks in second year at rural community practices.
  • Call is mostly home-based except for ICU and obstetrics, and a QI scholarship project is required.
  • Accommodation away from Lethbridge is paid for, and a driver's licence and vehicle are mandatory.

Training

Setting
  • Regional community
  • Rural / remote
  • Academic / tertiary hospital
Sites

20 teaching sites

  • Chinook Regional Hospital
  • Bassano
  • Brooks
Show all 20
  • Camrose
  • Canmore
  • Cardston
  • Claresholm
  • Crowsnest Pass
  • Delburne
  • Didsbury
  • Drumheller
  • Hanna
  • High River
  • Innisfail
  • Olds
  • Pincher Creek
  • Raymond
  • Sundre
  • Taber
  • Three Hills

Distributed across a region

Rural exposure
Required rural rotation (40 weeks)
Focus areas
  • Rural / remote
  • Small program
  • Procedural emphasis
  • Early independence
Research
Required · scholarly or quality-improvement project
Call
In-house and home call
Enhanced skills
  • Care of the Elderly
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Anesthesia
  • Palliative Care
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Sport and Exercise Medicine
  • Maternity and Newborn Care
  • Other
Getting around
  • A car is required
  • Housing away from the home site is provided or paid for
  • Travel is reimbursed
Highlights
  • Optional R2 longitudinal pathway completing most of second year in Brooks or Taber.
  • Two-week anesthesia block within emergency rotation for rural advanced airway skills.
  • Northern rotation opportunity in Whitehorse when feasible.

By year

PGY-1
  • Family MedicineRural sites2 x 8 weeks
  • ElectiveResident's choice8 weeks
  • PediatricsLethbridge4 weeks
  • Pediatric EmergCalgary4 weeks
  • PsychiatryLethbridge4 weeks
  • OrthopedicLethbridge4 weeks
  • SurgeryLethbridge4 weeks
  • Internal MedicineLethbridge4 wks IM, 4 wks Hospitalist
PGY-2
  • Family MedicineRural site(s)24 weeks
  • Obstetrics & GynecologyLethbridge, Canmore or High River8 weeks
  • ElectiveResident's choice6 weeks
  • ICULethbridge4 weeks
  • Palliative CareLethbridge2 weeks
  • Emergency & AnesthesiaLethbridge6 wks EM, 2 wks Anesth

From the program's rotation list.

Selection

Application file components
  • CV
  • Electives
  • Examinations
  • Extra-curricular
  • Leadership skills
  • MSPRs
  • Personal letters
  • Reference documents
  • Research/Publications
  • Transcripts
Return of service
Not stated on CaRMS page. Check the provincial return-of-service rules.
Applications per year
201–400
Applicants offered interviews
76–100%

Interviews

Dates (2027 match)
19 and 21 Jan 2027
Mode
Virtual
Format
  • Traditional (one on one/two on one)

Programs can change interview dates. Confirm on carms.ca.

Info sessions

From the program’s CaRMS page (opens in a new tab), read 1 Oct 2026. Dates and times are as the program wrote them, not converted to your time zone. Programs add and change sessions: confirm with the program.

Pay

Provincial scale, last updated 22 Jul 2026 · check the current agreement(opens in a new tab)

Annual salary by PGY level, Alberta
LevelAnnual salary
PGY-1
$67,440 / year
PGY-2
$74,153 / year

One provincial scale for Alberta, set by the resident agreement, so every program there pays the same. Showing the 2 levels this program covers.

Benefits

Benefits as listed by CaRMS in 2022–2024; check the current agreement(opens in a new tab)

Annual vacation
4 weeks/yr
Call Stipends
weekday in-house –  $118.02weekend in-house / holiday – $178.72weekday home call – $59.01weekend home call / holiday – $89.35
CMPA dues paid
$1,500
Dental plan
75% premium paid
Educational leave
14 days paid leave
Extended health insurance
75% premium paid$1000 per year Flexible Spending Account*
Frequency of calls
In-house call: 7/28. 2/4 weekend call.Home call: 9/28. 2/4 weekend call**A Resident scheduled on Home call but who is required to work more than four hours in hospital during the call period, of which more than one full hour is past 12:00 a.m. and before 6:00 a.m., or more than six (6) hours in hospital during the call period, shall be remunerated at the rate for In-House call.$100 per day for each scheduled weekend day of patient rounds when not on-call
Life insurance
100% towards $150,000 coverage
Life Support Course Costs (Program Approved
100% paid
Long-term disability insurance
100% paid for 75% gross income
Maternity Leave
18 weeks total (17 weeks paid to match 90% of salary when combined with EI)
Parental Leave
2 weeks leave with full pay and benefits;52 weeks (inclusive of Maternity/Paternity/Adoption Leaves) – unpaid leave
Practice Stipend
$1,500
Provincial dues (% of salary)
.95%
Sick leave
Up to 3 months or to end contract paid leave, whichever occurs first
Statutory holidays
Paid days. Additional days off are given if resident works the day before and part of a named holiday.

Call

Call (provincial max)
1 in 4 in-house

The union agreement’s cap for all residents in the province; your program’s actual call schedule may be lighter. Check with the program.

PARA agreement, 1 Jul 2024 to 30 Jun 2028.

Teaching sites

  • Chinook Regional Hospital (Lethbridge)
  • Bassano (Bassano · rural or distributed site)
  • Brooks (Brooks · rural or distributed site)
  • Camrose (Camrose · rural or distributed site)
  • Canmore (Canmore · rural or distributed site)
  • Cardston (Cardston · rural or distributed site)
  • Claresholm (Claresholm · rural or distributed site)
  • Crowsnest Pass (Crowsnest Pass · rural or distributed site)
  • Delburne (Delburne · rural or distributed site)
  • Didsbury (Didsbury · rural or distributed site)
  • Drumheller (Drumheller · rural or distributed site)
  • Hanna (Hanna · rural or distributed site)
  • High River (High River · rural or distributed site)
  • Innisfail (Innisfail · rural or distributed site)
  • Olds (Olds · rural or distributed site)
  • Pincher Creek (Pincher Creek · rural or distributed site)
  • Raymond (Raymond · rural or distributed site)
  • Sundre (Sundre · rural or distributed site)
  • Taber (Taber · rural or distributed site)
  • Three Hills (Three Hills · rural or distributed site)

Hospital facts

Hospital size and activity: Alberta doesn't publish this as open data.

Contacts

Grouped by the titles CaRMS lists. The program office (administrators and coordinators) usually answers questions about the program and applying; the director leads the training.

Program officeadministrators and coordinators

ruralfm@ucalgary.ca

Jenna Strandquist · Rural CaRMS Coordinator

Program directors

Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing.

More links

Location

Rural, Alberta

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Independent. Not affiliated with CaRMS or the program. Programs edit their descriptions during the match; confirm on carms.ca (opens in a new tab) before you apply. Data last updated on CdnMD 6 Oct 2026.