Building Momentum 

April was a big month for the Northern Alberta Medical Program! On April 15, the team hosted a leadership retreat in Grande Prairie with members of the eight working groups that have been meeting regularly over the past several months to prepare for different aspect of the new site. The groups bring together voices from the University of Alberta, Northwestern Polytechnic, Indigenous communities, local government and other community members. We’re so grateful for their time and expertise in helping bring the NAMP to life!

The day before, April 14, the team hosted an Indigenous gathering which offered invaluable insights on building a supportive, culturally safe space for Indigenous learners. With August around the corner, momentum is building and we can’t wait to welcome our first cohort this fall!

Meet the Team

Albertans – a key driver for me and our team. I look forward to welcoming our first students and collaborating with our esteemed colleagues at NWP.

Kate Tindall, Team Lead Pre-Clerkship

Make an impact, teach for NAMP

Inspire the next generation of physicians by teaching in the University of Alberta’s MD Program, an innovative medical school dedicated to training diverse, competent, and compassionate physician leaders to serve the health needs of all Albertans. Share your expertise, shape future healthcare leaders, and make a lasting impact where it’s needed most!

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NAMP Opportunities 

The Northern Alberta Medical Program has a number of exciting opportunities for faculty, administrative support staff and preceptors! 

Faculty Positions 

Administrative Positions 

Teaching Opportunities

Feature Story: North of 60 Trek

By Richard Martin, Assistant Dean of NAMP

From March 5–9 of this year, I had the tremendous opportunity to accompany twelve first and second year U of A MD Program students on the annual Trek North trip to Yellowknife, organized through the North of 60 Medical Student Club. This was a multi-day adventure designed to help students experience the life of a doctor in the pivotal Northwest Territories community, which provides the bulk of care across a geography roughly two and a half times the size of the entire province of Alberta. 

For many students, it also sparked a deeper interest in what it might mean to build a medical career in the North — where the need is great, the learning is rich and the work has a lasting impact.

Early on in our trip, we were very fortunate to share a medicine walk with Elder Lila Fraser Erasmus, who showed us the immense number of medicinal plants and their varied uses during a two-hour trek around Frame Lake. Later on, students shadowed a variety of local doctors (Family Medicine, ENT, Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, GI, Pediatrics) at Stanton Territorial Hospital. One student remarked, "I got to see lots of different specialties and even things I hadn't seen yet in Edmonton." Students also spoke with all four of the current U of A Family Medicine residents on-site about their experiences and the potential of following their pathway.

A private curated tour of the archives of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre showed us the trailblazing vision and drive of the earliest local health providers — especially the life changing work of locals enhancing their own communities through their medical talents, both traditional and westernized.

As one of the students described, "I got a glimpse into the unique care Indigenous patients receive in Yellowknife — an area I haven’t been exposed to before. This experience made me realize how much I have to learn about cultural competence." Many of the travellers mentioned that this helped whet their appetites for more experiences in the North and the career opportunities that await. 

Local hospitality was on full display, with staff and docs treating the students to a wonderful evening of food and conversation at Bullock's Bistro, and later, a drive along an ice road to gather at Dr. David Pontin's family cabin on Prosperous Lake. That hospitality left a lasting impression. 

Tessa Verhesen (MD Class of '27), one of the trip's co-leads, reflected, "My experience in Yellowknife was so welcoming! Even in our short visit, I met so many people and experienced many of the local treasures that made it feel like home."

Her co-lead, Duncan Maguire (MD Class of '27), shared similarly, "The generous welcome our group received from community members, residents and physicians has me longing to revisit... to feel that community warmth again!" 

Dog sledding and a night trek to watch the Northern Lights served to cap the wonder and magic.

Experiences like these are formative — Tessa expressed it well when she shared, "It was a place filled with so much enthusiasm to make a difference, which has inspired me in my medical training." These moments can help students (and even aging practicing docs!) discover new ideas, focus their desires for future practice, and fuel the internal purpose that drives us through this career journey.  

The University of Alberta MD Program continues to push the frontiers of learning. Expanding geography expands opportunity. The career of medicine can take you places you may never have dreamed of but will be forever grateful you tried. 

Don't limit your dreams — there is an entire world in need of your talents, energy and passion for helping. Remember... Be bold. Lead with purpose.

Richard Martin, MD CCFP FCFP
Assistant Dean, NAMP, University of Alberta                                              Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine