Alberta's Rural Physician Action Plan was launched in 1991 by the provincial government. It is a not-for-profit company funded by the provincial government, but with the Alberta Medical Association, College of Physicians of Surgeons of Alberta, and the Province's Alberta Health Services as its three Corporate Members.
In order to encourage rural practice and to provide a positive experience in rural Alberta, the RPAP promotes the concept of medical students and residents taking part of their training in a rural or regional community. With RPAP funding and support both the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta encourage medical students and residents (Family Medicine and Royal College) to do mandatory and elective rotations with rural and regional preceptors. RPAP provides funding for accommodation, travel and an honorarium for the rural preceptors. "The preceptors in each of the training sites have a direct link to the University they are affiliated with and are supported through faculty development and on-site visits.
The main RPAP website, www.rpap.ab.ca provides full details on the initiatives available to medical students and residents.
RPAP also hosts the AlbertaRuralHealth website for community attraction and retention committees, a Rural Medical Interest Group website, and the province's physician recruitment website, www.AlbertaPhysicianLink.ab.ca; a preceptor development website, PracticalProf, a CME website called VirtualLibrary, and a medicine as a career website, BeADoctor.ca.
Rural Experiences Access Program (REAP)
