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Practice Opportunities

Alberta is one of Canada’s most vibrant provinces both economically and in health care delivery. At any given time, there are in excess of 7,000 licensed and practising physicians in Alberta.

In Alberta, most hospital, home care, public health, mental health and other health services are delivered through Alberta Health Services (AHS). AHS would be similar to a combined primary care and hospital trust in the UK, but covering the entire province.

Physicians in Alberta benefit from stable, collaborative relationships amongst the profession (Alberta Medical Association), Alberta Health Services, and the provincial government (Alberta Health and Wellness). Most physicians practising in Alberta are independent contractors, typically members of medical practice groups. Overwhelmingly, physicians are paid bi-weekly on a fee-for-service basis directly from Alberta Health and Wellness according to a payment scheme negotiated with the profession.

Physicians in Alberta also enjoy innovative payment arrangements including Primary Care Networks and alternative payment plans, a provincial locum service, office automation support, on-call payment schemes, and the support of the province’s two Faculties of Medicine at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary. Physicians in Alberta also have access to a physician retention program which offers a yearly lump sum payment for every year of practice in the province, as well as a clinical stabilization fund which offers increased remuneration and incentives should physicians establish practice in an underserviced area of the province.

Practice opportunities range from small rural and northern communities to larger regional service and teaching centres in northern, central and southern Alberta. AHS and many of its partner communities offer competitive incentives and relocation assistance. The Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan (RPAP) also offers a wide range of recruitment and retention supports to physicians and their families living outside of Edmonton and Calgary. And all physicians in Alberta receive reimbursement of their medical "malpractice" costs (Canadian Medical Protective Association) as a benefit of their AMA membership as well as continuing medical education (CME) financial support.