Future students
Future students
Learn medicine in the communities you may one day serve.
Students in the Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP) complete their medical training through the University of Calgary’s Doctor of Medicine (MD) program while learning in communities across southern Alberta.
Through training at the University of Lethbridge and in regional and rural healthcare settings, students gain experience working alongside physicians and healthcare teams who serve their communities every day.
This distributed learning model allows students to build meaningful relationships with patients, physicians, and communities while developing the clinical skills and community awareness needed to practice medicine in rural and regional environments.
What makes SAMP unique
A full MD program experience in southern Alberta
Students in SAMP complete the University of Calgary’s three-year Doctor of Medicine curriculum while learning in southern Alberta. The program follows the same academic standards and curriculum delivered by the Cumming School of Medicine.
Strong connections with communities
Students build meaningful relationships with physicians and healthcare teams across southern Alberta. Our preceptors take great pride in teaching and mentoring learners. This sense of shared investment helps create a supportive learning environment while giving students insight into the realities of rural and regional practice.
Learning in smaller environments
Students learn in smaller groups and work closely with physicians and healthcare teams, creating opportunities for mentorship and collaboration.
Maximize your experience with smaller class sizes
What training through SAMP looks like
Students move through two main phases of training as part of the University of Calgary MD curriculum.
Pre-clerkship
During the early phase of the program, students complete foundational medical learning on the University of Lethbridge campus. This includes small-group learning, clinical skills sessions, and early patient exposure.
Clerkship
During clerkship, students participate in immersive clinical training across healthcare settings throughout southern Alberta, working alongside physicians and healthcare teams in hospitals and community clinics.
These experiences allow students to apply their medical knowledge while developing the clinical skills required for practice.
Explore SAMP learning environmentsDiscover how communities shape the SAMP experience
Applying to SAMP
Students interested in the Southern Alberta Medical Program apply through the University of Calgary MD admissions process. Within the application, applicants can indicate their interest in completing their medical training in southern Alberta.
The SAMP pathway follows the same academic standards and admissions requirements as the University of Calgary’s Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, with additional components designed to assess an applicant’s connection to rural and regional communities.
How SAMP is considered in admissions
Apply through MD program
Applicants will express their interest in applying to the SAMP program through UCalgary's portal.
Additional SAMP components
Applicants who express interest in SAMP will be asked to provide additional materials that help assess their connection to rural and regional communities. These include a SAMP referee support letter and a SAMP applicant essay.
Interview and admission
Selected applicants participate in the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) process used by the University of Calgary MD program. Final admission offers are issued through the Cumming School of Medicine.
Interested in applying?
Applications to the MD program typically open each July, with timelines and requirements managed by the Cumming School of Medicine Office of MD Admissions.