A group of 30 students was given their white coats on Monday to mark the beginning of their medical careers, but they’re a part of a larger first for the province of Alberta.

The students are the first cohort accepted into the Northern Alberta Medical Program (NAMP), who will complete their education at Northwestern Polytechnic’s campus in Grande Prairie, Alta., and communities across northern Alberta.

The program is part of a province-wide effort to expand medical education and address health care gaps in rural communities, linking the University of Alberta with Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie.

“It’s actually the first time in the Province of Alberta where a learner can start their medical degree and finish their medical degree without needing to be in Edmonton or Calgary,

See Full Page