There are concerns among rural Physicians that universities in the big city will be taking back the training of Doctors in rural areas.

High River Physician Ron Gorsche says the Rural Physician Action Plan has seen success in recruiting and retaining Physicians in rural areas.

"The Rural Physician Action Plan is a division of Alberta Health. It's mandate is to place rural Physicians and train rural Physicians so that you have the right number of physicians in the right communities at the right time."

He says the University of Alberta recently went to the Minister of Health and said rural training programs were redundant and that they should be the ones doing the training.

Dr. Gorsche says the current model of training rural physicians is being looked at by other provinces in Canada because it has been so successful.

Gorsche says he's concerned if the training is done elsewhere it may be doing rural patients a huge disservice.

"The Rural Physician Action Plan has had such success in not only training but also in recruiting and retaining Physicians in the rural areas. The fear is that if the university takes it over there won't be that same rural presence."

He says the Minister of Health is currently reviewing how the training is provided.  

"The University of Alberta actually went to the Minister and stated that they thought the training programs by a third party such as Rural Physician Action Plan was redundant and that they really had that responsibility and want to take it back."