Distributed Learning & Rural Initiatives
Connecting preceptors, students, researchers, healthcare professionals and rural communities.
About DLRI
Our Mission
Engage Communities. Inspire Social Accountability.
Create Opportunities.
Our Vision
At DLRI, we believe in providing quality healthcare to the people of rural Alberta. We strive to accomplish this goal by fostering and sustaining meaningful relationships between medical educators, healthcare professionals in training, individuals and families living in rural communities. Our commitment to education, research and continuous improvement results in the recruitment and retention of dedicated and skilled rural physicians.
Our Focus
DLRI facilitates the training of rural healthcare professionals and enriches rural medical landscape by focusing on the below key areas.
UCLIC
UCLIC is a 32 week clerkship option for 3rd year medical students interested in learning medicine in a generalist environment. Students are based in a family practice in a rural or regional community and learn the generalist specialties in an integrated fashion by following their patients from the clinic to specialty consults, surgery, delivery, etc.
Community Engagement
DLRI partners with a tight-knit group of rural and regional physicians to provide the best in healthcare and medical education in their communities. We facilitate student and preceptor learning by providing valuable resources that keep preceptors up-to-date with the latest medical practices, and help them improve and hone their teaching skills.
Faculty Development
DLRI provides ample learning and faculty development opportunities for the preceptors we partner with across Alberta. From our many faculty development conferences to our monthly Rural Connections workshops, there are many chances to sharpen and develop your skills.
SIM & Equipment Funding Competition
We are excited to announce that for 2025-2026, DLRI has $40,000 is available to support medical education training in rural and regional communities.
Rural Health Research Funding Competition
DLRI is pleased to announce our fourth annual Rural Health Research Funding Competition! We are inviting rural researchers to submit proposals for short-term research projects.
What’s New At DLRI?
Save the Date!
Convergence reflects the coming together of people, places, and perspectives that shape longitudinal clerkships and distributed medical education. It highlights how sustained relationships among learners, educators, communities, and health systems create meaningful learning, better care, and stronger systems.
This conference explores where education, community, and care meet, how diverse longitudinal clerkship models align around shared principles, and how these connections can shape the future of medical education globally.
More information coming soon.
Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP)
Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP) is an innovative educational partnership between the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge aimed at enhancing medical education and healthcare in Southern Alberta by providing cutting-edge training to undergraduate medical students.
Let's Stay Connected
Distributed Learning and Rural Initiatives
3330 Hospital Drive NW, HMRB, G12
Foothills Campus, University of Calgary Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1