Whitehorse General Hospital on October 23rd. Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – The Yukon is launching a pilot residency program to train family physicians closer to home as part of efforts to improve doctor recruitment and retention in the territory.
Developed in partnership with the University of Alberta and the Yukon Medical Association, the Yukon Edmonton Pilot, will allow one medical resident to complete a significant portion of their family medicine training in the Yukon.
The Yukon Medical Association had called for the government to fund a residency program at its annual general meeting last fall, citing the territory’s below-average doctor-to-patient ratio and limited access to primary care.
The first participant — a Yukoner — will begin their residency this July, with a Yukon placement expected to start in early 2026.
A University of Alberta team is in the territory this week to meet with physicians, tour health facilities and prepare for the program’s rollout.
