North West (North Battleford) - Regional-Rural - Family Medicine
University of SaskatchewanNorth West (North Battleford), Saskatchewan
At a glance
- Approx. quota
- 41
- Length
- 2
- Applications per year
- 601+
- Offered interviews
- 26–50%
CMG stream · open to Canadian medical graduates
Competitive stream · open to Canadian and international medical graduates
Thu 19 Nov 2026,6:00–7:00 pm CSTvia CANPREPP source (opens in a new tab)
Interviews
4 dates, 20–23 Jan 2027
North West (North Battleford), 10 teaching sites · 16 rural weeks
What stands out about this program
Learner-to-faculty ratio of 1:1, with one-on-one training throughout.
From “Additional information” on the CaRMS page
Rural and supplemental training sites pay for housing, so residents only pay for one residence.
From “Program highlights” on the CaRMS page
Residents run their own advocacy committee, with activities including a monthly food drive for the homeless.
From “Program highlights” on the CaRMS page
- This is a 2-year rural family medicine residency based in the Battlefords (North Battleford), covering a large area of northwest Saskatchewan.
- Residents train in a mix of integrated and block rotations, with a large amount of emergency department work.
- Training away from the base includes rural rotations in Unity or Meadow Lake, plus pediatrics and internal medicine in Saskatoon and obstetrics in Prince Albert.
Based on what the program says about itself.
- You’re open to training at sites across a region, not at one hospital.
Show the quote
What training looks like
- Setting
- Regional community
- Rural / remote
- Academic / tertiary hospital
- Rural exposure
- Required rural rotation (16 weeks)
- Focus areas
- Rural / remote
- Longitudinal / integrated
- Indigenous health
- Getting around
- A car is required
- Housing away from the home site is provided or paid for
- Travel is reimbursed
By year
- PGY-1
- FM/Care of Elderly/Addictions6 weeks (integrated)
- Obstetrics6 weeks
- Elective5 weeks
- Rural FM/ER/Rural Hospital Medicine4 weeks (integrated)
- Family Medicine4 weeks
- Internal Medicine/CTU4 weeks
- Rural Hospital Medicine4 weeks
- Pediatrics3 weeks
- Emergency Medicine3 weeks
- General Surgery2 weeks
- Pediatrics ER2 weeks
- Psychiatry2 weeks
- Palliative Care2 weeks
- Orientation1 week
- MSK1 week
- Anesthesia1 week
- PGY-2
- FM15 weeks (longitudinal, including ER and hospital work when on call)
- FM Rural (4 week & 8 week)12 weeks
- Elective5 weeks
- Rural Hospitalist Medicine4 weeks
- Tertiary Centre Pediatric Experience4 weeks
- Tertiary Centre Obstetrical Experience4 weeks
- Emergency Medicine4 weeks
- General Surgery2 weeks
- Exam week
Where you train
North West (North Battleford), Saskatchewan: 10 teaching sites; 16 rural weeks. A car is required.
- Battleford Union Hospital (North Battleford)
- Unity (Unity · rural or distributed site)
- Shellbrook (Shellbrook · rural or distributed site)
- Lloydminster (Lloydminster · rural or distributed site)
- Saskatoon (Saskatoon)
- Prince Albert (Prince Albert)
- Meadow Lake (Meadow Lake · rural or distributed site)
- Ile-a-la-Crosse (Ile-a-la-Crosse · rural or distributed site)
- Rosthern (Rosthern · rural or distributed site)
- Weyburn (Weyburn · rural or distributed site)
Distributed across a region
Record systems at the listed sites: Sunrise Clinical Manager at 3 of 10; no published record for 7.
Hospital facts
What official sources say for hospitals named above, each with its source and the date we read it. They describe the hospital, not the program. We match names to the sources by name, so check each source before you rely on it.
- Clinical record
- Sunrise Clinical Manager (SCM), system named (how far it goes is not stated)
Hospital size and activity: Saskatchewan doesn't publish this as open data.
About North Battleford
People
13,836residents, 2021 Census
Housing
3.7%rental vacancy rate
Winter and summer
−15.3 °CJanuary mean17.6 °CJuly mean
Job outlook
Goodfor the specialty here, 2025–2027
How they choose
- Application file components
- CV
- Electives
- Examinations
- Extra-curricular
- Leadership skills
- MSPRs
- Personal letters
- Reference documents
- Research/Publications
- Transcripts
- Other file component(s)
- Return of service, CMG stream
- Not stated on CaRMS page. Check the provincial return-of-service rules.
- Return of service, Competitive stream
- Required · IMGs only
Interviews and info sessions
- Interview dates (2027 match)
- 20, 21, 22 and 23 Jan 2027
- Format
- Virtual
Info sessions
Thu 19 Nov 2026
6:00–7:00 pm CST
Town hall · VirtualCANPREPP source (opens in a new tab)
Pay and call
| Level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| PGY-1 | $68,329 / year |
| PGY-2 | $74,518 / year |
Call
- Call (as the program states it)
- In-house call
- Call (provincial max)
- 1 in 4 in-house, averaged over a rotation
- Post-call rule (provincial)
- Back on regularly scheduled hours the next work day
- Max continuous duty (provincial)
- 24 hours, plus up to 2 hours for handover
Benefits
- Annual vacation
- 4 weeks
- CMPA dues paid
- 100%
- Dental plan
- 100%
- Educational leave
- Minimum 7 days with pay, 12 Maximum
- Employee Assistance Program
- Two programs available through SMA and University of Saskatchewan
- Extended health insurance
- Blue Cross family coverage, if registered with a Provincial Health Plan
- Life insurance
- Paid premium, >$100,000 coverage
- Long-term disability insurance
- Paid premium cost for Disability Insurance
- Maternity leave/ Paternity
- In conformity with Sask. Labour Standards Act – 17 weeks max maternity leave and up to 35 weeks parental leave.5 paid days paternity (can split the 35 weeks parental leave with mother as desired.)
- Meal allowance
- n/a
- On-Call Stipends
- Home Light: per duty period: $72 weekday; $83 weekendIn House: per duty period: $166 weekday; $191 weekendICU/CCU: per duty period: $166 weekday; $191 weekend
- Provincial dues (% of salary)
- 1 %
- Provincial health insurance
- Yes, if registered with Sask. Health
- Sick leave
- 1.25 days per month to maximum 75 days
- Statutory and floating holidays
- 1.5 times pay or 1/2 pay & day off for stats, plus 6 extra paid days off at Christmas
- Supplemental Maternity Leave Benefits
- 15 weeks topped to 90% pay when eligible for Employment Insurance
After residency
Family doctors in Saskatchewan can bill fee-for-service or join a model that pays for visits and enrolled patients: the Transitional Payment Model (TPM). Panel sizes set by activity level are used for physicians in their first two years of practice. To join: a minimum of 250 matched patients. Compare provinces
Past matches
Open after round 1 in 2 of 8 years (2019–2026); still open after round 2 in 1 of 9 years.
Show the table, with round 2Hide the table
| Year | Open after round 1 | Open after round 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | not available | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 7 positions open after round 1 in 2020, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) | 0 |
| 2021 | 4 positions open after round 1 in 2021, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) | 1 position open after round 2 in 2021, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 0 | 0 |
What this means
- A position can go unfilled because of where the site is, because it is open to IMGs only or to another restricted stream, or because the quota changed late.
- It says nothing about the quality of the training or how heavy the workload is.
- A site’s numbers are shown when it had positions open after round 1 in at least 2 of 8 years or at least 3 in one year.
Year by year
2027 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 4 | 2 years | 4 dates, 20–23 Jan 2027 | Nothing noted |
| Competitive stream | 1 | 2 years | 4 dates, 20–23 Jan 2027 | Nothing noted |
2026 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 5 | 2 years | 4 dates, 21–24 Jan 2026 |
| Competitive stream | 1 | 2 years | 4 dates, 21–24 Jan 2026 |
The 2026 page of the CMG stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
- The University of Saskatchewan's North West Family Medicine Residency Program offers a comprehensive rural training experience with one-on-one mentorship.
- Located in North Battleford, the program provides extensive emergency care exposure, diverse clinical experiences across multiple sites, and a supportive learning environment focused on rural and comprehensive family medicine.
- Research
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- Training setting
- Rural and regional training sites across Saskatchewan, primarily based in North Battleford with rotations in communities like Unity, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and Meadow Lake. Training occurs in community hospitals, primary care centers, and emergency departments.
- Teaching approach
- Competency-based medical education with a focus on progressive independence, supportive learning environment, and developing comprehensive family physicians prepared for rural practice.
- Enhanced skills
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- What the program looked at
- Casper test
- FMProC assessment
- Medical Student Performance Record
- Reference letters
- Personal letter
- Interview performance
Contacts and links
- Program director
Dr. Sheila Smith
Faculty profile of Dr. Sheila Smith(opens in a new tab)
Emergency Medicine
CaRMS lists no email for the director.
- Program office
Program Administrator
Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing. Site staff and other contacts are listed there too.
Videos and podcasts
From the program
Public podcast episodes and videos where the program presents itself. The short descriptions are ours; each link goes to the original.
Family Medicine elsewhere
Nearest to North West (North Battleford) - Regional-Rural
- City
- Rural
- Regional
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