Interested in starting your own student group?
Please complete the application form. Contact the CMSA if you have any questions.
Active Student Groups
Interested in starting your own student group?
Please complete the application form. Contact the CMSA if you have any questions.
Active Student Groups
The Canadian Association of Latin Medical Students (CALMS) is a student-led group that brings together and fosters a community of medical students of Latin American heritage, as well as all students interested in the health of the Latin community, regardless of cultural background. CALMS at UofC aims to raise awareness of the Latin healthcare needs in Alberta, address the under-representation of Latin American medical students in Canada, and forge a strong sense of community among medical students at the University of Calgary.
Contact: [email protected]
The Calgary Black Medical Student Association was founded in 2018 by medical students and residents. We strive to provide community, mentorship and advocacy pathways for Black medical students at the U of C. The BMSA stands for equity and diversity in the medical field as we recognize the barriers Black, immigrant, and racialized individuals expereince when accessing health and social support. The BMSA aims to create a safe space for those that self-identify as Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American, or as a multiracial individual identifying with their Black ancestry and our allies!
Contact: [email protected]
The CAMSA values diverse Asian populations in medicine and recognizes the disparities faced by both professionals and patients as part of being a visible minority. This student group aims to build a sense of community, celebrate Asian cultures with social events, advocate for Asian and immigrant health in Calgary, provide mentorship for current and pre-medical students, and organize other service and professional events. We aim to also raise awareness of health disparities and cultural health beliefs in Asian communities. Everyone is welcome to join this club, regardless of race!
Contact: [email protected]
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Premier Danielle Smith
Office of the Premier
307 Legislature Building
10800 – 97 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2B6
CC: The Alberta Medical Association
Dear Premier,
We, the Calgary Medical Students’ Association and the University of Alberta’s Medical Students’ Association, are writing to express our deep concern over announcements that your government will seek to expand private-pay options and bolster a parallel private healthcare system in Alberta. We stand with the Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Doctors for Medicare, and Friends of Medicare in asking you to reconsider this proposal. A two-tiered healthcare system will create severe inequities for those who cannot pay for access.
One of the five pillars of Canadian healthcare is accessibility — meaning every person deserves the same level of care regardless of socioeconomic status, complexity of medical needs, or ability to pay. This proposed system would pre-discriminate, allowing those with higher income or better insurance to move ahead of others. The most vulnerable — the elderly, unhoused, and critically ill children — are left without the care they need in a two-tiered system.
Longer waits for marginalized groups lead to more expensive healthcare overall. Kidney stones become larger and harder to treat, joints become more complex to replace, and expensive emergency room visits rise. These costs burden taxpayers. Meanwhile, the private tier introduces new co-pays, premiums, and interest charges.
Alberta is facing a significant health-human resource crisis. We need every healthcare worker we can train and recruit. Splitting our already limited workforce across public and private tiers only worsens shortages. In Quebec, after introducing a private system, the public system lost over 500 family physicians, with remaining doctors stretched thin. Quebec now accounts for over 70% of unfilled residency seats in Canada. This is not a future Alberta can afford.
As the next generation of physicians, we urge the UCP government to consider the long-term consequences for your constituents — many of whom will not have the means to access private medicine. We ask that you halt the expansion of private pay and instead strengthen our public healthcare system. A two-tiered system is not one we want to graduate into or practice in.
Sincerely,
Alberta’s Medical Students
The Calgary Medical Students’ Association
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The University of Alberta’s Medical Students’ Association
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