Parental Leave Program

Physician parents are eligible for this benefit if they are:

• A regulated member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, who holds a practice permit issued under the Health Professions Act (excluding physicians on the postgraduate register).
• A full member of the AMA or a non-member who has paid an administration fee equal to full membership
• Had within the 12 months immediately prior to taking parental leave, provided insured medical services whether paid by Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services or any other party; or had provided public health services funded by AH. Insured medical services includes clinical services provided through an alternate relationship plan or the academic medicine health services program.

Physicians in the following member categories do not qualify for the program: Administrative, Resident, Under-Graduate, and Medical Student.

Physicians who have received a payment under a Physician Support Program are not entitled to receive a duplicate or comparable payment, or payment in kind, from the Government of Canada, another provincial government, or AHS corresponding to the same matter. 

The Parental Leave Program provides $1,074 a week for 17 consecutive weeks of leave to eligible physician parents of a newborn or newly adopted child.

Program funding may begin either:

• Up to 12 weeks before the expected delivery date or date of adoption placement
  or
• Up to 18 weeks after delivery or adoption placement date.
• Note: A “newly adopted child” means a child under the age of six unless the child has special needs.
• If both parents are eligible, payments may be made for leaves taken concurrently or consecutively.

Physicians must contact the AMA to let us know about the:

• Birth or placement date of their child.
• Date they return to work or any periods of time during the leave in which they provide insured services (notice in writing required). Any payment received from the program while practicing or otherwise ineligible must be returned to AMA.
• Send notification about the birth or adoption of your child to the AMA's Deanna Longmuir.

We will make payments weekly by direct deposit to your personal bank account

Payments will be made to you personally. We will send you a T4A at the end of the calendar year.

• Each eligible physician parent must complete an application form
• You must submit your application within 18 weeks of the delivery or adoption placement date.
• You may apply online or submit a PDF version Parental Leave Application of this form

If submitting PDF version of the form, please print and mail, fax or scan the form with a void cheque to Deanna Longmuir.