In the past decade, Canada has experienced a population surge exceeding five million, yet only 167 medical residencies were added. This limited growth exacerbates challenges in securing regular access to family doctors for many Canadians. To address this issue, Canada’s healthcare system urgently requires an influx of more immigrant doctors to bridge the gap and meet the growing healthcare demands of the population.
A recent survey published in late January brought to light a worrying trend in healthcare, revealing that over 6.5 million Canadians do not regularly have access to a family physician. The population boom in Canada, when combined with other issues that have impacted family physician availability across the country, has had a substantial impact on the country’s citizens. Governments at the federal, provincial, and territorial levels are actively seeking a solution to this urgent problem by encouraging a rise in the immigration of skilled healthcare workers.
Obstacles faced by existing International Medical Graduates
According to figures from the Government of Canada, as of December 2022, immigrants made up 25% of all workers in the healthcare sector in the nation.
The percentage of immigrants among all Canadian healthcare workers, broken down by occupation, is as follows:
- Registered nurses: 23% are immigrants.
- Nurse aides and related occupations: 35% are immigrants.
- Pharmacists: 37% are immigrants.
- Physicians: 36% are immigrants.
- Dentists: 39% are immigrants.
- Dental technologists and related occupations: 54% are immigrants.
Despite the high demand for foreign-trained physicians, also referred to as International Medical Graduates (IMGs), News notes that quotas frequently make it difficult for them to obtain medical residencies in Canada. Furthermore, residency programs run by medical schools that prioritize their own alumni present challenges for international medical graduates hoping to practice in Canada. As Canada fails to generate enough primary care physicians domestically to meet its health demands, Dr. Kathleen Ross, President of the CMA, highlights the impact on the country’s healthcare system. To supplement the Canadian workforce in the healthcare industry, the healthcare sector needs foreign-trained physicians. However, IMGs in Canada must overcome particular obstacles to practice.
Canada is tackling challenges for IMGs by dedicating resources to the recognition of foreign credentials
Aggressively addressing the issue, the IRCC is investing a significant amount of money in the recognition of foreign credentials, along with increasing the influx of qualified healthcare professionals to Canada (further specifics will be covered later).
The Canadian government has released a comprehensive plan, as stated in a January news release from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). As part of this project, 15 organizations nationwide will receive up to $86 million in financing.
According to the ESDC, the purpose of this grant is to “enhance capacity for the foreign credential recognition of approximately 6600 internationally educated health professionals.” The primary objective is to ensure that the Canadian healthcare system appropriately recognizes the foreign qualifications of highly educated and skilled immigrants by providing them with complete assistance.
Additional factors contributing to the shortage of family doctors in Canada
Canada’s population is growing at an unprecedented rate, as evidenced by Q32023, which saw the fastest quarterly gain since 1957. Family physicians are still hard to get to despite this increase for a variety of reasons.
Reduced enthusiasm for family medicine among recent medical graduates
According to an article published in News in January, Canadian medical graduates are becoming less interested in family medicine.
According to News, the percentage of graduates choosing family medicine residency training has decreased by more than 7% over the previous nine years, using data from the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). In 2014, graduates chose family medicine at a rate of 37.8%, but by 2023, the percentage had decreased to just 30.3%.
Furthermore, according to figures released by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), every year, almost 1,000 more family physicians leave the field than join it.
Director of Canada Health Workforce Network Ivy Lynn Bourgeault told News in a final statement that more family physicians are becoming certified in emergency and sports medicine, as well as anesthesia. They depart from clinical settings as a result of these diversifications.
When taken as a whole, these conditions indicate a significant loss of interest in family medicine among Canadian medical practitioners, which creates a significant obstacle to receiving such treatments.
Limited expansion in medical residency programs
As previously reported by News, Canada’s medical schools have only added 167 more doctors to their mandated postgraduate training intake in the last ten years. According to official data that News referenced, this is a serious problem because growth forecasts for Canada by 2031 show that the country will require almost 49,000 more family doctors.
Thankfully, a few province governments are taking this issue head-on and intend to increase the number of medical schools in the upcoming years. It’s important to remember that provinces and territories oversee healthcare, which means that they are principally in charge of licensing and educating physicians.
Further measures are being implemented to bridge this disparity
Through category-based Express Entry draws, Canada is aggressively attempting to increase the number of foreign-trained doctors entering the country. This effort starts at the federal level and includes investments in recognizing international credentials.
The IRCC initiated these draws in May 2023, primarily targeting foreign nationals with experience in crucial industries, including healthcare, among the focused occupational categories.
Three provinces’ medical schools are working to build new medical schools or increase their capacity to provide medical education. These programs highlight the various approaches used to solve the issues facing the healthcare industry, as described in a recent News story.
Ontario: Over the following five years, the province has committed to providing 449 new spaces to its postgraduate medical training program. More specifically, different medical schools in the province are expected to open up 154 of these spots later in 2024.
Prince Edward Island (PEI): The University of Prince Edward Island is set to inaugurate a new medical school in the autumn of 2025.
British Columbia: The university known as Simon Fraser University, located in Surrey, British Columbia, has announced that it plans to open a new medical school at its campus in 2026.
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