Canada requires more immigrant doctors to support the national healthcare system. Amidst a population boom of over five million people in the last ten years, Canada has added only 167 medical residencies over the same length of time, thus making it challenging for many Canadians to obtain regular access to a family doctor.
This is according to the report, which also noted that more than 6.5 million Canadians do not have regular access to a family doctor. The population growth in Canada, coinciding with many factors working against the availability of family doctors nationwide, has brought notable consequences for Canadians.
This is a problem that governments at both federal & territorial/ provincial levels are attempting to rectify using the increased immigration of qualified healthcare professionals.
Barriers For Current International Medical Graduates
Canada requires more immigrant doctors to support the national healthcare system. According to the Canadian government, immigrants account for one of every four healthcare sector workers in Canada.
In fact, further broken down by profession, immigrants make up the following percentage of all healthcare workers in Canada:
- 23% of registered nurses
- 35% of nurse aides
- 37% of pharmacist
- 36% of physicians
- 39% of dentists
- 54% of dental technologists & those in related professions
Despite this, foreign nationals who are trained as doctors in other countries – otherwise known as IMGs – often struggle while obtaining a medical residency due to quotas on how many IMGs can get a spot.
Moreover, IMGs struggle with pursuing medical practice in Canada because the residency system is run by medical schools that favor their own graduates.
According to Dr. Kathleen Ross, CMA’s president, this creates an issue for Canada’s healthcare system because the nation isn’t producing nearly enough homegrown primary care doctors to keep up with the nation’s health needs.
Thus, while Canada needs foreign-trained doctors to support its Canadian-born workforce in the healthcare industry, IMGs in Canada face unique challenges that can prevent them from practicing.
Canada Is Addressing The Issues Faced By IMGs By Investing In Foreign Credential Recognition
As Canada requires more immigrant doctors to support the national healthcare system, IRCC has committed to addressing the issue by investing in foreign credential recognition.
A January news release from ESDC highlighted a plan from the Canadian government that will provide up to $86 million in funding to 15 organizations in Canada.
According to ESDC, this funding will increase the capacity for the foreign credential recognition of approximately 6600 internationally educated health professionals and highly educated, & skilled immigrants to receive proper recognition for their international credentials.
Other Reasons Why Canada Is Experiencing Lack Of Family Doctors
Canada is experiencing record-high population growth, including its fastest-paced population growth in any single quarter since 1957 in the third quarter of 2023. However, the availability of family doctors is unable to keep pace for numerous reasons.
Declining Interest In Family Medicine Among Medical Graduates
The January report indicates that there is a declining interest in family medicine among Canadian medical graduates.
First, according to a Canadian Resident Matching Services report, the percentage of graduates who picked family medicine as their discipline for residency training has declined by over 7% in the last nine years. In 2014, the number was just 30.3% in 2023.
In addition, estimates from the Canadian Medical Association suggest that roughly 1,000 more family doctors are leaving the profession every year as compared to the number of new ones coming into the workforce.
Lastly, Canada Health Workforce Network director Ivy Lynn asserted that more & more family doctors are obtaining credentials to work in emergency & sports medicine & anesthesiology.
Taken together, these realities indicate a lack of interest in discipline among Canadians pursuing careers in healthcare, which has created a significant roadblock when it comes to accessing family medicine.
Minimal Growth In Medical Residencies
As highlighted earlier, Canada’s medical schools are admitting only 167 more doctors for mandatory postgraduate training than they did ten years ago. This is problematic because population projections suggest that Canada will require nearly 49,000 extra family doctors by 2031.
Well, some provincial governments are working to rectify this problem by expanding medical school capacity in the forthcoming years. Healthcare is a provincial & territorial responsibility & so they are responsible for physician training & responsibility.
More Steps To Address The Gap
Beginning at the federal level, the nation is aiming to bring more foreign-trained doctors via its category-based Express Entry draws.
Introduced in May 2023, category-based draws are a type of Express Entry draw introduced by IRCC to attract foreign nationals with experience in key employment sectors across Canada. Healthcare is one of the five occupational categories that IRCC is prioritizing through these draws.
Lastly, at the provincial level, medical schools in three provinces are acting to either add more spaces for medical training or establish new medical schools altogether.
Ontario: The province has committed to adding 449 more postgraduate medical training spaces over the next five years. Of these, 154 spaces are expected to come online later in 2024 at different medical schools across the province.
PEI: The University of PEI will open a new medical school in the fall of 2025.
British Columbia: BC’s Simon Fraser University has declared its plan to open a new medical school at the university’s Surrey campus in 2026.