Finding a doctor is a struggle we all know too well. The relationship between patient and
doctor is very important. Over time, doctors become like family, friends, or even
confidants. There is no doubt that finding a good doctor is crucial to one's long term
health. So why is it that at a time where Canada is facing a shortage of doctors, more
and more immigrant doctors are being turned away? Exactly what does it take to
become a doctor in Ontario if you are an immigrant?
In order to gain a better understanding of this issue, we need to go back a few decades.
In 1991, the ministry of health released a report where it predicted that Canada was heading into a physician surplus.
This resulted in provincial
governments cutting first-year enrolment to Canadian medical schools by roughly ten
percent. What's alarming is the effect this had for the new millennium. Canada is
currently facing a
massive doctor shortage; in fact, over 800,000 Ontarians don't have a
family doctor.
Another contributing factor to this shortage is a lack of residency openings. As per the
College of Physicians and Surgeons, doctors have to complete a residency after finishing medical
school so as to obtain their medical licenses. A residency consists of at least two years
of hands on training, most likely in a hospital setting. Admission into a Canadian
residency is hard enough for Canadians; this is made significantly more difficult for
immigrant doctors who have to compete a Canadian residency. As such,
exams aren't necessarily the issue; it is obtaining a residency which is at the heart of the
matter.
As of August 2015, Ontario's Health Minister Eric Hoskins announced the decision
of Ontario Government to dissolve 50 medical residency positions which will
undoubtedly make things much harder for foreign doctors wanting to practice medicine
in Canada. According to the Liberal Government, the cuts were made to
reduce its budget deficit of $10.9 billion. This comes at zero benefit to both patients and
those wishing to pursue a residency, especially foreign doctors. As of now, there are an
estimated 2,000 to 4,000 immigrant doctors trying to obtain medical licensing in Ontario.
An emerging occurrence is further complicating matters for foreign doctors looking to
obtain their medical licenses in Canada. An increasing amount of Canadians who didn't get
into medical schools in Canada go to study in other countries such as Poland or
the Caribbean and then go through the application process for a residency in Ontario. In the past eight years, the
number of Canadians applying to residencies from abroad has grown from 250 to 800.
There are 200 residency spots in Ontario allocated to
international medical graduates. In
2014, almost 133 of the 200 slots were taken by Canadians from medical schools
abroad as opposed to foreign doctors in Canada.
It's clear to see that Canada’s Health Ministry’s policies need to be reviewed with
regards to allocating more resources to help foreign doctors obtain their medical licenses.
Although the odds are stacked pretty high against immigrants, it is not impossible; it
comes down to perseverance on behalf of the immigrant doctor and a serious
revaluation of Canadian bureaucracy.
