As political tensions and health-care layoffs roil the United States, a surge of American doctors may be looking to make a move north — and provinces are taking notice.
It’s worth noting that there’s been a shortage of doctors in Canada for decades now. The root of the problem is that to become a doctor, you need to complete a residency program. But, the number of residency slots is set extremely low. That means that there are a lot of med school graduates who never get into a residency program, and eventually have to do something other than becoming a doctor.
You would think that you could get around this by moving to Canada with an MD and years of experience. But, frequently foreign experience isn’t counted as being on par with Canada’s system, so foreign doctors need to do a Canadian residency. That means they compete with Canadian med school graduates to get into the same residency programs.
Why aren’t there more residency slots? Part of it is political, many provincial governments want to shrink the healthcare budget, so by limiting the supply of doctors they limit the size of the healthcare budget. But, there are also indications that the doctors also don’t want the competition, and lobby the government to limit the number of residency spots it pays for, and by doing that, limits the number of doctors.
So, doctors may be trying to move to Canada, but unless something changes, they might not be able to practice medicine here.
It’s just as difficult in the USA, to foreigners can’t become one either as easily, they need to do some program. And they also don’t look kindly on med schools in some countries as equivalent, making it more convoluted. USA also limits Medical licenses to ensure doctor salaries are not lowered from too much MD supply., and many places are shortaged like crazy. There’s 2 additional things making things worse, equity firms and teledoc companies that snatch up doctors
But, there are also indications that the doctors also don’t want the competition, and lobby the government to limit the number of residency spots it pays for, and by doing that, limits the number of doctors.
It’s this. It’s been the tactic of medical associations in different countries (e.g. US, etc) to work to administratively or legally limit the residency and make it difficult for foreign doctors to practice here to keep their salaries up.
It’s worth noting that there’s been a shortage of doctors in Canada for decades now. The root of the problem is that to become a doctor, you need to complete a residency program. But, the number of residency slots is set extremely low. That means that there are a lot of med school graduates who never get into a residency program, and eventually have to do something other than becoming a doctor.
You would think that you could get around this by moving to Canada with an MD and years of experience. But, frequently foreign experience isn’t counted as being on par with Canada’s system, so foreign doctors need to do a Canadian residency. That means they compete with Canadian med school graduates to get into the same residency programs.
Why aren’t there more residency slots? Part of it is political, many provincial governments want to shrink the healthcare budget, so by limiting the supply of doctors they limit the size of the healthcare budget. But, there are also indications that the doctors also don’t want the competition, and lobby the government to limit the number of residency spots it pays for, and by doing that, limits the number of doctors.
So, doctors may be trying to move to Canada, but unless something changes, they might not be able to practice medicine here.
It’s just as difficult in the USA, to foreigners can’t become one either as easily, they need to do some program. And they also don’t look kindly on med schools in some countries as equivalent, making it more convoluted. USA also limits Medical licenses to ensure doctor salaries are not lowered from too much MD supply., and many places are shortaged like crazy. There’s 2 additional things making things worse, equity firms and teledoc companies that snatch up doctors
It’s this. It’s been the tactic of medical associations in different countries (e.g. US, etc) to work to administratively or legally limit the residency and make it difficult for foreign doctors to practice here to keep their salaries up.
Supply management. The cause of, and solution to, all of Canada’s problems.
See, the Coramoor gets it.
Ease up on these requirements and charge astronomical prices to American medical tourists who are inevitably coming to your county for healthcare.
What are they going to do? Go to an American doctor who might have gotten their degree from Bumfuck medical college, Cattleville?
Everyone wins! (Except Americans, but that’s a given at this moment).