Are doctor shortages a thing of the past?
Valary Thompson
Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: News
Excalibur (York University)
TORONTO (CUP) - While doctor shortages continue across Canada, the province of Quebec may have found a new solution. The Quebec College of Physicians recently decided to ease restrictions on foreign-trained medical professionals.
According to a report by the CBC on Oct. 16, foreign doctors who practice in Quebec with a restrictive permit for five years will be able to get a regular permit at the end of that time, enabling them to practice province-wide.
In the current system, according to the Quebec College of Physicians' Web site, a foreign doctor who wants to practice in the province has one of two options - the Permit to Practice or the Restrictive Permit.
The Permit to Practice is issued when foreign doctors have successfully applied for recognition of their medical degrees and have completed post-graduate training, followed by testing.
The Restrictive Permit is currently issued for a one-year period, but it can be renewed. Doctors holding them are tied to one specific hospital or clinic and are limited to performing certain professional acts.
The new system would allow foreign-trained doctors to accept a position at a hospital or clinic of their choice after the five-year period, according to the CBC.
The Quebec College of Physicians' Web site is careful to point out that with both the Permit to Practice and the Restrictive Permit, the application process can be "lengthy" and that not all applicants are guaranteed positions.
While Quebec is finding a solution to its doctor shortage, other provinces are still suffering.
Ontario has one of the lowest rates of family doctors per capita in the country, according to a Toronto Star article published on Oct. 26.
According to the article, Ontario's population growth has "outstripped" that of its doctors. Making matters worse is the flight of trained physicians: the province lost almost 60 specialists last year.
Dr. Janice Willett, president of the Ontario Medical Association, said that Ontario will need to take measures to keep more doctors from leaving the province.
"We think it's really time to move on increasing the residency training spots [in the province] and bringing [medical] students in from other provinces and start training them here. You can see other provinces are taking our trained physicians."
TORONTO (CUP) - While doctor shortages continue across Canada, the province of Quebec may have found a new solution. The Quebec College of Physicians recently decided to ease restrictions on foreign-trained medical professionals.
According to a report by the CBC on Oct. 16, foreign doctors who practice in Quebec with a restrictive permit for five years will be able to get a regular permit at the end of that time, enabling them to practice province-wide.
In the current system, according to the Quebec College of Physicians' Web site, a foreign doctor who wants to practice in the province has one of two options - the Permit to Practice or the Restrictive Permit.
The Permit to Practice is issued when foreign doctors have successfully applied for recognition of their medical degrees and have completed post-graduate training, followed by testing.
The Restrictive Permit is currently issued for a one-year period, but it can be renewed. Doctors holding them are tied to one specific hospital or clinic and are limited to performing certain professional acts.
The new system would allow foreign-trained doctors to accept a position at a hospital or clinic of their choice after the five-year period, according to the CBC.
The Quebec College of Physicians' Web site is careful to point out that with both the Permit to Practice and the Restrictive Permit, the application process can be "lengthy" and that not all applicants are guaranteed positions.
While Quebec is finding a solution to its doctor shortage, other provinces are still suffering.
Ontario has one of the lowest rates of family doctors per capita in the country, according to a Toronto Star article published on Oct. 26.
According to the article, Ontario's population growth has "outstripped" that of its doctors. Making matters worse is the flight of trained physicians: the province lost almost 60 specialists last year.
Dr. Janice Willett, president of the Ontario Medical Association, said that Ontario will need to take measures to keep more doctors from leaving the province.
"We think it's really time to move on increasing the residency training spots [in the province] and bringing [medical] students in from other provinces and start training them here. You can see other provinces are taking our trained physicians."
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