Make it easier for doctors to practise here

A recent letter about investing outside Canada to get new doctors struck a loud chord with me.

My daughter is a physician practising in the United States, having gone to medical school outside of Canada due to limited placements in B.C., and subsequently completing a fellowship in Boston.

As a parent, I had hopes that despite the physician shortage in many disciplines, my daughter could find an avenue to practise in B.C.

Through my work within the Lower Mainland health authorities, I was acutely aware of the recruitment difficulties to fill physician vacancies. In this context I had a discussion with a physicianrecruitment group to learn about existing recruitment practices.

It seemed that efforts were focused on job fairs where health agencies across Canada competed against each other for physicians. I also learned that for a B.C. graduate of a foreign medical program to practise in B.C. they would have to find a physician mentor at a B.C. hospital for a year with the graduate receiving no income.

Since most medical students accumulate substantial student loans that need payback after graduation, this is an untenable situation. I discussed potential opportunities for B.C. health authorities to form strategic alliances with medical programs outside Canada to create a pathway for B.C. and Canadian medical students to practise in B.C.

I suggested that health authorities had several opportunities to train our homegrown students in a Canadian medical environment, starting with hospital rotations in third and fourth years of medical school and also during residency years.

I also suggested that through such strategic relationships, health authorities could address quality concerns, often cited for foreign-trained physicians, but additionally allow them to influence these medical students to pursue training in areas of projected physician shortages.

And the bonus would be that Canadian medical students at foreign programs pay completely for their education as their programs are not subsidized by the B.C. or Canadian taxpayer, as are Canadian programs.

Importantly, B.C. medical students have family in B.C. communities that can help mitigate the high living costs that make it unaffordable for physicians to locate here. It has been 12 years since my discussion, and it seems like 12 lost years. How many more will it take?

John Little Victoria