OTTAWA | March
19, 2004 — Canada
badly needs more doctors, but the federal government is making only a token
effort to put foreign physicians to work, says the Canadian
Medical Association.
 |
| Heath Canada is hoping the new funding will help
cure Canada's doctor shortage. |
Health Canada recently announced it would spend $4 million to help foreign-trained
doctors practise in Canada.
"The money won't make a difference," says CMA president Sunil
Patel.
"The $4 million won’t go anywhere to help those internationally
trained doctors."
Many well-trained foreign doctors are already in the country and ready
to work, Patel says. However, they need post-graduate training to qualify
for a Canadian licence to practise medicine, and many have not been able
to find places in training hospitals.
The $4 million will go towards building a system that would make it easier
for foreign-trained doctors to have their medical skills assessed before
they immigrate to Canada.
The funding may not do much to help doctors already in Canada, says Paige
Raymond Kovach, a media relations officer for Health Canada.
"It's a start. We’re doing the best we can within the confines
of the budget."
Easier assessment
'The $4 million won’t go
anywhere
to help those internationally trained doctors.' |
A doctor who wants to immigrate could simply go to a website and find
out what he or she needs to be qualified to work in Canada. This is something
Patel agrees would be a benefit to doctors before they come to Canada.
"We can assess them before they come to Canada and it will provide
a fast-track mechanism."
Yet, the certification process is long and expensive for doctors who
are already in this country, he adds.
 |
| Often, foreign-trained doctors are unable to practise
in Canada, and take such jobs as driving a cab. |
"They have to go through the steps of getting their diplomas validated
and they have to pass their exams," says Sonja Katic, an Ottawa immigrant
employment counsellor.
"Once they pass their exams, then they can look for an internship.
It is a very, very long process with no guarantees, and is extremely costly."
To keep up with the cost of living in Canada, many foreign-trained doctors
take employment in areas unrelated to their field. For example, they often
end up working as cab drivers or security guards.
More funding needed
According to statistics from the Canadian Information Centre for International
Credentials, only 16.7 per cent of foreign-trained doctors who applied
in 2002 were able to get post-graduate training.
| 'It is a very, very long process
with no guarantees, and is extremely costly.' |
"It is very important to recognize that this $4 million is a very
small portion of a big, big need that Canada has. We have a serious shortage
of doctors in Canada," Patel says.
"But the $4 million is very necessary, because it allows those who
are internationally trained to be assessed in a speedy manner and facilitate
their entry into the workforce in Canada." 
|
What exams do doctors have to take to practise medicine?