Summary
Canada is facing a significant healthcare crisis, with millions lacking family doctors and long wait times for specialty care. Despite having thousands of internationally trained physicians (ITPs) who possess extensive experience, many face barriers to licensure. The 2023 CaRMS match rate for ITPs was just 35%, compared to 95% for Canadian medical graduates (CMGs).
Key barriers for ITPs include:
Limited Residency Spots: There are far fewer residency positions available for ITPs compared to CMGs.
Restricted Program Access: Many programs do not accept ITPs, despite their qualifications.
Recency of Practice: ITPs struggle to maintain recent practice due to various constraints, complicating their ability to meet residency criteria.
Canadian Clinical Familiarity: Gaining experience in the Canadian healthcare system is challenging, leading to biases in the selection process.
Exam Cut-off Scores: Relying on exam scores to determine residency placement is seen as inequitable, particularly for minorities.
Jargon and Documentation: Application processes can be confusing for ITPs due to language and context issues.
To improve access, recommendations include:
Increase funding for residency spots to accommodate more ITPs.
Ensure ITPs have equitable access to all residency programs and spots.
Remove recency of practice requirements and value diverse international clinical experience.
Accept various forms of Canadian healthcare familiarity beyond strictly clinical or traditional roles.
Implement a pass/fail system for exam score criteria to ensure equity.
Allowing translations and broader definitions for reference letters and assessments.
Reframe assessment criteria for a broader context to capture ITP strengths.
These changes aim to better integrate skilled ITPs into the Canadian healthcare system, addressing the urgent need for more doctors..
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