Canada's "window of opportunity" to attract US health-care workers, scientists amid Trump's funding cuts

Canada has been given a unique opportunity to leverage the current health care and research cuts in the US by attracting medical professionals seeking new opportunities abroad amid their own domestic shortages in the industry.

Dr. Joss Reimer, President of the Canadian Medical Association, has highlighted the challenges faced by US doctors looking to move to Canada while talking to Canadian media outlets.

Those are primarily the immigration process and the recognition of their US qualifications. To make the most of this opportunity, Reimer’s organization is urging the Canadian government to fast-track visas for US physicians and streamline the immigration process to avoid missing out on this potential influx of talent.

Reimer suggests that Canada can attract more US medical professionals by improving federal immigration pathways while provinces and territories address licensing issues with their regulatory bodies. While the exact number of US health workers migrating to Canada is uncertain, there is a clear indication of interest, with a notable increase in online applications for Canadian medical licenses. In the last six months, approximately 120 US medical graduates per month have created accounts with the Medical Council of Canada, a sharp rise from just 10 per month the previous year.

Several provinces, including Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, have already set up fast-track licensing pathways for US physicians, with Saskatchewan recently launching its own initiative aimed at American doctors in light of growing political uncertainty in the US Canada, which is grappling with a shortage of family doctors, particularly in provinces like Nova Scotia, is increasingly reliant on international recruits, with 30% of recruits coming from abroad and 7% from the US Reimer pointed out that Canada’s family doctor shortage has reached nearly 23,000, leaving about 6.5 million Canadians without a family doctor.

Despite the challenges of Canada’s universal health care system, which offers less control for physicians in certain aspects, Reimer noted that it is often “so much better” than the US system. US doctors, she said, face more paperwork due to the lack of universal coverage and are often constrained by insurers or patients unable to afford care. While US family physicians earn higher salaries, they are also more likely to face lawsuits than their Canadian counterparts.

By Nazrin Sadigova