| Summary: | Background: Canada is currently experiencing a significant doctor shortage in both the primary care and subspecialties settings. There have been numerous taskforces dedicated to find both immediate relief as well as a long term solution to this problem. The current focus involves two elements: a)increase the number of entrance positions within all the Canadian medical schools for a long term solution and b) Increase recruitment of International Medical Graduates (IMG's) who are permanent residents of Canada, into our residency programs to promote short term relief particularly in the underserviced populations of Canada. The limiting factor of this approach appears to be the lack of sufficient teaching resources within our Canadian academic medical centres to accommodate these increased trainees. Foreign Visa Trainees (FVT's) are doctors from abroad whose home countries finance their medical residency training within Canada, but are required to return home upon completion of their residency. Objective: To analyze the statistics regarding medical postgraduate studies and determine the overall effect foreign visa trainees have on postgraduate medical resources within Canada. Data Sources: Statistical analysis was taken from the Canadian Post-M.D. Education Registery (CAPER 2007), CARMS Official Data Registery (2007) and "A Physician Human Resource Strategy for Canada - Final Report prepared by Task Force Two" (2006). Study Selection: All postgraduate medical positions including both residency and fellowship training spots within all Canadian Medical Schools. Results: FVT's occupy 18.9% of total postgraduate training positions within Canada compared to 81.1% occupied by both Canadian Medical Graduates (CMG's) and IMG's. The percentage of FVT's varied significantly between the provinces. Ranges include 24.8% and 21.2% in Ontario and BC respectively to 3.5% and 4.1% in Newfoundland and Saskatchewan respectively. The total number of FVT's has steadily been rising over the last decade. The majority of postgraduate ...
|
|---|