EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In an online survey conducted by OMA, 26% of respondents chose “We don’t have enough doctors” as the statement that best represents their view on health-care delivery in their community. The impact of this shortage is being seen lately, especially in the north and in remote and rural communities.
The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) has a detailed strategy, entitled "Prescription for Ontario: Doctors’ 5-Point Plan for Better Health Care", with recommendations intended to fix the gaps in the health-care system over the next 4-5 years.
There is no “overnight fix” but there are 3 timely solutions which could make a difference in the short-term.
Proposed solutions:
The OMA’s “three solutions” that the government could implement now are:
Licensing more foreign-trained physicians, through increased residency spots and a government practice-ready assessment program
Creating Integrated Ambulatory Centers for less complicated outpatient surgeries and procedures
Creating more hospice beds and palliative care services
What does this mean for ITPs?
The OMA recommends that doctors from countries (aside from the U.S.A, Ireland, Britain, New Zealand and Australia) “who are landed immigrants and who have completed the examination program of the Medical Council of Canada be allowed to practice under the supervision of another family doctor for three or four years. This could also be a solution for Canadian physicians trained overseas who have not completed their residency. Both groups should then be allowed to compete for an expanded number of medical residency spots for internationally educated physicians.”
According to Dr. Rose Zacharias, OMA President 2022, this would help facilitate the integration of ITPs into the healthcare system by staffing ER departments, working in underserved communities and as locum doctors.
Read more about it at:
- Summarized by Dr. Marwah Saeed (volunteer)
