WHEREAS there is a critical shortage of physicians in British Columbia, particularly affecting rural and remote BC; AND WHEREAS Canadian medical students who have been forced to study abroad and now wish to return to Canada are facing huge barriers due to a medical training model that is over one hundred years old: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ministry of Health review and correct the obstacles in the existing medical training model that are preventing Canadians, trained as doctors in other Commonwealth countries or the U.S. from returning to Canada to practice; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Ministry of Health review and correct the obstacles in the current International Medical Graduate IMG Program that also prohibits Canadians trained as doctors in other Commonwealth countries or the U.S. from returning to Canada to practice.
Ministry of Health Services Education: Since 2002, Government has doubled the number of physicians trained in BC, as well as begun to distribute medical education to the North, the Island, the Fraser Valley, and into the Interior of the province. - The number of first-year students doubled in September 2007, for a potential of 256 Canadian medical graduates per year by 201112. - The opening of the medical program in the Interior is expected to add a further 32 for a total of 288 Canadian medical graduates per year by 201415. - The Ministry of Health Services is expanding postgraduate medical education residencies for Canadian medical graduates to keep pace with the undergraduate program growth. - In 2006, the Ministry also tripled the number of entry-level residency positions for IMGs to 18. 12 of the 18 positions are in family medicine. In 2008, the Ministry and UBCs Faculty of Medicine worked together to reduce barriers for IMGs who want to access postgraduate medical education in BC. They agreed the IMG-BC Programs three-month assessment will be optional, thereby removing a barrier. They also agreed the IMG-BC Program could expand again, subject to funding, when the current undergraduate and postgraduate program expansions are nearer completion. Licensing: In 2008, Government amended the Health Professions Act to permit the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC to establish a new restricted license for IMGs who do not meet the requirements for full licensure in BC. The College came under the Health Professions Act on June 1, 2009. - By-laws enabling a new restricted license are expected by the end of the year. They will allow IMGs to practice in their specific areas of qualifications. - IMGs who do not meet the requirements for full licensure may be authorized to practice subject to individual-specific limits or conditions that reflect their current qualifications, on either a permanent basis or while upgrading to full registration requirements. In 2008, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC licensed 632 physicians temporary and full register: 262 were IMGs - 156 were on the temporary register and 106 were on the full register. IMGs represented 42 percent of the physicians licensed in BC in 2008.