Foreign doctors take up more medical residency spots as Canadians struggle to get in
The acute doctor shortage in Canada is anticipated to worsen in the next years as the number of residency spots available cannot keep up with the country’s rapid population growth.
Despite these obstacles, a CBC News analysis of medical school statistics found that every year, almost 1,000 Canadian doctors who attended medical school abroad are turned away because they cannot find residency positions in Canada. To obtain a license to practice medicine, doctors must complete a residency.
Canadian doctors who want to return home to work are frequently informed that it is impossible since there are not enough resources and residency places available.
However, the medical schools that oversee residency programmes continue to make room for foreign nationals from nations like Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia – people who frequently have no intention of remaining here to work for an extended period of time.