B.C. expanding efforts to recruit, train internationally educated doctors
B.C. officials have announced changes they say will allow more foreign-trained and certified doctors to work in the province, a move meant to help mitigate the crisis in family medicine.
In a Sunday news conference, Premier David Eby said too many of these professionals are sitting on the sidelines while too many people are not getting the care they need.
"The pandemic has exposed underlying challenges and added new strains to our public health-care system, and too many British Columbians are struggling to find a family doctor," Eby wrote in a statement.
"Meanwhile, family doctors trained outside of Canada aren't able to practise family medicine, because they lack a pathway to be licensed here. We need to fix this."
The practice ready assessment program, which allows family practitioners trained outside of Canada to get licensed in B.C., will expand from its current 32 seats to 96 over the next 16 months.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC will also create a class of license for "associate physicians" who will be allowed to practice under the supervision of a licensed doctor within provincial acute-care settings. In addition, the college will allow physicians who have three years of training in the U.S. to practice in settings such as community clinics, urgent and primary care centres, and family practices.
It is estimated as many as one million British Columbians do not have access to a primary care provider, with an additional million waiting for specialist care.
In addition to the hundreds of thousands without access to consistent care, the crisis has led to increased pressure on struggling and short-staffed 911 centres, ambulances, and hospitals
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Minister said 'hundreds' of Canadians might use Gaza visa. More than 7,500 applied.
An immigration lawyer in Toronto says new figures from the federal government show just how 'grudging' Ottawa's efforts have been to rescue Canadians' family members from the war in the Gaza Strip.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.