In many areas of the country, providing timely access to health care services is a growing challenge. Millions of Canadians are without a family physician, and many face long wait times for specialist consultations and procedures. At the same time, some Canadian medical graduates are unable to find residency positions, and many newly certified physicians are struggling to find opportunities to practise.
The CMA believes a national approach to health human resource (HHR) planning is needed to ensure Canada has the right supply, distribution and specialty mix of physicians, based on population need. To help inform HHR planning, the CMA conducts regular physician workforce surveys to provide health care institutions and governments with accurate and up-to-date information on how physicians work.
To support Canadian medical graduates, the CMA partners with Resident Doctors of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Medical Students to push for more federal, provincial and territorial funding for residency spaces.
2019 Ipsos survey
Canadians worry a great deal about the shortage of health professionals, including family physicians
Statistics Canada Canadian Community Health Survey 2018
of the population aged 12 years and older does not have a regular health provider (family doctor, medical specialist or nurse practitioner)
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Employment Study, May 2019
of newly certified specialists in 2017 did not have work as a specialist at the time of their certification
2017 CMA Physician Workforce Survey
of surgeons are unsatisfied with the amount of access they get to operating rooms to care for their patients