What are the challenges to becoming a doctor?
It’s no secret that Canada needs more doctors. We’ll be short more than 78,000 physicians by 2031. The challenge? Becoming a doctor isn't just intellectually difficult, it requires navigating challenges in the system.
️How hard is it to get into Canadian medical school?
Canada currently has 17 medical schools. That’s under 3,000 spots for thousands of applicants every year.
- In 2021, about 18% of applicants received at least one offer of admission to a Canadian medical school. In the United States, MD-granting medical schools accepted double, or about 36% of applicants, in the same period.
Why can’t Canadian medical schools just accept more applicants?
There aren’t enough residency spots to accommodate an increase in medical school graduates — a crucial next step on the path to becoming a doctor. Three new medical schools are slated to open in Canada by the fall of 2026, which may help unlock more residency spots.
Why do some residency spots still go unfilled?
Most unfilled residency positions are in family medicine — a concerning pattern that’s been going on for years. It’s a critical gap in a country where over 6.5 million people, or more than one in five, don’t have access to a family doctor.
- In 2024, 75 family medicine residency slots were left vacant, primarily in Quebec, compared to just 12 spots in all other disciplines combined.
Dive deeper: Why is it so difficult to find a family doctor?
What challenges do internationally trained doctors face in Canada?
Many aspiring doctors turn to countries like Australia and Ireland, where residency spots are more plentiful. But international medical graduates (also known as IMGs) face significant barriers to returning home to practise.
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IMGs compete for a much smaller pool of residency positions compared to Canadian medical graduates (or CMGs).
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Doctors who have already completed their residency and practised independently abroad have to complete a Practice-Ready Assessment in order to practise in Canada. The process for credentialing foreign-trained doctors can take months — even years.
️What happens if a doctor moves to a different province?
In Canada, most provinces or territories require separate licenses for medical practice. This means a license to practise in one province or territory is not a license to practise across Canada. With few exceptions, each license typically involves a lengthy application process and hefty fees.
This is changing: Since 2023, a new Atlantic Physician Registry allows doctors in the region to move freely between four provinces and bring care where it’s most needed. This also means patients can access the care that’s closest to them — wherever that may be.
Let’s talk solutions
Here are ways experts say we could make it better, especially in family medicine:
- Modernize health data. We can’t fix problems we can’t see. National health data can help identify and address gaps in the health system.
- Step up Canada’s workforce planning game. Right now, the work to fill doctor positions mostly happens at a provincial level, cut off from the bigger picture.
- Reduce doctors’ administrative burden. Doctors are often overwhelmed by unnecessary paperwork. Reducing this burden will help keep doctors from leaving medicine and allow them to spend more time with patients.
- Make it easier for doctors to practise across Canada. A national license would expand access to both virtual and in-person care. This is particularly beneficial for patients living in rural and remote regions.
Where’d we get this information?
- Addressing Canada’s Health Workforce Crisis, a report from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health
- Canadian Medical Education Statistics from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
- Pathways to licensure from the Medical Council of Canada
