Maple News reports that Canada’s healthcare system is under increasing pressure, fueled by a population surge of more than five million people over the past decade and a minimal expansion in medical training opportunities. Despite this significant growth, only 167 new medical residency positions have been added across the country, contributing to a widespread shortage of family doctors.
According to recent reports, over 6.5 million Canadians currently lack regular access to a family physician, highlighting a growing gap between healthcare demand and supply. This shortfall is particularly critical since family doctors often serve as the frontline of patient care and health management.
In response, both federal and provincial governments are turning to immigration as a key solution—specifically targeting international healthcare professionals. Immigrants already make up a substantial portion of the country’s healthcare workforce: 36% of physicians, 23% of registered nurses, 37% of pharmacists, 39% of dentists, and over half of all dental technologists, according to official government data.
However, International Medical Graduates (IMGs), physicians trained outside of Canada, face significant barriers when seeking to practice in the country. Key among the challenges is the limited number of residency spots allocated to IMGs. Many of these medical residency positions are administered by Canadian medical schools, which are often structured to favor domestic graduates.
This bottleneck creates a paradox: while Canada urgently needs more doctors, the pathway for internationally trained professionals to join the system remains filled with systemic obstacles. IMGs not only face restrictive quotas, but also lengthy accreditation processes and regional licensing differences—further complicating their ability to contribute.
Both the healthcare crisis and the underutilization of qualified immigrant doctors point to the need for systemic reforms in training and licensing. Experts and policymakers increasingly argue that expanding residency spots and streamlining licensing for IMGs could alleviate the strain on Canada’s healthcare system more efficiently.
As Maple News continues to monitor this evolving issue, it’s clear that addressing the healthcare workforce shortage requires not just more immigration, but targeted efforts to integrate internationally trained professionals into the system more effectively.