Provincial licensing process: Unnecessary barrier to locum coverage

Michael Vance

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Re:Re:Provincial licensing process
Fabian Schwarz

Published on: 19 March 2015
Re:Provincial licensing process
Murray B. Trusler

Published on: 02 March 2015

Published on: (19 March 2015)
Page navigation anchor for Re:Re:Provincial licensing process
Re:Re:Provincial licensing process
Fabian Schwarz, Family Physician
Thank you very much to Dr Vance for raising this issue, which I have been subject to myself. I'm a GP from Australia who migrated to Canada due to family reasons, after 2 years I finally managed to get an independent license in Ontario, just to find out that I might have to go through further obstacles to qualify in BC. Interestingly enough, we've had similar issues in Australia in the past with each state having differe...
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Thank you very much to Dr Vance for raising this issue, which I have been subject to myself. I'm a GP from Australia who migrated to Canada due to family reasons, after 2 years I finally managed to get an independent license in Ontario, just to find out that I might have to go through further obstacles to qualify in BC. Interestingly enough, we've had similar issues in Australia in the past with each state having different requirements.
However since the introduction of a National Medical Registration and Authority, my fees for registration have been reduced and I am free to work anywhere in the country. It's a nice freedom to have. In actual fact, all health professionals are now regulated nationally.
Of course there are some negative aspects with such as system, as per the Australian Doctors'fund. (http://adf.com.au/attachments/library/2014/submission_registn_accreditation.pdf)
I still hope that Canada will follow Australia and reduce unnecessary registration costs and burden.
Nonetheless a national registration would make a lot of sense.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.
Published on: (2 March 2015)
Page navigation anchor for Re:Provincial licensing process
Re:Provincial licensing process
Murray B. Trusler, Family Physician
Thanks to Dr. Vance for raising the important issue of the red tape around physician mobility in Canada. During my tenure as Chief of Staff at Moose Factory General Hospital (Ontario's most remote hospital) I was equally frustrated in our efforts to hire Canadian locums to cover staff physicians on leave. Most rural communities suffer because of the unnecessary obstacles to locum mobility in Canada. This is not just a...
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Thanks to Dr. Vance for raising the important issue of the red tape around physician mobility in Canada. During my tenure as Chief of Staff at Moose Factory General Hospital (Ontario's most remote hospital) I was equally frustrated in our efforts to hire Canadian locums to cover staff physicians on leave. Most rural communities suffer because of the unnecessary obstacles to locum mobility in Canada. This is not just a supply issue. On the supply side, there are many young physicians, like Dr. Vance, who are eager to explore Canada by working in rural and remote communities. On the demand side, we only need to look at the numerous classified ads in Canadian medical journals to comprehend the need. Dr. Vance has some excellent suggestions. I would like to put out one more. A national medical license. Given our geography, it will require provincial administration (as is the case with CFPC). However, a Canadian national license would greatly improve locum mobility, rural patient's access to healthcare, and give physicians a medical practice experience of a lifetime. It's time.
Murray Trusler, MD, MBA, FCFP, FRRMS, Fairmont Hot Springs, BC
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.