Foreign doctors won’t solve our family physician crisis. Here’s what might
Posted on October 14, 2024 in Health Delivery System
Source: TheStar.com — Authors: Anthony Sanfilippo
TheStar.com – Opinion/Contributors
Oct. 13, 2024. By Anthony Sanfilippo, Contributors
Allowing more internationally trained physicians to become fully licensed doesn’t address the fundamental issue — our dysfunctional processes for selecting and training physicians, disconnected from evolving health-care needs, writes Dr. Anthony Sanfilippo.
Make no mistake — Canada now has a two-tiered health-care system. The lower tier isn’t occupied by the undeserving, but by 6.5 million citizens, who, through no fault of their own, lack a family physician.
This second tier suffers from diminished access to care for non-urgent illnesses, chronic medical problems, and preventive care. They’re worried, at greater risk for complications, and desperately seeking care, often at their own expense.
Senators Ratna Omidvar, Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia and Stan Kutcher have proposed reforms to allow more internationally trained physicians to become fully licensed, hoping to alleviate this crisis. While commendable, theirs is far from a definitive solution for the long-term.
There’s little chance that qualified international graduates will fill the family medicine positions so desperately needed. Their training, like that of our own graduates, prepares them for more than 120 different practice options. Those willing to take on comprehensive, continuing care in smaller centres will likely be a minority, potentially unprepared for the Canadian health-care system or rural settings.
Return-of-service arrangements have historically been difficult to enforce and rarely lead to lasting commitments. More importantly, this proposal doesn’t address the fundamental issue — our dysfunctional processes for selecting and training physicians, disconnected from evolving health-care needs.
So, what can we do?
Expand and reform medical education: Thousands of motivated, capable applicants are turned away from our medical schools annually. Let’s increase capacity and tailor programs to meet current needs, especially in family medicine.
Reform selection processes to attract medical students who are committed and suited for specialties in need, particularly family medicine.
Embrace community-based training: Establish more rural and remote training programs to encourage physicians to practice in these areas long-term.
Incentivize family medicine: Create attractive compensation packages, work-life balance initiatives, and career development opportunities for family physicians, particularly in underserved areas.
Integrate technology: Embrace telemedicine and AI-assisted diagnostics to extend the reach of existing physicians and improve access to care.
Adopt collaborative care models: Promote team-based approaches that maximize and effectively integrate the skills of various health professionals, improving patient care and physician satisfaction.
The senators’ proposal may buy us some time, so let’s use it wisely to understand and address the root causes of our health-care dilemma. We must develop a sustainable, long-term strategy that doesn’t rely solely on foreign medical schools to address our workforce needs. It’s time for creative, novel approaches to physician recruitment, training, and practice conditions. We owe it to our citizens, our health-care system, and the dedicated professionals who keep it running to find comprehensive, lasting solutions.
Let’s take this precious gift of time, but not pretend it’s the final answer. We can plug the dam, but the water will continue to rise. It’s time for bold, innovative action to ensure equitable, high-quality health care for all Canadians.
Anthony Sanfilippo, is a cardiologist and former associate dean of undergraduate medical education at Queen’s. He is the author of ‘The Doctors We Need: Imagining a New Path for Physician Recruitment, Training, and Support.’
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/foreign-doctors-won-t-solve-our-family-physician-crisis-here-s-what-might/article_a17783aa-84c0-11ef-ac44-873a2ed38e32.html
Tags: featured, Health, participation, standard of living
This entry was posted on Monday, October 14th, 2024 at 11:48 am and is filed under Health Delivery System. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Recent Comments