Posted on 01/29/2008 12:36:54 PM PST by Jason Kauppinen
The Facts about Canada's Doctor Shortage
There simply aren't enough people to provide the quality of health care that Canadians expect and deserve. Here are some more alarming facts that should concern us all:
* Between 4 and 5 million Canadians do not have a family physician.
* 13.4% of Canada's population is 65 or older. Within the next year, 300,000 people in Canada will turn 65—the highest annual level on record.
* Patients have increasingly complex and chronic conditions that can be expected in an aging population. This means each patient requires more time/services to address his or her health needs.
* The average physician today is spending more time on paperwork and less with patients than she or he did 20 years ago.
* The public is well informed and has high expectations of the services and tests they feel they are entitled to receive, especially with respect to quality of life in later years.
* The average age of Canada's physicians is 50.
* Shortages are not limited to rural areas; urban centres are experiencing widespread shortages, especially centres that absorb large numbers of new immigrants each year.
* The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average number of physicians per 1000 population is 36% higher than Canada's. To match the OECD ratio, Canada would need 26,000 more physicians.
* If we want 95% of the population to be covered, we need to provide family physicians for an additional 3.3 million Canadians.
* Population growth is going to result in an extra 1.3 million people by 2012.
* By 2012 we will need to increase the number of family physicians to cover a total of 4.6 million more Canadians (includes the current 3.3 million without a family physician). This will take about 5,200 more family physicians.
* Today we have 32,708 family physicians, and we project we will have 36,357 by 2012 (based on current input/output).
* However, we believe we will need more than 37,908 family physicians by 2012. The shortfall between what we will have and what we will need is 1,551 family physicians.
PS Centre is really spelled “re” not “er”. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to have some tea at Tim Horton’s, eh? :P
"But here is the absolute logical reductio of a government monopoly in health care: the ten month waiting list for the maternity ward."
One of the basic rules of economics is that if you institute price controls, forcing a good or service below its true market value, you will invariably cause a shortage. Among other things, government-run health care seeks to control costs in the name of efficiency. They’re being very efficient I see if proving that basic rule of economics.
Well dog my cats, theres the answer!
Just get the government to provide doctors!! Brilliant!
Keep in mind that we only have 30 million people up here.
So an equally dire crisis in the US would have to be on the scale of 50 million and change of Americans not having a family doctor.
My sister’s doctor lives in Windsor but works at a practice in Livonia.
It’s relevant.
Canada competes with the United States for foreign medical grads. All they have to do is make it more attractive to go there than here.
Right now for residencies the hours are more sensible, compensation is competitive and specialties are more available.
The down side is having to go where they send you for 5 years after training.
They also have to fund more residencies that they do currently and increase the number of medical school seats.
So do we.
I know a couple who moved here from Canada who are both doctors. Their advise is to never get sick in Canada. Their worst nightmare is national health care here, as they’re running out of places to move to.
I guess that 95% is "universal coverage". That leaves 1.5 million Canadians without health care. The United States with it's private insurance program still manages to achieve 85% coverage.
And the other 15% can walk into any emergency room in the country and demand treatment.
I know a couple who moved here from Canada who are both doctors.
#####
This is what happens to a great deal of Canadian MDs who choose to leave Canada for the greater opportunities in the US. When I try to explain this to Americans, as an example of medical care being a ‘right’ but not being available, I usually get looks of confusion from my listener. The thought simply does not cross many minds that the availability of any kind of madical staff is not a static and given number.
PS: It is usually the native-born Canadians who move to the States, requiring Canada to import yet more foreign doctors.
But...but...Michael Moore said it was paradise up ther in Sicko....
The capitalists moved down south. In my town most of the doctors and nurses are Canadian.
It will be the decisive end of Constitutional rule of law, the end of this shining city on a hill.
I have been told by several IMG’s that Canada has so many hoops to jump through that coming to the United States is much easier.
I have a friend in South America that has practiced medicine for 17 years as both a GP and Ophthalmologist.
She was told by the Canadian authorities and other IMG’s that getting a residency in Canada was almost impossible.
Canada wasn’t five years ago IMG friendly.
Would appreciate your thoughts if you have newer information.
When medicine is socialized Doctors make less money and are working for the government. There is no “private practice” in reality even if it remains nominally. Medicine becomes, in effect, a trade, like carpentry, or auto repair. It no longer attracts the best and brightest and the nature of the work does not attract so many. At the same time, since medical care is “free” it is resorted to for far more trivial reasons, for sniffles and bugbites. Socialization is a recipe for shortages and low quality.
Canadian resident FMGs that I know personally.
Yes, there are hoops, but in the US, as least recently, FMGs couldn’t enter other than primary care programs.
Thus the choice would be:
US residency primary care only
or
Canadian residency, one’s preferred specialty plus x years of working where they tell you
or
Canadian residency, one’s preferred specialty and pay back salary from during residency program, work where you want.
Bump for later.
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