Dealing with the doctor shortage

[rustled]

Good news:

Eleven internationally trained physicians will soon begin practising in rural communities in B.C., including one new family doctor each for Logan Lake and Princeton and two for Ashcroft.
...
The prospective doctors spend three months with a B.C. physician, who evaluates their skills as they care for patients.
Physicians successfully completing the program commit to practise for at least three years in a designated rural community in need.

The new physicians will start practising within the next month.

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... htm#160908

Last time I looked, we still had more retiring than we were graduating (and at the same time our population is aging and requiring more care, and more people are retiring to BC). We still want to ramp up the numbers we're graduating, but it's going to be a while before we can meet the need.

[Bsuds]

I like this idea and have been saying the Gov't should do this for awhile. I think at least 5 years would be better. Hopefully some of them will prefer to stay in a rural setting longer.

[Rosemary1]

It may also help to provide incentives to encourage more Canadians who may want to go into medicine but find the cost of schooling and training prohibitive. This could be a strategy to encourage students getting post secondary education and training in other highly skilled needed professionals in areas where we know there is a shortage of labour and not enough students graduating.

[dontrump]

I would be totally supportive of a program where the tax payers pay for the direct costs of educating a person to become GP medical doctor. He signs a contract that requires he has to practise medicine in designated needy areas for x # of years

[whatwhat]

I would be totally supportive of a program where the tax payers pay for the direct costs of educating a person to become GP medical doctor. He signs a contract that requires he has to practise medicine in designated needy areas for x # of years

There is already a program like this in place.

https://studentaidbc.ca/repay/repayment-help/bc-loan-forgiveness-program#What_is_available?

If you qualify for the B.C. Loan Forgiveness Program, the Province of British Columbia will forgive the outstanding B.C. portion of your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan debt at a rate of up to a maximum of 20% per year for up to five years.

If you complete five years of employment, all or a percentage of your B.C. student loan debt will be forgiven. While you are in the loan forgiveness program, the Province will also pay any outstanding interest that accumulates during each year you are registered in the program.

[rustled]

The Loan Forgiveness Program is good, but while the need continues to outpace the supply, it should help a great deal to have this international program in place, too.

Isn't it interesting that the LFP finds even communities like Terrace to be under-served?

[whatwhat]

The Loan Forgiveness Program is good, but while the need continues to outpace the supply, it should help a great deal to have this international program in place, too.

Isn't it interesting that the LFP finds even communities like Terrace to be under-served?

I agree. The Loan Forgiveness Program is a great idea, but we still can't force people to become doctors. I think the international/immigrant program is great as well.

I would think many communities in BC would be underserved, even Kelowna.

[rustled]

I guess having lived in little communities where it was difficult to attract a doctor, and even more difficult to convince them to stay, my perspective is a bit different. Generally speaking, Kelowna's a place where doctors and their families do want to live.

When I lived in the north, Terrace was considered relatively attractive. Fairly temperate, reasonable base of services including airport.

If even Terrace is struggling to recruit and retain GPs (and the other professionals in the LFP list), the more remote and more under-serviced communities are going to have quite a wait to fill their vacancies.

[dontrump]

what you have presented here and what I have suggested are not even close to being what I proposed do you people even read before you post ???? ridiculous the comparrison

[rustled]

what you have presented here and what I have suggested are not even close to being what I proposed do you people even read before you post ???? ridiculous the comparrison

My goodness, why the vitriol?
Here's what the LFP offers:

If you qualify for the B.C. Loan Forgiveness Program, the Province of British Columbia will forgive the outstanding B.C. portion of your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan debt at a rate of up to a maximum of 20% per year for up to five years.

If you complete five years of employment, all or a percentage of your B.C. student loan debt will be forgiven. While you are in the loan forgiveness program, the Province will also pay any outstanding interest that accumulates during each year you are registered in the program.

(There's more info on the site itself.)

You might tell us how you'd improve upon it? I'd be interested in your suggestions.

[whatwhat]

what you have presented here and what I have suggested are not even close to being what I proposed do you people even read before you post ???? ridiculous the comparrison

How is it a ridiculous comparison?

You proposed to have the government/tax payers pay for students to go to school if they sign a contract to work in areas of need.

The Loan Forgiveness Program will pay back student loan's 20% per year for 5 years (which would equal 100% of the loan) for working in areas of need.

Seems like pretty comparable proposals to me.

[Queen K]

I have an idea, we know the Canadian government gleans out the educated to bring them here to Canadian soil, so get the Drs. their qualifications in line with what we need and get them in rural areas for 5 years.

Forgive their expenses if they sign on in an area for another five years.

[GordonH]

Proper credentials from a reputable university, okay streamline. Unfortunately there are places in this world people can get what is needed to be a practicing Doctor without any reputable schooling whatsoever (wanttobedoctors).
Canadians don’t need Doctors like this at all.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/38 ... s-struggle

[Babba_not_Gump]

I don't like the idea of stealing doctors from other countries.

What Canada is doing is bringing that countries best people who are needed there.
Many have come from South Africa where there is also a critical shortage of doctors.

Educate our own, leave these other countries alone. They need their doctors too.

[Old Sailor]

If someone wants to move here and they have a skill that's needed why should we refuse them?

It is also a great waste to have a trained professional driving a Taxi, working at a fast food outlet or a clerk in a 7-11.

That's just stupid!