Canada is currently facing shortage of medical practitioners. Some Canadian families in certain provinces have been looking to get a family doctor for years while others have been on the queue to secure appointments with specialists. Our doctors are overworked and quite a number are suffering from burn-out. The current situation is unsustainable and the government needs to be more engaged in addressing this situation.

There are internationally trained doctors who are Canadians practicing all over the world. Quite a number of them desire to return home to Canada to practice but are discouraged as a result of the daunting licensing process which can take a lot of time and effort to complete.

One of the quickest ways for Canada to address this shortage is to create an efficient pathway for Canadians who are internationally trained doctors to enter the workforce. The current process is too laborious and time consuming. It  does not support the reality of today. Right now, Canada health system is crumbling and Canadians are suffering. Urgent actions are required to salvage the situation. Inviting medical doctors who are Canadians who are willing to return home to practice and creating an efficient pathway to licensing is the best and first step to address this dire situation. The power to change the system which creates this barrier to entry lies with Canadian government and the Canadian Medical Association.