The importance of foreign-trained physicians to Canada

To examine the proportion of Canada's physicians who are foreign-trained (non-Canada, non-US), and to determine if there was a relationship between this number and the net change in physicians of each province as affected by inter-provincial migration.

Data were obtained from the Canadian Medical Association, based on information contained within the Southam Medical Database of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (1987-2003). Information on the net change in the number of physicians lost or gained due to inter-provincial migration was obtained for each province, as well as the percentage of physicians that are foreign-trained (non-Canada, non-US). A correlation between the net change in physician supply and the proportion of foreign-trained physicians was explored.

Foreign-trained physicians comprised from 19% (Prince Edward Island) to 55% (Saskatchewan) of the provincial physician supply. There was a strong linear correlation between the net change in physician supply due to inter-provincial migration and the proportion of foreign-trained physicians (r2 0.546; P=0.0146).

Canada continued to rely heavily on foreign-trained physicians. This was particularly true for provinces which lost the greatest number of physicians to inter-provincial migration. Such 'poaching' of physicians may have important ramifications for the source countries.