Canada
Over 100 Foreign-trained Doctors Apply to New Licensing Program
A new program launched by the New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeons that aims to increase the number of foreign-trained doctors licensed to practice in the province has received more than 100 applications in its first month.
The Practice-ready Assessment program, which is offered through the Medical Council of Canada in 9 provinces, requires foreign-trained doctors to undergo a comprehensive 12-week clinical evaluation completed by a practicing New Brunswick physician who is trained as an assessor. After this, they will be able to practice relatively quickly and must work in New Brunswick for a return of service period, the length of which has not yet been determined by the college.
According to Dr. Nicole LeBlanc, deputy registrar of the College, more than 100 internationally trained physicians applied in October 2023 to be in the first group of program participants. For now, 10 applicants will be accepted to undergo the evaluation, which will begin after assessors are recruited and trained. LeBlanc says applications will continue to be accepted for future assessments, but the quantity of assessors available is a limiting factor, as physicians are already in high demand.
Source: https://ascend.thentia.com/the-briefing/uk-australia-crypto-regulation/#new-brunswick
New Zealand
Survey Reveals Transformative Trends
The Medical Council of New Zealand has released the findings from its Medical Workforce in 2023 Survey, a comprehensive report that delves deep into the dynamics of doctors working in Aotearoa. The report presents a detailed picture of the current state of the medical profession, highlighting shifts in demographics, practice locations, and emerging trends that are reshaping the medical workforce.
Dr. Curtis Walker, Medical Council Chair commented “One of the key highlights of the report is the increase in the number of doctors actively practicing in New Zealand, which has now reached a total of 19350. The report also underlines the progress in diversifying the medical workforce, with specific attention to the representation of Māaori and Pasifika doctors. The report reveals promising growth in this area, with Maāori doctors making up 4.7% of the medical workforce, Pasifika doctors at 2.2%, and women doctors at 47.9%. Another key statistic is that women make up 48.5% of practicing doctors and look set to outnumber male doctors in the next couple of years.”
Dr. Walker also noted, “Recognizing the current pressure faced by our medical profession, it is imperative to continue developing a diverse medical workforce. The 2023 report emphasizes the rising number of international medical graduates (IMGs) who are contributing significantly to our healthcare system. In the year ending June 2022, the report shows a surge in the registration of IMGs, with over 1000 doctors from overseas joining the New Zealand medical workforce.”
The full report is available at: https://www.mcnz.org.nz/assets/Publications/Workforce-Survey/ Workforce-Survey-Report-2023.pdf
Source: Medical Council of New Zealand media release, November 2, 2023
United Kingdom
State of Medical Education and Practice Report Launched
The General Medical Council (GMC) has launched its annual report on medical education and practice in the UK.
The GMC's report says that instead of viewing the changing NHS workforce landscape as a threat to workforce stability, it could in fact help to reduce burnout and dissatisfaction, improve work-life balance, support informed career decisions, and increase the likelihood of doctors remaining in UK practice.
The report reveals that doctors who qualified outside the UK made up 63% of the 23838 new additions to the register in 2022. International medical graduates (IMGs) made up 52% of new joiners, while doctors who graduated from within the European Economic Area were a smaller component, at 10%.
Even with current and upcoming increases to medical school places, the length of time it takes to train a doctor means the UK must remain an attractive option for doctors who qualify abroad for some time to come, the report states. It also projects that, 14 years from now, 39% of UK doctors are likely to have qualified overseas.
The report also reveals:
The number of doctors joining the UK medical register is rising. In 2022 there were 296182 doctors with a license to practice, an increase of 18% since 2018.
Since 2019, for every doctor who leaves, on average more than 2 join the workforce.
While the number of doctors leaving the profession increased last year, from 9825 in 2021 to 11319 in 2022, the proportion of the workforce leaving (4 %) is still only returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, the GMC is aware of increasing numbers of doctors taking hard steps towards leaving UK practice.
The full report is available at https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/workforce-report-2023-full-report_pdf-103569478.pdf
Source: NHS Employers news release, November 13, 2023
