The importance of foreign-trained physicians to Canada.
OBJECTIVE
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.


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Baerlocher
Mark O
MO
Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto. mark.baerlocher@utoronto.ca
D002170:Canada; D003710:Demography; D005550:Foreign Medical Graduates / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011325:Prince Edward Island; D012525:Saskatchewan