title: Comparison of Canadian medical graduates and international medical graduates in Canada: 1989-2007.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare Canadian medical graduates (CMGs) and international medical graduates (IMGs) who completed postgraduate medical education in Canada from 1989 to 2007 by age, gender, specialty, and practice characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on all CMGs and IMGs who completed residencies or fellowships in Canada from 1989 to 2007 were extracted from the Canadian Post-M.D. Education Registry. Data from 1989-1993 and 2003-2007 were pooled for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 8,501 CMGs and 1,828 IMGs completed post-MD training at Canadian institutions between 1989 and 1993 inclusive; 7,734 CMGs and 1,879 IMGs completed such training between 2003 and 2007. From 1989-1993 to 2003-2007, the average age of CMGs increased from 29.8 to 31.1 years, and average age of IMGs increased from 36.1 to 37.0 years. From 1989-1993 to 2003-2007, the percentage of women increased from 41% (3,471/8,501) to 52% (4,016/7,734) and from 28% (509/1,828) to 42% (791/1,879) for CMGs and IMGs, respectively. The proportion of CMGs who trained in family medicine declined from 54% (4,568/8,501) to 38% (2,921/7,734) from 1989-1993 to 2003-2007. The percentage of IMGs who trained in family medicine increased from 19% (344/1,828) to 37% (699/1,879) during the same period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IMGs tended to be older, more likely to be men, and more likely to pursue family medicine than their CMG counterparts. These differences have implications in designing future health care policy and recruiting physicians from abroad. Other countries could look at their own physician demographics using this study's methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Ontario, Canada. philip.mok@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mok
authors.forename: Mark O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Baerlocher
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abrahams
authors.forename: Eva Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slade
authors.forename: Sarita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D002321:Career Choice; D003710:Demography; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005550:Foreign Medical Graduates / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011365:Professional Practice Location / Q000706:statistics & numerical data