Enrolment in Canada’s 17 medical schools has remained flat over the past several years, at around 11,700. In contrast, enrolment in medical schools in the United States has risen by 30% since 2002–03 in response to concerns over a future shortage of doctors.
So, it might seem that a simple solution to Canada’s doctor shortage would be to increase enrolment in medical schools. Provincial governments control enrolment numbers, but most medical schools would welcome the ability to take on more students, according to Dr. Genevieve Moineau, president of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada. “If a school feels it has the capacity, it would be happy to expand,” she says. Read more in CMAJ.