Retirement planning has been front of mind for many Canadian physicians in recent months. More than 9,000 have signed a petition asking the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) to use some of the $2.6 billion it earned from the sale of MD Financial Management last year to create a pension plan for its members. Because there […]
Canadian Medical Association Journal
CMA can’t use proceeds of MD sale to fund physician pension plan
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) cannot use the proceeds from its sale of MD Financial Management to set up a pension plan for its members, despite calls for such a move from some Canadian doctors. The lack of an employer–employee relationship means there is no legal basis for a pension plan, according to the CMA. Read […]
Tailoring cultural safety training in health care to local context of Indigenous communities
Cultural safety training for working with Indigenous people is becoming a common part of physician education. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has said all medical residency programs will be required to include cultural safety training. “We know that Indigenous people have a very different experience in the health care system, for […]
Recruitment of medical residents much more intense in US than in Canada
Many final-year resident physicians in the United States are facing more job offers than they can handle, as recruiting companies scramble to fill vacancies around the country. A survey by the physician search firm Merritt Hawkins found that 66% of residents received more than 51 job solicitations during their training; 45% received 100 or more. […]
Unemployed physicians a sign of poor workforce planning
After years of gruelling training, specialists might be forgiven for expecting it to be easy to find a job and put their hard-earned, in-demand skills to work. But that is not always the case. Around 20% of specialists cannot find work at the time of their certification, according to a survey by the Royal College […]
Banks consider doctors up for grabs after MD Financial Management sale
The sale of MD Financial Management to Scotiabank last year has touched off a competition among Canada’s major banks to attract physician customers, with several launching investment and business packages in recent months aimed at health care professionals. In December, TD Bank announced a wealth management service for health care professionals, to be paired with […]
Opioid prescriptions down but some patients fear doctors now too strict
To help bring the opioid epidemic under control, health care regulators have been issuing stricter guidelines and rules on how and when opioids should be prescribed, and it appears the effort is having some effect. In the United States, the proportion of opioid prescriptions for people who had not used them previously fell by 54% between […]
Ontario delays implementation of pharma transparency rules
The Ontario government is putting off the implementation of rules that would require pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers to report all payments and gifts to doctors, medical associations, patient advocacy groups and others in the province. The Health Sector Payment Transparency Act was passed in December 2017, but the regulations had not been finalized […]
Cannabis money opens new opportunities, and ethical dilemmas, for medical research
A research partnership between The Lung Association of Ontario and Tetra Bio-Pharma, a drug company focused on medicinal cannabis, has raised questions about whether it is appropriate for health-focused charities and researchers to work with companies selling a product that is smoked. Read more in CMAJ.
Roles of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in medicine still under debate
With shortages of doctors across Canada, many health authorities are looking for ways to fill gaps that don’t require training or hiring new physicians. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are two professions that can help relieve the strain. Generally, there is amicable collaboration between these professionals and doctors, but there are times when minor turf […]