The way doctors want to practise medicine in Canada is changing. The new generation of physicians is less interested in independent practice as they seek better work–life balance and financial security. More than half of resident doctors in Canada would give up some clinical autonomy for a salaried position that included health benefits, pensions and […]
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Medical specialists break away from OMA at “worst possible time” warns Quebec specialist group
The plan by several medical specialist groups to break away from the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and negotiate directly with the provincial government may be the right move for specialists but the timing — in the middle of arbitration proceedings for a new contract — couldn’t be worse, according to Dr. Diane Francoeur, president of […]
Gun violence is an epidemic and “we solve epidemics with medicine, not politics”
Canadian doctors have joined their American colleagues in declaring that the medical profession has a duty to address firearms safety. The topic has received much attention of late after an update to a position paper by the American College of Physicians (ACP) caused an online dispute between physicians and the US gun-rights lobby group, the […]
New Brunswick seeks better system for physician recruitment to rural areas
Doctors in New Brunswick are happy with the provincial government’s new plan to do away with the unpopular billing-number system that controls where, and how many, physicians can practise in the province. The government recently announced that it would “work with doctors on alternatives to billing numbers and on payment models that encourage collaboration, wellness, […]
Tightening sanctions for physician sexual misconduct
Alberta has become the latest jurisdiction to propose stricter sanctions for physicians found guilty of sexual misconduct with patients. Health minister Sarah Hoffman introduced a bill recently that would impose mandatory penalties, require more transparency from regulatory colleges and increase support for victims. “Women, and all Albertans, deserve to feel safe when they put their […]
Was euthanasia dispute behind CMA–WMA split?
A long-running dispute over euthanasia between the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and the World Medical Association (WMA) may have contributed to the CMA’s decision to resign from the global medical body, according to some Canadian doctors. Read more in CMAJ.
Ontario doctors angry over government’s proposal for primary care
Primary care physicians reacted with shock and anger when they saw the Ontario government’s final arbitration position on primary care in the new Physician Service Agreement. The proposal, identical to the one under the previous Liberal government, would require more work for less pay from family doctors. The proposal is “devastating to practitioners’ morale and […]
CMA quits global medical body over plagiarism row
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) resigned from the World Medical Association (WMA) on Oct. 6, after the WMA’s new president plagiarized portions of his inaugural address from a speech by former CMA president Dr. Chris Simpson. “As an organization that holds itself as the arbiter of medical ethics at the global level, the WMA has failed to […]
If Canada needs more doctors, why hasn’t medical school enrolment increased?
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 […]
Doctors call for change in union tactics in health care strikes
Two bitter strikes at health care clinics in Ontario this summer have left doctors and patients questioning the tactics of union members on picket lines, which they say have put people’s health at risk. In each strike, both sides alleged insults, intimidation and violence. The clinics allege that union tactics put patients at risk. Read more in […]