Studying medicine abroad
CMAJ 2000;162:1662
The Canadian Federation of Medical Students receives regular requests for membership from Canadians studying medicine abroad [News and Analysis].1 As Canadians, they are anxious to return home to practise in the country that they know and love. However, even though they are Canadians they were turned away from receiving a medical education in Canada because the funding was not available. It is widely recognized that, on a per capita basis, the number of positions available for medical training is far lower in Canada than in other developed countries.
It is a shame that so many talented and worthy young Canadians have been forced to leave this country at a time when we need physicians so crucially, and that so many of them may never return. In fact, if the number of students who leave Canada to train in international locales is included in the brain-drain equation, I imagine that the loss for Canada is much higher than estimated.
The solution is to retain students before they are lost to international medical schools. If we begin to create enough positions to train doctors in this country, we won't have to deal with the dilemma of luring them back when they have finished their training. In the meantime, however, if repatriation is to be considered, it will have to be approached in a very thoughtful and careful way that remains respectful of the global community.
Tara Mastracci
President
Canadian Federation of Medical Students
Ottawa, Ont.
president@cfms.org
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Reference
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Sullivan P. Shut out at home, Canadians flocking to Ireland's medical schools — and to an uncertain future. CMAJ 2000;162(6):868-71.
© 2000 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
