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CMAJ
CMAJ - April 4, 2000JAMC - le 4 avril 2000

Red tape is strangling foreign-trained physicians

CMAJ 2000;162:972

I would like to add my voice to that of Alex Porzecanski, whose letter lamented the lack of support for foreign-trained physicians.1 Not only are there considerable stumbling blocks for these students, but there is considerable disincentive for them to return to Canada after their residency.

After completing my degree in a foreign medical school, I pursued a residency in Canada. I was met with a disheartening wall of bureaucracy and opted for a position in the US. At the end of my training and after completing the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) exams, I inquired about practice in Canada. Even as a Canadian with American qualifications, I found that entry into the system was daunting.

At this point I am a graduate of a medical school recognized by the World Health Organization, have ABIM certification, hold 2 state licences and LMCC certification and practise in New Brunswick. Nevertheless, 3 years after embarking on a journey for the elusive Holy Grail of FRCPC certification, I'm being prevented from writing the Canadian exams. It seems that when every criterion has been met, a new form must be filled out or a new exam must be written. The latest roadblock is the requisition of my entire medical school transcripts in order to reinvent the wheel!

Therefore I have no sympathy for the governing bodies and medical societies that cry about physician shortages. This mess developed because of our own turf protection and short-sighted planning. The result is convoluted departments that justify their existence, and funding, by creating seemingly endless red tape.

I'm luckier than most, in that I can continue to work while wading through this quagmire of paperwork. But why are we surprised to learn that there has been a brain drain south when at home we have actively set out to exclude people from working here?

Ardavan Mahim
Internist
Miramichi, NB

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Reference

  1. Porzecanski A. Why do we force Canadians to study medicine abroad? [letter]. CMAJ 1999;161(11):1389.

© 2000 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors