The number of family medicine physicians and specialists increased by more than six per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2010 over the previous year, according to a new report released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
But the province still has one of the highest rates of international medical graduates (IMGs) in the country, at 40 per cent last year, and the report points out that IMGs are more likely to leave the jurisdiction they started practising in than Canadian educated medical graduates.
Retention rates over 10 years showed that 67 per cent of new IMGs in Newfoundland and Labrador moved to Ontario, Alberta or British Columbia.
The actual number of IMGs in this province in 2010 was 460 — 251 family medicine doctors and 209 specialists. The total number of physicians was 1,152 — 604 family medicine physicians and 548 specialists.
Saskatchewan had the highest rate of IMGs in the country in 2010, at 47.1 per cent, while the national rate was 24 per cent.
On a national level, the report says over 10 years, 65.3 per cent of Canadian-educated medical graduates remained in the jurisdiction they started practising, compared to only 34.6 per cent of IMGs.
For full story, see Saturday’s Telegram
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