Quote:
Originally Posted by Option84
Get more doctors! Subsidize their education heavily, and commit them to a set number of years practice in Canada if they choose to use subsidies. Problem solved. Imo a major reason docs run south is just so they can pay back the heavy debt load from school.
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to the best of my knowledge, there is now a net influx of physicians into Canada. MDs going to the USA en masse to practice is a thing of the past.
obviously, there are still concerns in how the health care budget is managed and the lack of doctors. however, based on studies I've come across and talks I've attended, one of the biggest problems is the types of doctors we're training in Canada. healthcare outcomes improve and costs decrease with an increased proportion of primary care providers. unfortunately, only 30-35% of graduates from medical schools go into primary care (this problem is even worse in the states, hence, worse outcomes/higher costs). based on what i understand, the goal should be approximately 50%. with that, a lot of your problems are fixed...more family docs, shorter ER wait times, shorter specialist wait times as preventable/easily treated conditions are managed by primary care providers, decrease in the number of hospital admissions, etc.
the trick is convincing medical students to become primary care providers as opposed to the less "glamorous" and better paying specialties.