Physician Jobs Overview
Physician Jobs in Abundance
Physician jobs in Canada are in abundance. Canadian residents and doctors have their pick of jobs, and qualified international medical graduates receive a warm welcome in whichever province they choose.
According to the Canadian Medical Association’s 2009 “Statistical Information on Canadian Physicians,” of nearly 67,000 active physicians in Canada, close to 16,000 received their MD from a foreign institution, and 20.4% grew up outside of Canada.
Physician Jobs: Locums
Some Canadian residents choose to explore several regions and hospitals before choosing their favorites by doing locums. Locums are a fantastic way to transition into independent practice for residents. The resident has the chance to work independently for a week or two, and without direct supervision will quickly discover the areas of medicine in which he or she is not fully comfortable. Then, they can work to improve these areas upon return to their residency program prior to entering permanent physician jobs.
Residents generally do locums during their vacation time. There may be opportunities for overnight coverage or weekend moonlighting positions. But these are often less common. If doing two weeks, residents may have to stagger one week each over two educational periods if doing one month rotations, or take the time off a rotation that is longer than one month in order to stay under the “no more than 25% off per rotation” that exists at most programs.
Residents should usually give at least three to four months to get everything in place if they do not already have a license to practice in the province of interest. Finding a match with a hospital and obtaining CMPA insurance, a provincial medical license, a provincial billing number, and hospital privileges all require a reasonable amount of paperwork.
The majority of provinces in Canada now offer restricted or defined licensure to senior Canadian residents to allow for moonlighting or short term locums.
In conclusion, the abundance of physician jobs and locum opportunities in many quality communities across the country provide attractive prospects to residents and physicians in Canada and throughout the world.
