Canada Experiencing Reverse Brain-Drain Resources

"There is a lot of concern and incredulity that this is happening."

"The kinds of people that might be available are fairly high flyers. This is a big deal. It's not like minor frustration over prior presidents, or differences of opinion with policy. I think people would be in play if you could make jobs available."

"I think we will definitely get some people."
"There's a disturbance in the force, so to speak. Americans are considering relocation options and career moves they haven't considered before."

"For Canada to cash in on this angst, we'd have to deal with the fact that we currently don't have lots of empty jobs in academic medicine. We'd also have to come up with the startup funds newly hired faculty need to build their research labs." 

"Advertising and promoting that idea recruiting practising doctors by ensuring American physicians are considered on par with Canadian doctors] of, 'We welcome you in Canada, and we'll make sure that we expedite your licensure and help with moving  you to Canada', could free up lots of very talented physicians who are not researchers but who would help our healthcare system."

Dr. Stephen Archer, director, Translational Institute of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario

 

"Compared to 2018, in 2024 there is close to a 300 percent increase in the number of [certifications] awarded via this route (198 in 2018 versus 775+ in 2024)."

"The CFFC [College of Family physicians of Canada] welcomes American family doctors, as we always have."

"Every additional family physician certified by the CFPC means another doctor caring for more Canadians."

College of Family Physicians of Canada president Dr. Carrie Bernard 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a vaccine critic who has pledged to tackle chronic disease, was named U.S. Health Secretary on Thursday after overcoming resistance from the medical establishment and members of Congress with promises to limit his role in vaccination policy.  CBC

 

There has been an unprecedented surge in interest from American doctors looking to re-locate from the United States where President Donald Trump has gone on a spree of re-ordering and cost-cutting in science and medicine affecting the quality of research and medical services in the United States. Suddenly Canada has become an attractive alternative for a growing number of family physicians and medical researchers. For Canada, that surging interest couldn't come at a better time, given the country's shortage of general practitioners and a medical system that is collapsing under the weight of demands it cannot meet.

 

The founder of CanAm Physician Recruiting Inc., a firm in business for the last 27 years, states that its current job board lists over 150 open positions across Canada. A typical listing would be: 'Family physician in Edmonton -- Guaranteed salary and No Overheads in Fantastic Location'. And others reading: Anesthesiologist in Calgary, obstetrician/gynecologist in Moncton, emergency doctors in 'multiple locations'. 

 

For years, the Centers for Disease Control has been at the front lines of disease outbreak response in the U.S. and abroad, including meningitis, Ebola and more. (Pouya Dianat/The Associated Press)

 

Evidently it appears that a number of American doctors and academics contemplate leaving the United States in response to what many of the country's elite scientists and medical researchers call the "wholesale assault" on science by the Trump administration. This represents a historical turn-about, where Canada typically educates doctors who then see fit to relocate to the United States. In the current situation, Canada has become one of the preferred destinations of American doctors looking elsewhere to raise their families and operate their medical practises.

 

Canada should be prepared to welcome these professional health workers with open arms given the Canadian health-care system's desperate need of more physicians. Some observers recommend the creation of a special university hiring track for 'high flyers', along with an increase in grant funding agencies through boosting research and development spending by government alongside a robust strategic recruitment campaign.

 

Hundreds of millions in university grants and contracts has been slashed or paused, since the Trump administration took office, with 20,000 positions eliminated from American health agencies, defunding of laboratories, and cuts to some areas of research related to sex, gender and reproduction, under sweeping changes that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tesla chief executive Elon Musk have led. 

 

Department of Health and Human Services employee Julie Siegel stands outside the Mary E. Switzer Memorial Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, as she was denied access and her badge was taken away. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

 

Canada, unfortunately, cannot hope to match the expenditure of the United States on science and health care. The budget of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research was $1.2 billion in 2020-21, a trifling amount in comparison to the expenditure of the U.S. National Institutes of Health's $45 billion during that same time frame, even taking into account that the population of the U.S. is almost ten times that of Canada's. 

It does  help the process of transitioning medical personnel from the United States to Canada when, over the past two years the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario opened 'registration pathways' for doctors trained in the United States. The updates permit American board-certified physicians to practise without a need to complete additional qualifying professional 'upgrades' in training or exams. The college registered 351 American physicians following the changes in policy between 2023 and 2024.

 

The College of Family Physicians of Canada arranges automatic certification with no exams required for family doctors trained and certified in the United States. Three other approved jurisdictions', the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia are offered the same automatic certification. Once they are certified they can obtain full licenses to practise in every Canadian province.

 

Dr. John Philpott, founder of CanAm Physician Recruiting Inc. reports having heard from American doctors working in family medicine, but also emergency medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, ob/gyn -- "all specialties, right across the board, from California, Arizona to Florida, New York to the Midwest". "I was talking to one of my staff, she was talking to an emerge doc yesterday. And the doctor said, 'Listen, I'm coming; I'm coming tomorrow. ASAP. Put me wherever'." 

Thousands of people at key health agencies in the United States have lost their jobs. Canadian provinces are hoping they continue their research north of the border. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

"The nice thing about investing in science is it improves life. The payback to government through taxes and innovation are very quick."

"The accreditation of medical schools is done by the same agency, so there's a lot of similarity."

"And Canadian physicians, although this might be controversial, are reasonably well paid, relative to American physicians."

Dr. Stephen Archer