Sask. adds 20 new doctors through international program
Prairie North Health Region sees four new international doctors
Saskatchewan is one of the fastest growing provinces in Canada. With a larger and more diverse population, there is greater need for family doctors, particularly in remote regions of the province.
The provincial government has turned to international doctors for support.
It says 20 new doctors are now practising in Saskatchewan due to the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program.
The program trains and prepares international medical graduates to practice medicine in Saskatchewan, particularly in remote areas.
Rural and Remote Health Minister Greg Ottenbreit said: “Internationally-trained doctors play an important role in our health system, and we welcome them and their families to our growing province.”
Regina and Saskatoon have three new doctors. The Prairie North Health Region has the most in the recent survey with four.
Since the program began in 2011, more than 160 new family physicians have completed the program and are serving in communities across the province.
SIPPA will continue to grow as another 16 international doctors are in training and will be expecting to practice family medicine later this spring.
But it is not only internationally-trained doctors playing a part. The province's survey also shows many locally-trained doctors are staying in Saskatchewan to practice medicine.
The University of Saskatchewan's College of Medicine is reporting an increase of 17 per cent in the retention rate of family medicine graduates over the past two years.