Doctors Manitoba targets American physicians in recruitment push

The push continues to get more doctors into our province, and Doctors Manitoba is looking into what it calls an untapped market for recruitment — the United States of America.

Data from the College of Physicians and Surgeons shows Manitoba recruits only one to two U.S.-trained physicians per year, compared to about 90 internationally-trained doctors from other countries.

Doctors Manitoba CEO Theresa Oswald says this push stems from something they’ve seen in the past after changes in U.S. government, where physicians have felt the government was getting in between their patients and providing care.

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And with issues surrounding abortion rights and gender-affirming care in certain states, Oswald says they’re trying to pounce on doctor dissatisfaction.

“Physicians want to be able to have that relationship with their patients, whatever it is they need,” Oswald said.

“If it’s about reproductive care, if its about gender-affirming care, they want that relationship to between the physician and the patient, without having a crowded exam room with government officials essentially standing there as well.”

Manitoba has the second-lowest number of doctors per capita in Canada, with 219 per 100,000 residents.

The campaign has so far targeted North Dakota, South Dakota and Florida with more states to come.

Oswald says so far there have been some inquiries to the advertisements and recruiting, and she says making sure to sell our province’s perks, such as cost of living, is just as important.

“For those physicians in the U.S. that might be concerned about a potential repealing or amendment to the affordable care act, we’re a single-payer system here,” Oswald said.

“So there are lots of things that can be attractive and if physicians in the U.S. are contemplating a move anyway, why not Manitoba?”