REGINA – Due to the fairly new Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program Saskatchewan has seen 61 new doctors practicing in the province during 2013.
SIPPA is a unique program to Saskatchewan where it asses International medicine Graduates on their education and clinical ability before they are allowed to practice medicine in Saskatchewan.
“We continue to recruit doctors from Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine, but we also rely on physicians from outside the country,” Minister Responsible for Rural and Remote Health Randy Weekes said. “Recruiting IMGs is an important part of our plan to stabilize the physician workforce and strengthen rural service delivery. I commend those physicians who have passed the assessment and are now providing care to Saskatchewan residents.”
“This made-in-Saskatchewan program that allows IMGs to apply for licensure here in this province is quite unique,” said Ed Mantler, saskdocs CEO. “Three years ago, when SIPPA was just starting, we worked very hard at finding IMGs to help fill immediate vacancies throughout the province. Now, thanks to the hard work of many, we have more doctors practicing in Saskatchewan and the continuing success of the program means more are on their way.”
SIPPA is administered by the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine.
“Recruiting and retaining University of Saskatchewan (U of S) medical graduates remains our number one priority,” said Mantler. “We realize these graduates have many options to choose from once they graduate so it is important that we engage them early on and support them along the way and let them know about the many opportunities available to them in this province.”
Since the SIPPA program has begun in Saskatchewan in 2011 it has recruited 113 doctors to practice medicine in Saskatchewan.
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