More locally trained doctors – that is one of the goals of the Saskatchewan Physician Recruitment Agency (Saskdocs).
Ed Mantler, CEO of Saskdocs, outlined the agency’s plan for doctor recruitment at the recent board meeting of the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region.
Mantler says he wants to see the number of medical graduates from the University of Saskatchewan establishing a practice in the province increase by 10 per cent.
Currently, the in-province graduate retention rate is the lowest in the country and there is still a shortage of family doctors in Saskatchewan, especially rural areas.
Saskdocs says it wants to see an increase of 25 per cent in the number of medical student and resident opportunities outside of Saskatoon, which it says may assist in recruitment to those areas.
The organization would also like to increase the number of Canadian-trained doctors practicing in Saskatchewan by 10 per cent and increase the overall number of physicians working in the province by four per cent.
At the same time, Mantler would like to see the annual turnover rate of doctors in province drop to less than eight per cent. Currently, the turnover rate of physicians in the province is one of the highest in Canada.
Mantler says in order to reach those goals, there is a need to create and deliver programs and services to enhance the recruitment and retention of doctors throughout Saskatchewan’s health system along with engaging organizations and communities and developing policies and programs to recruit and retain physicians.
The agency is currently working on a number of initiatives to meet those goals, including the assessment and residency requirement for Canadians taking medical training abroad.
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