Saskatchewan tied for most new doctors in 5 years

A local physician says the province’s efforts to sell itself when recruiting doctors are paying off.
 
A recent report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) states that the number of physicians in Saskatchewan has gone up by 20 per cent in the last five years, to a total of 2,236. The report notes that just under 30 per cent of those doctors are under the age of 40. That puts the province just behind Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador for the largest pool of young doctors in the country.
 
Dr. Ian Lutz, a 36-year-old orthopedic surgeon in Saskatoon, said he’s seen things change since coming to the province from Alberta.
 
“As the demographics have changed in the population – we’re seeing a lot more younger people here now – there’s also a lot more younger doctors and a lot more physicians that have been hired back in Saskatoon and in Saskatchewan,” he said.
 
While he acknowledged some difficulties in getting doctors for remote rural areas, he said he’s noticed an improvement in how the province promotes itself to potential recruits.
 
“It is becoming more attractive to live in Saskatchewan. There’s lots of great lake country and people are amazing and the commutes are small, so just selling the lifestyle,” he said.
 
He said he’s also enjoyed the influx of youth into the profession.
 
“It’s kind of exciting. It’s nice to have a bunch of young guys coming back. It means I get to work and collaborate with people my age and people that are enthusiastic,” he said.
 
The CIHI report also showed that Saskatchewan has the highest number of foreign-trained doctors in the country. Fifty-three per cent of the province’s physicians attended medical school outside of Canada.
 
Saskatchewan does lag behind the country when it comes to getting more women working as doctors. About 34 per cent of Saskatchewan doctors are women compared to a 40 per cent average in the country. But that has come up from 31 per cent five years ago.
 
Walter Feeney with CIHI said with the current rates of enrollments at the country’s medical schools, growth in doctors should continue to outpace growth in the general population. That means the country can expect to see more doctors per 100,000 people in the coming years.