New doctors setting up practice in rural and remote communities

Doctors of BC is working with the provincial government to take a leadership role in helping to address physician shortages in rural and remote communities.

Fourteen internationally-trained physicians will be setting up practice in rural and remote communities, the result of a partnership between Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health. 

The “graduating” physicians have completed an assessment through the new Practice Readiness Assessment Program (PRA-BC),  funded by the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues (JSC) which includes both physician and government representatives. Once the physicians have completed the program, they must provide three years of return-of-service in rural and remote communities facing recruitment challenges. This month, the following rural communities will see these new doctors setting up practice:  

• Castlegaar
• Dawson Creek
• Fort St John
• Hazleton
• Invermere
• Lillooet
• McBride
• Port Hardy
• Powell River
• Terrace
• Quesnel 

Next year, another 16 internationally trained doctors will go through PRA-BC.

How will the funding for this program help?  A recent bylaw introduced by the College of Physicians and Surgeons requires many internationally trained doctors to complete a “practice readiness competency assessment” before being eligible for a license to practice here.  The JSC funds were targeted to set up a Practice Readiness Assessment (PRA-BC) program in BC and support the funding for the assessment of the first two groups of eligible internationally trained doctors.

To read the news release, click here.

This is just one of many ways that doctors and government are working in collaboration to better meet the health care needs of British Columbians.  For information on other programs supporting medical care in rural communities, go to Doctors of BC Rural Healthcare.