Foreign MDs win chance to work Province announces program in wake of Free Press series By David Kuxhaus NORMA Loewen trained to be a doctor in the Philippines but like so many other foreign medical graduates, was unable to get licensed in Canada. For the last 20 years she's worked as a day-care worker and taken on other odd jobs. "Nobody would even accept my resume," said Loewen. "I was so depressed, I would just cry and cry." Calling it the first of its kind in Canada, the province yesterday announced a new program designed to help international medical graduates become practising doctors. "It's my dream come true," said Loewen, who received her medical degree in 1971 and immigrated to Canada in 1974. Last year the Free Press was awarded the B'Nai Brith Human Rights Award for a series of articles that examined the effective blacklisting of foreign-trained doctors in Manitoba despite a physician shortage. The articles sparked a complaint to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission and prompted the provincial government to commit to licensing additional foreign-trained doctors. Yesterday's announcement made good on that commitment. The program will evaluate the skills of international medical graduates and provide further training if needed. "If their skills meet Manitoba standards, they will immediately have access to a conditional licence for practising medicine in Manitoba," said Health Minister Dave Chomiak. Normally doctors who arrive in Canada as immigrants or refugees are discouraged from seeking a medical licence. Those who still wish to pursue a career in medicine must negotiate a complicated and costly series of evaluating and licensing examinations, without government assistance for language or academic upgrading. Now in some instances, Chomiak said, foreign-trained doctors could receive conditional licences in as little as three days. The province and the regional health authorities will provide more than $600,000 in the first year for the development of the program. The yearly budget will be $1 million, which will pay for 10 spots annually. International medical graduates will pay approximately $10,000 to $13,000 each to cover their assessment and licensing costs. Some could begin practising as early as December of this year. Chomiak said the move will help ease the province's doctor shortage. "The advantage of course is huge for Manitoba," said Chomiak. "This is another step in the long road to try and increase the supply of doctors in Manitoba." Pauline Morris, co-ordinator of the Association of Foreign Medical Graduates in Manitoba Inc., said the program is long overdue. "It's a step in the right direction," Morris said, estimating that about 50 international medical graduates could be eligible for the program. However, she said the cost could still make it prohibitive for some. "Where are these people going to get the money?" asked Morris. "Many are involved in low-paying jobs." Chomiak said he realizes that could be a hardship. He said the graduates will be paid while they are training but could not say how much they will receive. The program will be offered in three stages. The first, which is optional, will help candidates with language skills and provide information on legal and ethical issues related to medical practices in Canada. The second stage involves a three-day assessment process which will identify applicants who may be eligible to apply for registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons immediately. "(The assessment process) provides a reasonable assurance of a physician's capabilities to treat Manitoba citizens safely," said Dr. Bill Pope, registrar of the Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons. The second stage will also offer training to physicians whose skills may need to be upgraded. That should take no longer than a year. Dr. Gerry Bristow, associate dean of the faculty of medicine at the University of Manitoba, said the training will be "tailor-made" to suit the needs of graduates. He said each individual will also be assigned his or her own supervisor. "I think it's an exciting program, a very different program and a unique program," said Bristow. In the third stage, eligible medical graduates will be granted conditional medical licences allowing them to work as general practitioners. Chomiak said they will be assigned to under-serviced areas such as those in rural and northern Manitoba. They will also be paired with licensed physicians who will serve as advisers. Within five years, the doctor will be expected to complete the second part of the national licensing examination, which is required for anyone wishing to practise medicine in Canada. However, Morris said more still needs to be done to make it easier for foreign doctors to become licenced. The announcement comes on the heels of a ruling by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, which said the province should enter into mediation in a dispute with foreign-trained doctors who have complained of discrimination. The complaint centred on discrimination with respect to access to residency programs for doctors who weren't trained in Canada or other approved countries such as the United States, Britain and South Africa. Lawyer Byron Williams, who argued the case on behalf of foreign doctors, said yesterday's announcement doesn't change that situation. "It's an improvement over the existing system," said Williams of the new program. "But I still don't think they are in compliance with the Human Rights Act." |
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