More funding for physician training seats

Saskatchewan is increasing its investment in training physicians, as part of its broader effort to improve residents' access to physician services.

The province is investing $17.8 million in post-graduate physician training seats at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Medicine in 2013-14 - an increase of $2 million over last year.

"We know how important it is to improve access to physician services in communities across Saskatchewan," Health Minister Dustin Duncan said. "This funding will help maximize training opportunities for physician graduates here at home. We believe it will increase the chances that they will stay in the province after completing their training."

Saskatchewan's physician numbers have been steadily increasing. Between 2008 and 2012, the number of physicians practising in the province rose to 2,053, an increase of 15 per cent. Over the same time frame, physician turnover decreased 2.3 per cent.

"The University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine is a provincial resource, mandated to serve the people of Saskatchewan," College of Medicine Acting Dean Dr. Lou Qualtiere said. "We are committed with the provincial government to improve access to physician resources in communities across Saskatchewan. This additional funding commitment from our provincial government partners will further enable the College of Medicine to serve Saskatchewan people by increasing our capacity to train post-graduate physicians in communities across our province."

Since 2007-08, the number of post-graduate physician training seats at the College has doubled to 120 and the number of undergraduate medical education seats has expanded from 60 to 100.

Training more physicians is one aspect of Saskatchewan's multi-faceted approach to attract and keep more physicians, particularly in underserved rural areas. Other physician recruitment and retention initiatives include:

The Rural Family Physician Incentive Program announced in March 2013, which provides recent graduates with up to $120,000 over five years if they set up practice in a community with fewer than 10,000 people;

Training more family medicine residents in sites outside Regina and Saskatoon (Prince Albert, Swift Current, La Ronge);

Expansion of the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment program to include physicians from a wider range of countries;

International physician recruitment trips; and

A rural physician locum pool, to provide additional physician coverage and assistance to rural family physicians.

Information about these initiatives is available on the saskdocs (Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan) website at www.saskdocs.ca.