Quebec Boosts Medical Residency Positions for the Upcoming Year
Quebec has recently announced an increase of 24 medical residency positions for the upcoming academic year, bringing the total to 1,008. Despite this expansion, the province continues to face challenges in filling all family medicine residency spots.
The decision to augment the number of family medicine positions each year aligns with the Quebec Federation of Resident Physicians’ (FMRQ) objective of addressing the increasing demand for healthcare professionals.
For the forthcoming academic year, 554 positions will be designated to family medicine while 454 will be allocated to other specialties. This development follows consultations by the Standing Committee on Medical Workforce Planning in Quebec, involving various stakeholders such as Quebec Health, the Ministry of Health, medical federations, the College of Physicians, and more.
Dr. Louis-Charles Desbiens, the president of FMRQ, emphasized the importance of providing attractive job opportunities for resident physicians upon completing their training. Despite the government’s efforts to add residency positions, Quebec still faces challenges in filling family medicine spots compared to other provinces.
The FMRQ remains hopeful for the future, citing an increase in medical students choosing family medicine as their residency specialty. This trend reflects a positive shift in addressing the shortage of doctors in various medical fields.
Health Minister Sonia Bélanger expressed a commitment to maintaining a balanced distribution of medical residency positions. The decision to add 24 positions considered the potential impact of the recent teachers’ strike on medical student graduations.
The Quebec government’s initiative to expand medical student cohorts aims to meet the growing healthcare demands in the province. However, Dr. Desbiens cautions against devaluing the medical profession, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the attractiveness of medical practice to ensure a steady influx of doctors in the future.
Keyphrase: medical residency positions
