Manitoba increases number of medical training seats and fills each one

Manitoba isstill in desperate need for more physicians, but the province isn't having much trouble attracting medical school graduates for hands-on training.

This year, the province expanded the number of available residencies, from 156 to 173,and for the first time in a few years filled every training seat.

Dr. PeterNickerson, dean of the University of Manitoba's medical school, says it's a testament to theprovince's efforts inattracting fledgling physicians.

"It's great to increase your [training] spots, butif you can't fill them, then what have you really achieved?" Nickerson said at a government news conference Wednesday.

"I think the achievement is that we expanded andfilled, and that's the real take-home message for today."

Every year, hundreds of Canadian medical students pick their top choices for specialities and locations, and a non-profit organization, CaRMS,uses analgorithm tomatchgraduates withplacements atmedical schools across the country.

Doctors can't become licensed or work without finishing a residency.

Manitoba often has afew unfilled training seats following the annual matching process, but that didn't happen this year, even afterthe provincial government funded17 additional training seats.

Rural opportunities appealing: dean

Nickerson, speaking at the U of M's medical campus in Winnipeg,partially attributedthe province'ssuccessto the varied training opportunities it offers.For example,themajority of family medicine training seats this yearare located outside Winnipeg, including in Neepawa for the first time.

"When you come and do family medicine, especially in a rural or northern community, as a traineeyou get exposed to so much more than if you're training in an urban centre that attracts residents; they're looking for the ability to look after patients in a comprehensive way," he said.

Stefon Irvine said it's "surreal" to bematched with a family medicine placement in northern and remote Manitoba his top choice.

He wants to become a family doctor at a time when Canada is coping with a shortage of people interested in primary care.

"When I was in my training in medical school, I never had a specialty that called out to me in the way that family medicine did, because I could do everything from birth to death and everything that happens in between," he said.

Irvine, who is Cree and Mtis, said he also feels a personal calling to northern Manitoba, where he grew up and wherehis First Nation, Chemawawin Cree Nation, is located.

He's lived in a number of communities, and has long known about the inequities in health-care access between northern and southern Manitoba, he said.

"Something that I want to incorporate in my practice is continuingthe advocacy that's already ongoing to increase access to health care in the North, but alsoreturning to the area that I grew up in as well," he said.

Nickersonsaid 73 per cent of U of M medical graduates stay in Manitoba for their residency, which lasts at least two years.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara saidthe provincialgovernment will work hardto retain everyone who completes their residency in Manitoba.

"To the future physicians, we look forward to doing what it takes to make sure that you are motivated to stay here in Manitoba," the minister said.

Nickersonsaid the university has carefully evaluated the amount of growth its residency programs can sustain, in collaboration with thephysicians who'd support the students. He said he's confident Manitobacan support 190 medical residencies next year.

"Stay tuned," he said, "the government has invested andwe're here to meet the challenge. We think we can do it."

Manitoba fills record number of medical residency seats

5 months ago

Duration 1:03

The provincial government is celebrating after expanding the number of training seats for medical students and filling each position in 2024.