The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) is raising alarms that a new provincial policy on medical residencies could discourage international physicians from practising in the province, potentially worsening doctor shortages.
The Ford government recently changed the rules for how international medical graduates are matched to residency positions in Ontario. Under the new policy, first-round residency spots for international graduates will now be reserved for applicants who completed at least two years of high school in Ontario.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones’s office said the policy is designed to support Ontario students who earned their medical degrees abroad, helping them return home to complete their training. “Our government is not only ensuring local postgraduate training opportunities, we are also continuing to build our health-care workforce to connect people in every corner of the province to convenient care,” said spokesperson Ema Popovic.
However, OMA president Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman cautioned that while the policy may benefit Ontario-born students studying overseas, it could have unintended consequences for other internationally trained physicians who might otherwise have chosen to practise in Ontario. “We’re worried that this push to bring back Ontario students to practice might…have unintended consequences,” she said.
She added that the move seems out of step with other government initiatives aimed at attracting internationally educated doctors to Ontario. Provinces with fewer barriers could become more appealing, leading physicians to establish their practices elsewhere. “We just don’t want anything that’s going to drive people away from practising in Ontario,” Abdurrahman said.
The timing of the policy change has also created uncertainty, as it was announced just as the residency application process opened. “I think there’s still opportunity for the government to change their minds,” Abdurrahman added. “We hope they reconsider.”
The change follows a policy announced last year reserving most medical school seats in Ontario for Ontario residents — part of the government’s strategy to increase training opportunities for local students. But as the OMA warns, the balance between supporting Ontario graduates and welcoming internationally trained physicians may now be at risk.