U.S.-trained doctors can now become fully licensed in British Columbia without the need for further assessment if they hold certain U.S. certifications.
The B.C. government announced Wednesday the licensing body for doctors is making bylaw changes to encourage more U.S.-based physicians to come work in the province.
It said the changes implemented by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. (CPSBC) streamlines the process for U.S.-based doctors, often allowing them to be registered in a matter of weeks.
Health Minister Josie Osborne said B.C. is attractive for a lot of health care workers are feeling uncertain about the future.
“They are looking at the increasingly draconian health care policies that are emerging out of their president’s administration with growing concern, and we saw an opportunity that we just couldn’t miss,” said Osborne.
She said on Wednesday B.C. has received almost 780 job applications from U.S.-based health professionals over the past two months.
She added 2,250 health professionals have expressed an interest in working in B.C. or have taken a webinar.
The province has a website that helps connect U.S.-trained health professionals with jobs in B.C.
For doctors trained outside of Canada and U.S., the CPSBC is also removing the requirement for them to hold the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada, saving them a $1,500 examination fee and shaving weeks off the licensing process.
The CPSBC says it will hold public consultations on bylaw changes that would streamline the licensure process for internationally-trained physicians who have completed at least two years of accredited postgraduate training in family medicine in the U.S., Australia, United Kingdom or Ireland.
Doctors would also be eligible if they have completed postgraduate training and received a completion of training certificate and certification in certain specialties from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom or Ireland.
Dr. Avi Kopstick, a Canadian-born doctor currently based in Austin, Texas, participated in Wednesday’s announcement. He’s set to join the pediatric team at Kelowna General Hospital next month.
“I chose British Columbia because the health care system over there aligns with my views,” said Kopstick.
He added that some of his friends who are nurses in Texas are “very jealous” of his upcoming move, and he hopes to convince them to move to B.C. in the near future.
The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives made changes in April to streamline the process for U.S.-trained nurses who are registering to work in the province. Nurses can now apply directly to the B.C. College without going through a third-party organization for assessment.
Officials said the changes mean nurses could be approved to work in the province within days, rather than having to wait months under the previous process.
Osborne said Wednesday the college has received close to 700 applications from U.S. nurses who want to be registered in the province, and they’ve approved nearly 320 of those applications. She said registrations from 46 nurse practitioners have also been approved.
In June, the province said it was launching a $5 million marketing campaign in select states to encourage U.S. health professionals to seek jobs in B.C.
The marketing campaign launched in Washington state, Oregon and select cities in California includes video, audio digital and print ads, ranging from social media and podcasts to billboards and bus shelters.
Osborne said the campaign was expected to reach about 250,000 U.S. health professionals.
The latest data from B.C. Ministry of Health show that in 2020/2021, less than 77 per cent of British Columbians who are eligible for the provincial health plan were attached to a primary care practitioner.
Anyone who lives in B.C. and needs a family doctor or nurse practitioner can get on the provincial waitlist online at healthlinkbc.ca/health-connect-registry or by calling 811.
Last September, then-health minister Adrian Dix said as many as 400,000 people were still on the registry waitlist. He said about 4000 people were being connected with a doctor each week.
