As wait times for access to healthcare increase across the region and province, one Niagara-on-the-Lake doctor is frustrated by a lengthy process he is facing to become certified in Canada so he can practise medicine.
Dr. Ritesh Rajpatty has medical experience in Ireland, where he received his undergraduate degree in medicine, an extensive list of post-graduate studies, two master’s degrees from the U.K., and years of work experience as a healthcare administrator and family doctor in Trinidad.
He was born in London, Ont., so is a Canadian citizen. After his birth his parents returned to Trinidad, where he was raised, but in recent years, after a very unsettling experience when his father was robbed, his parents decided to return to Canada, and chose NOTL as a safe haven, away from the escalating crime in their home country.
Last August, after eight years of working full-time as a family doctor in Trinidad, Rajpatty, with his wife, who left behind a career as a clinical psychologist, made the move to NOTL to be with his parents.
That difficult decision to leave behind their careers, he says, “was not about better jobs or better finances,” it was always about moving to a safer life, for themselves and the family they hope to have.
“It hit home” he says, “that living in Trinidad, every time we went out, every time we went to work we were saying our prayers” that they would return home safely. “We looked at our options and what kinds of sacrifices needed to be made,” and decided “our safety is our priority.”
And despite the challenges they face, “we have a lot to be grateful for. And we definitely sleep better at night.”
Rajpatty describes a long list of the complicated steps, involving several medical organizations and various exams, needed to become certified to practise medicine in Canada, the time each step can take, the options along the way that might shorten the wait, the cost involved, and the need to earn a living during that time.
He has been navigating his way through those challenges for about two years now, and says he likely has another 18 months to two years before he can practise medicine here.
His goal is to be able to live and work in Niagara — he would love to one day practise medicine as a family physician with the Niagara North Family Health Team.
Dr. Steve Durocher of the local family health team has taken him under his wing — some of Durocher’s patients have met Rajpatty, and had him sit in, with their permission, during a doctor’s appointment.
He greatly appreciates that support, from Durocher and his patients — Rajpatty says it helps to keep his mind active in the medical field.
He also has high praise and gratitude for Simpson’s Pharmasave for taking him on as a pharmacy assistant — many doctors waiting for Canadian certification are without jobs, constantly being told they are overqualified, while they are unable to do the job they are qualified for, he says.
The process of becoming qualified, apart from living expenses during the long wait, would be a minimum of $5,000, and could easily be as much as $10,000. For example, he has signed up for a practice oral exam to help him prepare for a September exam date — not essential but important for success — at a cost of $3,500. Just applying for that oral exam is $3,000, he says.
His hope at the moment is to receive a restricted licence from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, which would allow him to practise under the supervision of another doctor. He has met six of the seven conditions to write a certification exam by the College of Family Physicians of Canada — the one he cannot meet is having a family practice in Canada for two years, and to do that, he needs a restricted licence to get that two years of experience.
He has also received an LMCC (Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada) “which strengthens my academic qualifications within the Canadian system.” That designation is considered by the Medical Council of Canada as an important pathway for international medical graduates and internationally trained physicians to practise in Canada.
“The hope is that I can be provided a restricted registration, complete my two years of supervised practice, write the certification exam, and gain full registration to build a solid family medicine practice to assist with the future needs of our citizenry.”
He’s trying to be patient, he says, as he looks forward to again practising family medicine. “I enjoy getting to know patients, the interaction you can have with them as a family doctor, understanding who your patient is and being able to have the time to provide care management for them.”
He is very grateful to the community of Niagara-on-the-Lake, those he has met at Simpson’s and the family health team clinic, his neighbours who have taken an interest, and while he waits, he says, it’s frustrating to hear about the shortage of doctors and the long wait time for patients to access healthcare.
He is anxious to be part of the solution. He and his wife, he says, “want to be able to feel like we’re helping.”
