New doctors don’t want to pursue family medicine in Ontario say physicians

There has been an alarming surge in the number of medical student graduates who have chosen not to pursue a career in family medicine in Ontario says a group representing family physicians.

"Each year, medical school graduates make a crucial decision when they select their residency, choosing the location and the path that will dictate their career as a doctor," says a release from the Section on General and Family Practice (SGFP) of the Ontario Medical Association.

The Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) matches graduates with program placements, and recent results revealed 116 unfilled family medicine spots in Ontario – almost half of Canada’s unfilled family medicine placements, and up from last year’s 103 unclaimed spots.

“It’s disappointing, frustrating and alarming to see this year’s CaRMS matching numbers,” said Dr. David Barber, Chair. “During their rotations, medical students are seeing how demanding the family doctor environment has become. Unattached patients show up to clinics with a laundry list of issues that have been left untreated because they are not connected with a family doctor. Students don’t want that type of practice when they graduate.”

One unidentified third-year medical student said, “Many students who were once drawn to comprehensive family medicine to build long-term relationships with patients are looking to other specialties with fewer administrative burdens and lower burnout rates. It’s not good for patient outcomes, and it’s not good for physician burnout.” 

The release says residency placements often determine where a physician chooses to practice family medicine, and "the aversion to Ontario is obvious."

If each of those placements had a patient load of 1,500, this means ~174,000 Ontarians are not getting a family doctor.

"This trend expresses medical students’ lack of confidence in the provincial government’s approach to supporting family doctors.," adds the release. "The government may have funded more seats for medical schools, but this is a front-end investment that does not lead to more family doctors or a stronger workforce in the long term – especially with students saying 'no thanks' to family medicine."

“The current crisis – which is the growing 2.3 million Ontarians without a family doctor – comes from a combination of factors,” says Dr. Barber. “Many family doctors are retiring early. Medical students don’t want to pursue family medicine residency in Ontario. And an alarming number of family doctors close their practice due to unsustainable costs. The government must commit the necessary funding to make family medicine the kind of career that new doctors want to go into, or all Ontarians will continue to pay the price.”