Despite a recent push to expand medical school enrollment, Alberta’s doctor shortage remains a critical issue with long-term solutions still years away, experts say.
This story is part of an editorial partnership between the Calgary Journal and MacEwan University journalism.
Two years ago, the province boosted funding to the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine and the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine to increase enrollment. Each institution is adding 10 students per year, with the University of Calgary aiming for 180 medical students by 2025, and the University of Alberta targeting 192.
While these increases are seen as positive steps, the Alberta Medical Association has warned it won’t have an immediate impact since the length of medical programs poses a significant delay in addressing the shortage. The University of Calgary’s program is a three-year course, while the University of Alberta offers a four-year program.
Training takes time
Lorian Hardcastle, a health law expert at the University of Calgary, said that training doctors takes time, so the shortage will likely continue.
“Even with the increased enrollment, we are looking at a long timeline before we see any noticeable relief.”
Fiona Clement, a health policy researcher at the University of Calgary, echoed these concerns, noting that adding 40 medical school seats this year won’t result in new doctors on the frontlines for at least five years.
“The reality is, we need doctors now, not years from now,” said Clement.
“This is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach. We need to focus on immediate solutions while continuing to invest in long-term training.”
Fiona Clement
Students are also voicing concerns about the physician shortage.
Medical student perspective
Sana Samadi, a medical student at the University of Alberta, co-founded the Medical Student Advocacy Committee to address healthcare challenges. She emphasizes the importance of student involvement in advocating for systemic improvements.
“It is important that we coordinate our advocacy efforts, because we are all going to be working in the same health-care system with the same regulations,” said Samadi. “We need to ensure that the system is sustainable, not just train more doctors.”
The shortage is further increased by challenges in recruiting and retaining physicians in the province, especially with the strained relationship between Alberta’s government and the medical community. The decision to terminate the Alberta Medical Association’s contract in 2020 has created lingering tensions, with some doctors questioning their future in the province.
“The doctor-patient relationship is strained, said Hardcastle, “and many physicians are considering leaving for better working conditions in other provinces. We need to ensure that we are not only training more doctors, but also keeping the ones we have.”
While the government has also been finding ways to recruit internationally trained physicians and expand residency placements, experts stress that these efforts will not solve the crisis in the short term.
“This is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach,” noted Clement. “We need to focus on immediate solutions while continuing to invest in long-term training.”
The Alberta Medical Association continues to support increasing medical school seats, but stresses that this alone will not solve the immediate doctor shortage.
With the province’s population expected to exceed five million by 2025, there are calls for additional measures to prevent the healthcare crisis from worsening.
The province has also outlined its plans in a live-streamed update on workforce strategies.