Media Advisory - National summit to tackle employment concerns among physicians in Canada

OTTAWA, Feb. 14, 2014 /CNW/ - The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada will host a national summit on physician employment next week, part of a national effort to think in new ways about medical workforce planning and ensure that Canada does not leave dedicated physicians and surgeons out of work in an era of lengthy wait times.

Held from Feb. 18-19, the summit will bring together those directly affected and those who can effect change. It will examine factors and policies as they relate to specialist under- and unemployment to understand the facts and to create meaningful solutions, not a different set of problems for Canadians.

This national summit was developed by a national steering committee representing the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Association of Internes and Residents, College of Family Physicians of Canada, Canadian Orthopaedic Residents Association, Canadian Urological Association, Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec, F/P/T Committee on Health Workforce, Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada and the Royal College.

Date:	Tuesday, Feb. 18 and Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014
Place:	Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, Ontario
Media:	The summit is closed to media but a joint statement will be issued following its conclusion. Media interviews can also be arranged after 12:00 pm (EST) on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

For background on this issue, read the report, "Too many, too few doctors? What's really behind Canada's unemployed specialists?" available online at www.royalcollege.ca/physician_employment. 

SOURCE: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Media contacts:
Tom McMillan, tel. [phone] x474, [email protected]
Sandra Shearman, tel. [phone] x464, [email protected]