Medical Students Have Plan to Better Meet Needs of Patients

TORONTO, April 8, 2013 /CNW/ - In meetings today with Ontario MPPs, the Ontario Medical Students Association (OMSA) called for more information about patient needs to better inform their medical training choices.  As part of their annual lobby day at Queen's Park, Ontario's next generation of physicians called on the government to provide available data about the future health care needs of Ontarians, in order to ensure medical students are choosing specialties that will best support the evolution of Ontario's health care system.

Data released in 2010 shows that significant physician shortages remain in several key specialties and in communities across the province. In 2010 the Ontario MOHLTC developed a strategy to identify provincial health care needs: The Ontario Population Needs-Based Simulation Model. This model made projections about Human Health Resources (HHR) requirements until 2020, based on the anticipated health needs of Ontarians. The need for physician services was determined by reviewing socio-economic and lifestyle risk factors in the population (e.g. smoking) and how they will contribute to the incidence and prevalence of various illnesses and conditions (e.g. lung cancer).

Medical students are calling on the government to do this more regularly, so that students can take advantage of the most up, to, date data when making decisions about what specialties to choose, and where to set up their practices. Students also ask to be able to participate in these discussions sooner, as they are uniquely positioned to offer insight on how to best support the health needs of a growing and an aging population and better address gaps in key medical specialities and communities across Ontario.

Quotes:
Our request is a simple one. If medical students are provided better information about where the greatest shortages exist, they will make better decisions. This is a small non-monetary request that will go a long way in helping to improve our health care system, and our ability to care for the growing needs of our patients.
David Mikhail, Co-Chair, Ontario Medical Students Association

We are at Queen's Park today because we believe OMSA is well positioned to contribute to the conversation around HHR planning. By giving medical students the information they need to make decisions about what specialities to choose  will help the Ontario government better meet the needs of patients and provide physicians opportunities in their field.
Stephanie Kenny, Co-Chair, Ontario Medical Students Association

SOURCE: Ontario Medical Association

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