QUEBEC CITY, June 6, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - A new report estimates there is a current shortfall of 478 emergency physicians in Canada – the equivalent of a student body of an entire Canadian medical school.
The Collaborative Working Group on the Future of Emergency Medicine in Canada (CWG-EM is a trilateral partnership between the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College) and the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and the CWG-EM issued its committee findings today at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP).
Without boosting residency training capacity, the shortfall is projected to rise to 1071 physicians by 2020 and to 1518 physicians by 2025.
"The Current shortfall is the equivalent to the student body of an entire Canadian medical school- this represents a very significant shortage and if urgent measures are not taken, the CWG-EM predicts that the situation become dire in 5 and 10 years." Douglas Sinclair, Chair, CWG-EM
The CWG-EM recommends a significant expansion of EM residency slots is needed to address the shortfall. This is an urgent need because it takes a minimum of eleven years of post-secondary education to train physicians for Emergency Medicine work.
Additionally, the CWG-EM has made recommendations to refocus and evolve emergency training via the two routes to meet the future emergency health care needs of Canadians.
The quality of emergency medical care for Canadians in the future will be linked to the competencies of physicians delivering that care. The CWG-EM supports competency based educational initiatives of both colleges and stresses the importance of this transition in the evolution of Emergency Medicine training in Canada.
Press conference details:
On Location:
Sainte-Foy/Portneuf room
Hilton Québec
1100 René-Lévesque Est
Québec City, Québec G1R 4P3
Or Dial in: 1-866-219-7782 The participant code is: 569401 #
SOURCE Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians
Image with caption: "National emergency physician shortfall estimate and future projections (excludes remote settings) (CNW Group/Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160606_C1136_PHOTO_EN_706876.jpg
Mona Bates, Executive Assistant to the chair, Collaborative Working Group on the Future of Emergency Medicine in Canada, Cel. 613. 799-4874, [email protected]; Jayne Johnston, Director, Communications, College of Family Physicians of Canada, B: 905-629-0900 ext 303, M: 905-407-9140, [email protected]
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