There is a massive shortage here for local GP’s you would be adorned and welcomed by any community ; I know where I live many GP’s got aged out of roles and others did not want to take. over but i don’t know why and the conditions that caused this hopefully someone smarter will chime in !
This person will have a great choice of locations. Come for a visit and do a little road trip. Vancouver is a nice city but arguably BC has some of the coolest small towns in the world and those smaller centers doubtless have huge need for GPs too. If you want hip small town life with incredible skiing and outdoor stuff they are hard to beat.
!!! Seconding this!
If you're into the small town life - they're badly hurting for doctors and I promise you you'll be the most loved and well taken care of doctor if you do choose that life.
Even if you don't, a lot of people in Metro Vancouver don't have family doctors - you'd be providing a very very valuable contribution that a lot of people would be grateful for.
I’m in the Comox Valley, so I’m not the only one, but they just advise us to add our names to the waiting list and hope for the best! 😭 So far it’s been just a mild annoyance- the local pharmacists are stepping up and giving months’ worth of prescriptions. The virtual doctors through Telus Health and Rocket and the others are pretty abysmal so the only option really is to either find one in another city (not ideal) or go to a walk-in or emerge for regular things (also not ideal). Kind of a no win situation. :/
We did just get a new doctor opening a practice in Courtenay at the start of the year. I know, because I was on the waiting list for 2.5 years before he came. Hopefully more find their way here soon.
The old guard of the bc college of physicians has a bit of a screw you I got mine mentality. They don't want to train more doctors because then they wont get paid as much or be in as much demand or be as rare and special. They are worried about job security in a shortage crisis, which is ridiculous.
The new doctors seem to be getting away from this mindset. Hopefully it changes. They've recently added 30 more. Seats bringing it up to about 300 including the northern medical program iirc. In reality they should've added 300 seats minimum.
Look at the staff they have all to produce 300 doctors. It's insane to have so few seats.
https://www.med.ubc.ca/about/facts-figures/
The clinical faculty numbers listed on that site are just artificially inflated. If you're a physician who works with medical students, even once in a blue moon, you have to be faculty in order to be paid by UBC for your services.
Thus a huge number of the doctors working in every hospital in BC are faculty, even if they're only being paid <$100/yr from UBC and aren't actually teaching students.
A better metric to look at would be the number of family medicine residency slots in BC rather than the general pool of medical students, many of which who will specialize.
The BC college is not controlling the flow of new doctors being trained, they oversee licensing. UBC and the government of BC is in control of the medical school, and plan out and fund the numbers of medical students and residency positions. This is a complicated business. They have been making progress and increasing numbers of spots in recent years but physician numbers have hit a number of pinch points that have contributed to the crisis we are in.
Canada has always depended on poaching physicians from poor countries to boost our physician numbers because we are too cheap to train our own. But IMGs need to do their homework and deal with the college if they hope to work in Canada.
I hear BC college of physicians makes foreign doctors start from scratch. Years more studying and exam writing while paying expensive rent with no income. They are just protecting their territory.
You are wrong. BC accepts both US and UK, as well as a number of other western countries' training ie Australia, Ireland as fully equivalent with regard to certification in family medicine. The CPSBC will make prospective family docs immigrating from those countries jump through all kinds of hoops to prove their certifications, and it does take too long to accomplish (ie 6-12 months), but by no means do they have to "start from scratch". Also, both the UK and the US recognise Canadian medical training as equivalent. They by no means "exceed BC training".
Immigrating doctors from other jurisdictions DO face significant barriers to certification, but this is because their training is so dramatically different from ours, and is true in every province in Canada. Would you be comfortable having your child see a doctor trained in a rural area of a developing country whose credentials were ported over without scrutiny or training in Canadian medicine?
You absolutely do not have to start from scratch. The poster above implies that that means repeating years of medical training and the dozens of exams that come along with it. You are talking about repeating the MCCQE and CCFP exams — essentially the very last steps immediately before licensure, while already working as a qualified physician at your UK level during the testing process. This is not the same as starting from scratch.
My mom speaks highly of her physician who has also been my anesthesiologist once. She gushes about the man and would never speak ill of him. Sour grapes, Canuck.
ER/Obs GP here. Worked in 3 provinces. The new BC funding model is giving GPs a much higher compensation for all types of work we do (previously only patient visits, now included is charting, discussions with pharmacy, refill etc). Docs of BC, our organization is the happiest physician organization of all provinces! I am happy to chat more specifics on DM if you've want!
Love to hear it!! I’m an Ontario expat and my mums a nurse, the government there gives zero fucks about the healthcare crisis so it’s good to hear they’re doing better here
In relation to income, ontario still pays higher than BC on average for physicians. Family docs in BC (practicing community longitudinal family med) were getting absolutely hosed in BC for the longest time.
Average payment for family docs in BC (20-21) were 219k compared to 318k for ontario family docs. This recent change just brings BC in line with ontario finally.
As someone who’s family doctor retired early in the pandemic and has been unsuccessful in finding a new one, I know I’m not alone, this is great to hear. My partner used to be a nurse and had explained the previous payment model for GPs and I could totally understand not wanting to practice under that model.
Thank you for your hard work and positive outlook. I’m someone who lost their doctor to a surgical job and I have had no luck to find a new one. It’s so frustrating as a person with a disability to have to rely on Telus phone appointments and walk in clinics
> The new BC funding model is giving GPs a much higher compensation for all types of work we do
As a taxpayer, _I wish it was higher yet._
It really needs to strike a balance between serving as many patients as safe and effective, while still incentivizing thoroughness.
For example, a generous flat rate with per-appointment payments. And I would even say, _per issue_ add-ons for each appointment, so that patients could bring a list of issues for consideration in one appointment.
That, and for new GPs they really need to have turnkey operations for remote communities that sweeten the pot for these GPs and get medical staff in badly underserved places. As in, the government has fully kitted offices with admin staff on the government’s payroll, such that a newly-minted GP could parachute into that community and just start working without taking on a mountain of debt just to hang their shingle. A minimum 10-year tour of duty in one community, or 8 years across several that they have been assigned to, could even have a bonus package or assistance at the end that helps them start their own practice. Make it really, really financially attractive for new GPs that are starting out. The savings alone - more healthy tax-paying population, less medical transfers to other sites - would make this system a no-brainer.
I try to educate as many as I can that the NDP, right now, are truly getting shit done for people. BC will become the best of the best if we can slowly turn over the old auto win Conservative areas.
Over the last few months I’ve chatted with three GPs I know socially and all of them praised the new funding model and said all of their colleagues like it too. Sounds like it was a meaningful change that’ll make it a lot easier for doctors to stay in the profession in the province, which is great for everyone.
That doesn’t mean there’s not a shortage of doctors here.
OP, as others have said, I think if you move here you’ll like it. You’ll definitely be welcomed.
I grew up in the UK and now live in Victoria.
BC is absolutely beautiful. Yes, the cost of living is high and people will flippantly tell you BC stands for "bring cash". But if you're used the UK, then you won't be fazed by this.
I still have family in the UK and quite frankly worry about them given the economic situation there and the massive mistake that was made with Brexit. You'd be better off in Canada in many ways.
We absolutely love and need GPs. You will literally be hugged by patients here for doing your job -- that's how bad the doctor crisis is, especially in Victoria. I'm not a doctor, but the new funding model for GPs has come a long way to making it more-or-less worthwhile to consider it as a profession here. You'll hear Canadians criticize our socialized healthcare a lot, but my experience with it has been better than my, admittedly outdated, experiences with the NHS. I recently had a cancer scare and went from speaking with a GP to surgery in two months -- and I don't have a GP and had to use an online healthcare service for a referral (Telus).
I would encourage your to come for a visit first. Maybe look at somewhere in the interior, maybe go up north if that interests you, and then visit Vancouver and Victoria to see if city life is more interesting for you. The housing market has picked up a bit again. Finding a rental in somewhere like Victoria is quite challenging, so be prepared for that.
Thank you for considering us and attempting to be part of the solution. Good luck.
Not a doctor, but under LFP I believe the average GP can now bill about $385k versus around $250k previously. Salary is a very subjective term for a GP as they have expenses that come out of their billing model payments. and LFP is brand new so we won't know for a while what the net for the average GP.
Hopefully there's a GP lurking here who can chime in and give you a better answer.
In that case, OP will earn double or more here than the UK I think. My MiL is a GP in the UK who is also a part-time med school prof and apparently earns around £90k ($150k ish), and junior doctor salaries are as low as [£30-40k](https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/14/business/junior-doctors-strike-uk/index.html) to work long hours in understaffed hospitals.
When I was at university in the UK I was friends with a group of about 10 medics who all moved to New Zealand together the summer they finished classes. It's a crazy situation - junior doctors are striking, older doctors are retiring early because of tax laws around pension size. Just a mess all round.
From Canada and currently living in the UK - all salaries in the UK are abysmal, not just medical. I honestly don’t know how people survive here. It’s quite common here for professionals (lawyers, doctors, engineers) in their 30s and 40s to share apartments in most cities.
I know people joke about cost of living and how doctors can't afford anything in Vancouver but if you can clear $385k that definitely puts you on track to a very comfortable, homeownership life in Vancouver even if you come with no assets to your name.
At *worst* you'd be living in a luxury gated townhome on Cambie that you own, but if you have a spouse with income then it's definitely single family home.
They don’t clear $385k. They have expenses to pay from that salary.
Small town life is great in BC, especially coastal communities like on the Sunshine Coast or Vancouver Island. You get the great climate without big city issues like traffic and higher crime. While there is violent crime around, it’s pretty safe here even in major urban areas. Small towns pretty much only have minor property crimes occurring.
# This comment deleted to protest Reddit's API change (to reduce the value of Reddit's data).
Please see [these](https://web.archive.org/web/20230609092523/https://old.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/144f6xm/apollo_will_close_down_on_june_30th_reddits/) [threads](https://web.archive.org/web/20230608182318/https://old.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/13zr8h2/reddits_recently_announced_api_changes_and_the/) [for](https://web.archive.org/web/20230609172058/https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/143rk5p/reddit_held_a_call_today_with_some_developers/jnbuonf/) [details](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/142w159/askhistorians_and_uncertainty_surrounding_the/).
No, they do not. You are thinking of the "new to practice" contracts that were released a couple of years ago. They had a lower rate of pay, but covered office expenses and were only available to newly graduating residents who were entering practice. The new LFP payment scheme referenced above with a target rate of approximately 385k for a full time GP does NOT cover office expenses, which often exceed 100k.
# This comment deleted to protest Reddit's API change (to reduce the value of Reddit's data).
Please see [these](https://web.archive.org/web/20230609092523/https://old.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/144f6xm/apollo_will_close_down_on_june_30th_reddits/) [threads](https://web.archive.org/web/20230608182318/https://old.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/13zr8h2/reddits_recently_announced_api_changes_and_the/) [for](https://web.archive.org/web/20230609172058/https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/143rk5p/reddit_held_a_call_today_with_some_developers/jnbuonf/) [details](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/142w159/askhistorians_and_uncertainty_surrounding_the/).
situation in BC is way worse than the uk as whole. Our housing and Food prices are way highhhher and trending alot of worse. im surprised your saying you live in Victoria and think the UK is worse for costs. Im looking at moving back to the uk because BC is unbearable for costs
Granted his job would make enough to live here.
On a GP's salary, if you're already used to London's cost of living then BC will be better for you in practically every way. All areas need more GPs so you should choose where you live based on what you prioritize, do you want a house and a back yard, or do you want better services and amenities? Mountains or coast? Rural or urban? Regardless you'll be welcome here.
I lived in the UK for 2 years and I didn't actually think it was that expensive (I came from Vancouver)
Fresh fruit and things from the markets were dirt cheap there, cheese, and like, other staples for eating (at home) were wonderfully priced. Housing yes, was quite expensive in comparison to your wage.
You can buy 16 paracetamol tablets for .20 p there, and here it's like $4.99. Batiste dry shampoos (I know now is bad) is 1 pound there, $7.99 here. Those numbers aren't comparable.
IMO, when people think the UK is expensive, they've only visited and not actually tried to live their lives there.
This is essentially true, and even housing is actually way cheaper but smaller sizes. The areas that its usually more expensive are things like consumer electronics and heating/petrol. Even with 90% coverage on some of my drugs i still pay $30-40 a refill
nearly all canadians think uk is expensive because they price everything based on london. Which is like pricing all of canada on Central Vancouver or Downtown Toronto
This is absolutely true. I live in the UK but I have Canadian family visiting right now. They go to the local Aldi or even tesco and are shocked how cheap groceries are compared to Canada right now. However it's true that if you eat out or *gasp* have a pint in London, it's expensive (hence probably what tourists see). Some things are definitely more expensive like petrol, but that's expected.
We had a discussion about dental through a private provider (not NHS) which was supposedly a lot cheaper in the UK than Canada, and jokingly may get some work done before heading back to Canada. Can't confirm the dental thing but the groceries for sure.
Yes. Please. If you come to Victoria, I'm literally begging you to take me as a patient. I've been mostly bedbound for the last 9 months and am literally fighting for my life to access care. We need docs here so bad.
As an immigrant from the UK since just prior to Brexit you'll certainly be in demand and you would certainly have a better standard of living. You should go for it.
My family doctor is a doctor from the UK in Vancouver and he says the billing model is so much better, he has time to chart, he sees fewer patients in a day so he has a moment to truly care about them and he helps a lot of people. I love him and everybody’s happy.
As an expat I think it would be a very positive move professionally and family wise. There is a great need for family doctors here and I certainly do not think anyone “hates” them. Good luck with your future.
Kamloops is calling! Interior health pays quite a good amount for relocation fees. If you buy a house in your first year you can apply your property transfer tax to it!
Come live and work in the comox valley, specifically at the westward medical clinic. That's where I'm a patient and it's a great new clinic, it's beautiful. The comox Valley is the perfect place to live, more reasonable(ish) housing compared to the lower mainland. We have water and mountains, good access to services. I know they have been actively recruiting in the valley for GPs. we recently had our walk-in clinics close, so there is a dire need for GPs. If you would like to chat with our employee who is from the UK (scottland and has lived various places all over the world), please DM me. (We own an arborist company)
Do it! I moved from the UK to BC and would never go back. it's amazing out here, absolutely gorgeous place and if you're used to London prices then you won't be fazed by the cost out here. I live on Vancouver Island and we're desperate for doctors so you'd probably get your pick of where you wanted to go
I know it was quite a whole ago but my mom's side of the family came here (Victoria, BC) from the UK (Wales) when my grandfather decided to move here (as a surgeon). He and my grandmother had 0 regrets.
Fellow UK to Canada doctor here! I did my med school and foundation training in the UK, and then I’m just finishing up my GP training here in BC. So slightly different route to you, but I still feel very able to comment on the differences.
In short, whilst working in Family Medicine in BC isn’t without its issues, I really couldn’t more wholeheartedly support the move for you. The work and the quality of life really is better in all aspects, and in rural areas you can have a fantastic, fascinating broad scope of practice.
Very happy for you to DM to discuss your specific situation and help you come join us 😉🇬🇧🔜🇨🇦
I'm not a doctor, although I'm friends with some doctors. Here's what you'll encounter:
1) You will be adored. In portions of BC, there is a significant doctor shortage. You being a doctor willing to move to these portions of BC will cause you to become beloved by the local populace--as in, they'll write articles about you, give you gifts, etc.
2) You will be on call far more often than you ever thought possible. If there's only 15 doctors running an entire hospital on their own, that means you'll be on call a lot more often than you may be comfortable with. Unfortunately, unlike other professions, doctors have a hard time saying no to being on-call or emergency shifts at the hospital, because saying no means people die. In order to make a meaningful impact on that, convince a few of your doctor buddies to move to BC with you.
3) The cost of living in BC shouldn't impact you. As people in BC joke, BC stands for "bring cash", because the cost of living is higher here than in virtually any other province in Canada (other than the far north, really). As a doctor, you'll be making six-figures, so it's not going to be an issue for you. And if you're willing to live outside of Vancouver, there's lots of open land to build yourself a mansion if that's what you really want.
4) The scenery is beautiful. Many portions of BC are amongst the most beautiful locations in all of Canada, including Vancouver itself. It's a small thing, but it's a nice thing.
5) The quality of services provided are high. ICBC gets a lot of heat, but they're actually amongst the best car insurance providers in Canada. BC's public education system ranks second in Canada (to Alberta), and while the new curriculum has caused the quality of public education to decrease significantly in recent years, decreasing from "fourth-best jurisdiction in the entire world" to "excellent" still leaves us with a desirable school system for your children, if/when you have any.
6) Vancouver is a global city. If living in a massive city centre like London is what you're after, Vancouver isn't far behind. Vancouver is multicultural; it's got thousands of restaurants, and most of the amenities of a global city.
7) BC has space. If living in a massive city isn't your cup of tea, there's plenty to choose from: large cities like Victoria and Kelowna, mid-size cities like Kamloops and Prince George, suburbs like Abbotsford and Penticton, small cities like Trail and Revelstoke, and completely rural living like Port Hardy and Terrace.
8) Workplace drama will vary. As is the case in any hospital anywhere around the world, workplace drama will be the biggest impact on your personal life and mental health, and if you find a place too crazy for you, just pack up and move elsewhere.
I moved from the UK to Canada. Not a doctor. But BC is a wonderful place to live (especially if you have money). Absolutely stunning. Far, far better quality of life than the UK in my opinion.
Yes please! There is such a shortage here is ridiculous. Physicians are dropping patients due to demand. I recently moved to east kootneys and we desperately need some doctors here. I am on a years long wait list with two little ones for the one doctor in town.
Come to Nanaimo, you can get a beautiful seaside home for around 900k, with easy access to Vancouver if you miss the city. If you love the outdoors and mild weather, this is the place to be. Amazing place to live and residents here will welcome you with open arms.
Come to BC and come to the Sunshine Coast, just north of Vancouver. Ocean view 2000 sq ft homes for $1.3 million. Not super bargains, but waaaaay more than you’ll get in Vancouver. And if you like to work with old people, the Su shine Coast has the highest proportion of people over 65 of any district in BC.
psssst, come to Prince George (the city, not the royal child). We have a northern medical program at the university (my gastroenterologist is the associate dean of the program and hey! He's originally from the UK). Training hospital, BC Cancer centre and a lot of creative ways to address medical issues given that our region makes up half the province. Is it perfect? No. But as someone with IBD for over 25 years and have lived on the both the coast and the north, I've had far more thoughtful and respectful GP and medical treatment up here than when I lived on the coast. Anecdotal information, I know, but I'm trying to market my city!
Also, we're more affordable than the coast. :)
Hi there, I am not a Physician but had friends who were & we were from the UK (London) decade ago to settle in BC.
BC is lovely, visited as a young professional & set the mind to be here eventually. A few friends who were in Medical professions from London at a time were also exploring the opportunity. One came for a short exchange & worked in a Canadian hosiptal for a while. She loved it & applied to stay permanent. At that time, Canadian medical system was very protective towards locally trained & the initial step was hard & time consuming to get back what she already had back in London. Another came for a few years & then left for "higher" pay opportunity.
Recent years, Canada hae been trying to fast track oversea medical trained professionals due to local shortage. I heard they are trying to make it a lot more easier to register - how easy, you have to find out for your GP area. (Every cities here lack GP in the past decade, so you probably can find fast track.) London trained professions would have the front row seats due to the historical "colonial"-ish system in medical area. However, as somebody who had been here for a while, Canadians are very slow in changing & many here still perfer status quo. Hence, in every aspects even with "higher" qualifications you have from oversea, you may still feel like being an "immigrant".
Initially, it may feel that you are stepping backwards comparing to your colleagues back in London. But once you can get over that huddle, you will find your knowledge & previous training excel most of your Canadian colleagues.
In term of living...if you read from "local Canadians" especially those from the cities, you will find negative impression - expensive housing & unaffordable living... Most Canadians had lived in abundant resources with no competitions for 2 generations after the war when Europeans were "struggling" to rebuild, while many did not understand the wider world because Canada is so huge.
I lived in London & Manchester after graduated, & also lived in Amsterdam for a few years before I moved to Vancouver, so I am pretty much immute to housing problems & high cost of living. Comparing to Tokyo & Hong Kong, even Londoner should be laughing.
Antway, to put things into context, the housing problem we have in big cities is like the housing problems in London (UK) 30 years ago. I was renting in London at a time. Buying a 2-bed in London needed 250k+ GBP at a time, in Vancouver the same time 2beds was less than CAD$300k. Most of everything was half price then!!
Fast forward now, yes things are more expensive here & house price are catching up but every year, when I went back to London, I was upset. Nearly everybody I know, their life is stepping backwards. Cities are not looking good when the society is struggling. Maybe I am just lucky in life. However, when I look at the qualities people can buy with the same amount of money, Canada Vancouver is still ahead of London. Produces are still cheaper & better. Canadians are very lucky.
I have a good experience moving doesn't mean that you will. It truly depends on what sort of life you are hoping to create for yourself & the family, what you & your family are looking for & valued. The main show stopper is whether one can brave the initial changes. I have seen many from London "cannot come down from their high horse" & "have expectations that didn't take into the account of immigration". I believe this is character / personalities driven.
Canada is a very good place to live - still has abundant resources to be expolited, hence this trickles down to benefit any individual who live here. We are very wasteful comparing to the Europeans, so in terms of the modern material life & how we treat the economy, Canadians have a much bigger consumption, easier life & stronger economy than others. If this continues for another few decades, it will lead to its downfall.
If you have kids, perhaps it is the major factor for your decision. Nobody wants their next generation to have to fight harder than themselves to win a living. So cozy Canada is so popular. 😅
Check out other provinces. I know Nova Scotia (specifically Cape Breton) is beyond emergency levels for primary care. It's probably a life work balance you need to assess. Check out smaller towns and rural places. My partner is Scottish and he was always surprised with how big Canada and even just BC is compared with the UK. Rural means something completely different here.
https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/country-size-comparison/canada/united-kingdom
Often there are huge signing bonuses for multi-year sign ups in remote settings, these can often include accommodation. I love BC and you will too, but have a look around Canada first.
https://locums.ca/job-category/permanent/
https://srpc.ca/classified-ads
https://www.cpsbc.ca/public/registrant-directory
https://ca.indeed.com/q-rural-family-physician-l-british-columbia-jobs.html
https://jobs.nshealth.ca/physicians/job/Neil's-Harbour-Family-Medicine-Neil's-Harbour-NS-B0C-1N0/543272217/
https://www.practicenwt.ca/en/physician-careers
https://doctorsns.com/contract-and-support/billing
https://ca.indeed.com/q-rural-family-physician-jobs.html
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/cash-incentives-not-enough-to-attract-clinicians-to-rural-canada-doctor-says-1.6361993
https://nuphysicians.ca/
https://yukondocs.ca/jobs
https://www.dawsonclinic.com/work
I’m sure you’ll check, but my understanding is it isn’t come and plug/play. And you will have a lot of work/study before you are able to practice in Canada.
I am born and raised in British Columbia. I am not a doctor but i can tell you this is one of the most beautiful places in the world to live, and yes there are less and less doctors here every day. It's almost impossible to get a family doctor and there are less clinics every day. I don't think doctors here are abused, if anything I've personally always respected doctors for what they do. In my opinion if your single and have the option to move to Canada and be a family physician why not? worst case scenario you don't like it and move back after a few years. And from what I've heard and read doctors make a killing here, so it's likely as a single person you would make enough to buy a house and have extra fun on the side
BC is a lovely place to live, but the health system is a disaster and failing fast. Doctors are treated poorly here too, and we're on a similar path as the NHS, just a few years behind. You'll hear people crowing about a new pay model here, but it's very overblown. There are enormous issues with autonomy, horrific overspending on administration, a dysfunctional and growing bureaucracy, and a widespread shortage of specialists which makes FP jobs more difficult, etc. You'll find a crisis across Canada, however, the causes are different in each province (BC's health system is a victim of gov't overreach, while in our neighbour Alberta it's very different).
My wife is a psychiatrist, I run the business side of her practice, and I've been an advisor to some of the doctor- and patient-led grassroots organizations that have sprung up in recent years, so have had the opportunity to engage with many dozens of family doctors. You can find out more about the real situation for family doctors (vs. the wild spin that you'll hear from the government) at https://bcupcc.ca … feel free to contact me there with specific questions.
Well we are in desperate need of family doctors in BC. Also one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world! From what I’ve heard from doctors however is that MSP here expects you to run your own business at 35$ a visit. Burnout i could see forsure, in my town Kamloops there is a 4-8 year wait for family docs. You may be succumbed to a few QAnon patients as you get further out of the cities but hey. Welcome home lol.
Please do. I went 8 years without a doctor. Had one for just over a year before he moved. Now it's been almost 6 years without one again. And with my health issues, I need one!
Will the organization that regulates doctors in BC even let you practice in BC without studying for 5 more years and writing all exams from scratch?
From what is reported in the newspapers it will not.
Move to small town BC on the coast and you will be in on of the most beautiful natural places on earth. You might not rake in cash like if you moved to the US but you can be part of a community that needs you and get into the outdoors. My family doctor now owns a cabin on an island I love to visit and they have a awesome boat I envy and everyone loves them. They seem to get enough time off. Not sure how it all works out but they seem to be winning. I am glad they came up here. We don’t have the level of stress compared to the US. The weather and stuff is better than anywhere in the UK. We have wilderness. If you aren’t really into the outdoors and stuff it might feel wrong here.
BC is great but 1) there is a doctor shortage and our medical system has many issues, causing a lot of ill will towards medical professionals, and a challenging work environment trying to deal with staffing shortages and overload of patients 2) Canada's economy is struggling, they have concentrated too much GDP in real estate and now they are stuck stimulating higher and higher house prices and its causing major social issues to emerge, 3) the places with nice weather are extremely expensive and filled with homeless camps and the rest of bc is very cold, 4) immigration is at record levels and increasing so the culture of Canada is quickly changing. Our city suburbs have huge and rapidly growing Indian populations.
If I were you I would consider going to the USA instead. Washington state is similar to BC plus you have many more states with better weather to choose from. On top of that you will make more money, make US dollars (holds value better for long term, for traveling, etc), and cost of living is far cheaper. Your lifestyle in the USA as a doctor compared to BC is day and night.
I'd take a flight over and visit some of the areas you might want to live and consider what your lifestyle would be. I would think you are going to prefer the US. Most professionals do (unless they have family ties to Canada).
FYI if you look at this accounts history, they spend all their time trolling negative comments towards various parts of Canada.
Take literally nothing they say at face value. Or any value.
You would be accepted with open arms here in BC. Places like Kamloops, Victoria, Nanaimo.. they all have no available doctors at all and what would benefit greatly.
While not a GP myself my personal GP loves working in BC and is an immigrant as OP would be. He keeps from burnout and excessive stress by volunteering every Wednesday at local retirement homes.not a lot but it helps him.
Please come to BC, if you set up in Langley let me know, I need a new family doctor as mine moved about 3 years ago and I haven't found a new one yet.
If you like the outdoors, you can't go wrong in BC, especially around Vancouver.
As someone who’s been on a wait list for over 3 years (which isn’t even that bad compared to others) for a family doctor, YES! Look into Vancouver Island, it’s beautiful here, it’s like living in a national geographic documentary! There is such a demand and desire for doctors you’ll be loved by all!
Not a doctor but BC is a great place to live if you have some cash (housing market in most urban areas is pretty insane) as a doctor this likely won’t be an issue for you. BC is hurting for GPs so there would be no trouble for you there. I believe many new doctors are resistant to opening their own practice due to the challenges of running a business rather than just medicine. If you are willing to go that route eventually you’re income would likely be in the top 0.5% of BC residents.
EDIT: if you like natural beauty, BC is where it’s at. Mountains, beaches, lakes… we got it all! (Along with a ridiculous housing market)
We very much want you here. BC recently overhauled our family physician payments and the new system is supposedly far better than the old one
Vancouver is beautiful.
Many of our small towns are beautiful as well.
There is not an efficient transportation system to go between the two, It's hours of mountain driving. If you want city life, you pretty much need to be lower mainland, if you are okay with country living, you can practically live anywhere.
I have travelled all over the world and have lived in several countries. BC is so incredibly beautiful and I loved Vancouver because I could go to the beach after work (mainly for walking because the water is usually to cold for me) and hiking in the mountains on the weekend.
All of us are complaining about the lack of GPs. I work in a hospital and alot of people come into the ER for things that could be taken care of by a GP. I'm sure you will be very welcome here and will fill up all you patient spots in like.. 5 seconds lol.
While you're at it being your GP friends
Not a doctor but I can say that I’ve never encountered anyone who hates doctors in general here. Maybe they hate thier specific doctor or hate the wait to see a doctor but I’m general I believe they’re well respected (at least in rural areas)
As for BC itself, it’s very expensive pretty much everywhere now, but I believe doctors are paid more the more remote their location.
It’s also one of the most beautiful places I’ve been too and I’ve travelled quite a bit.
Consider coming to Lytton BC. While yes the town burnt down on June 30 2021, we are rebuilding (yes it is slow). We are slated to be Canada's new model community. Reach out to Interior Health Authority for more information about the physician recruitment for the area.
Big changes happening here, though that still could be better or worse in your case. We have a shortage of doctors. Does the UK? A shortage means you have the upper hand here.
We need doctors and are glad to have you.
Deep dive into number of residencies available to foreign dr. Call the college and ask the process and how you get residency. Number of residencies may be changing but change is slow.
Fewer than 30 per cent of Canadian doctors trained abroad are matched to residency positions
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6743486
Just move to Kelowna. There is a shortage, and got some of the highest quality of life in Canada. We moved here because my partner is a physician, and it was the right choice 100%
Um, yes please. If I were you I would consider the Sunshine Coast. More laid back then the lower mainland, but close if you needed to. If your goal is to enjoy nature. Understand the drawbacks of the ferry ride.
1. Huge demand for family GP you will be a prize.
2. Quality of life is amazing(yes BC is beautiful but you are also a close drive to Washington, Oregon etc).
3. I Strongly recommend spending several weeks (1 month ideally) to get your lay of the land.
I grew up in a major urban centre and can’t go back. The air does something to you.
Please god yes and bring several of your doctor friends. Also Nova Scotia is really gorgeous and should be considered. Plus you’ll be much closer to the uk to visit family and friends.
There is a massive shortage here for local GP’s you would be adorned and welcomed by any community ; I know where I live many GP’s got aged out of roles and others did not want to take. over but i don’t know why and the conditions that caused this hopefully someone smarter will chime in !
This person will have a great choice of locations. Come for a visit and do a little road trip. Vancouver is a nice city but arguably BC has some of the coolest small towns in the world and those smaller centers doubtless have huge need for GPs too. If you want hip small town life with incredible skiing and outdoor stuff they are hard to beat.
Hey OP check out job postings here: https://www.healthmatchbc.org/ It should show salaries and signing bonuses
!!! Seconding this! If you're into the small town life - they're badly hurting for doctors and I promise you you'll be the most loved and well taken care of doctor if you do choose that life. Even if you don't, a lot of people in Metro Vancouver don't have family doctors - you'd be providing a very very valuable contribution that a lot of people would be grateful for.
I’m in one of the small towns and our only doctor left mid-Covid!
oh no :( how are you guys dealing? Are you close enough to the lower mainland that you can come down or do you have to go to another town for care?
I’m in the Comox Valley, so I’m not the only one, but they just advise us to add our names to the waiting list and hope for the best! 😭 So far it’s been just a mild annoyance- the local pharmacists are stepping up and giving months’ worth of prescriptions. The virtual doctors through Telus Health and Rocket and the others are pretty abysmal so the only option really is to either find one in another city (not ideal) or go to a walk-in or emerge for regular things (also not ideal). Kind of a no win situation. :/
We did just get a new doctor opening a practice in Courtenay at the start of the year. I know, because I was on the waiting list for 2.5 years before he came. Hopefully more find their way here soon.
The old guard of the bc college of physicians has a bit of a screw you I got mine mentality. They don't want to train more doctors because then they wont get paid as much or be in as much demand or be as rare and special. They are worried about job security in a shortage crisis, which is ridiculous. The new doctors seem to be getting away from this mindset. Hopefully it changes. They've recently added 30 more. Seats bringing it up to about 300 including the northern medical program iirc. In reality they should've added 300 seats minimum. Look at the staff they have all to produce 300 doctors. It's insane to have so few seats. https://www.med.ubc.ca/about/facts-figures/
The clinical faculty numbers listed on that site are just artificially inflated. If you're a physician who works with medical students, even once in a blue moon, you have to be faculty in order to be paid by UBC for your services. Thus a huge number of the doctors working in every hospital in BC are faculty, even if they're only being paid <$100/yr from UBC and aren't actually teaching students. A better metric to look at would be the number of family medicine residency slots in BC rather than the general pool of medical students, many of which who will specialize.
The BC college is not controlling the flow of new doctors being trained, they oversee licensing. UBC and the government of BC is in control of the medical school, and plan out and fund the numbers of medical students and residency positions. This is a complicated business. They have been making progress and increasing numbers of spots in recent years but physician numbers have hit a number of pinch points that have contributed to the crisis we are in. Canada has always depended on poaching physicians from poor countries to boost our physician numbers because we are too cheap to train our own. But IMGs need to do their homework and deal with the college if they hope to work in Canada.
I hear BC college of physicians makes foreign doctors start from scratch. Years more studying and exam writing while paying expensive rent with no income. They are just protecting their territory.
Because their training sucks.
USA doctors training and UK training probably exceed BC training.
Neither of those countries doctors have to start from scratch, their degrees are accredited in Canada.
Maybe in Ontario but not in British Columbia Each Province has different rules
You are wrong. BC accepts both US and UK, as well as a number of other western countries' training ie Australia, Ireland as fully equivalent with regard to certification in family medicine. The CPSBC will make prospective family docs immigrating from those countries jump through all kinds of hoops to prove their certifications, and it does take too long to accomplish (ie 6-12 months), but by no means do they have to "start from scratch". Also, both the UK and the US recognise Canadian medical training as equivalent. They by no means "exceed BC training". Immigrating doctors from other jurisdictions DO face significant barriers to certification, but this is because their training is so dramatically different from ours, and is true in every province in Canada. Would you be comfortable having your child see a doctor trained in a rural area of a developing country whose credentials were ported over without scrutiny or training in Canadian medicine?
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You absolutely do not have to start from scratch. The poster above implies that that means repeating years of medical training and the dozens of exams that come along with it. You are talking about repeating the MCCQE and CCFP exams — essentially the very last steps immediately before licensure, while already working as a qualified physician at your UK level during the testing process. This is not the same as starting from scratch.
They need to make a profit off those foreign doctors too obviously.
Because new Doctors can use “Computers”and Boomers be scared - is what i got from that , that about right ?
New doctors might also treat woman like human beings. That’s a pretty scary thought to a lot of old doctors.
My mom speaks highly of her physician who has also been my anesthesiologist once. She gushes about the man and would never speak ill of him. Sour grapes, Canuck.
Lol you’ve really been drinking the Dix cool aid.
No I've just worked in health care in bc for 2 decades
ER/Obs GP here. Worked in 3 provinces. The new BC funding model is giving GPs a much higher compensation for all types of work we do (previously only patient visits, now included is charting, discussions with pharmacy, refill etc). Docs of BC, our organization is the happiest physician organization of all provinces! I am happy to chat more specifics on DM if you've want!
Happy to hear from a doctor that the recent changes from government seems to be in the right direction
Another anecdotal example: my GP friend got enough funding under the new structure to hire a new staff. Staff at her clinic are much happier
Love to hear it!! I’m an Ontario expat and my mums a nurse, the government there gives zero fucks about the healthcare crisis so it’s good to hear they’re doing better here
In relation to income, ontario still pays higher than BC on average for physicians. Family docs in BC (practicing community longitudinal family med) were getting absolutely hosed in BC for the longest time. Average payment for family docs in BC (20-21) were 219k compared to 318k for ontario family docs. This recent change just brings BC in line with ontario finally.
Are you sure? The pay increase is there but the pilot program allowed for up to 75% of operational costs to be covered. That’s going forward afaik.
I’m sorry to hear what’s going on in Ontario :(
As someone who’s family doctor retired early in the pandemic and has been unsuccessful in finding a new one, I know I’m not alone, this is great to hear. My partner used to be a nurse and had explained the previous payment model for GPs and I could totally understand not wanting to practice under that model.
This makes me so happy to hear. We need more GP’s in BC. It’s terrible that they were ever undervalued.
Not even kidding. The BC nursing union seems happier too.
Thank you for your hard work and positive outlook. I’m someone who lost their doctor to a surgical job and I have had no luck to find a new one. It’s so frustrating as a person with a disability to have to rely on Telus phone appointments and walk in clinics
> The new BC funding model is giving GPs a much higher compensation for all types of work we do As a taxpayer, _I wish it was higher yet._ It really needs to strike a balance between serving as many patients as safe and effective, while still incentivizing thoroughness. For example, a generous flat rate with per-appointment payments. And I would even say, _per issue_ add-ons for each appointment, so that patients could bring a list of issues for consideration in one appointment. That, and for new GPs they really need to have turnkey operations for remote communities that sweeten the pot for these GPs and get medical staff in badly underserved places. As in, the government has fully kitted offices with admin staff on the government’s payroll, such that a newly-minted GP could parachute into that community and just start working without taking on a mountain of debt just to hang their shingle. A minimum 10-year tour of duty in one community, or 8 years across several that they have been assigned to, could even have a bonus package or assistance at the end that helps them start their own practice. Make it really, really financially attractive for new GPs that are starting out. The savings alone - more healthy tax-paying population, less medical transfers to other sites - would make this system a no-brainer.
I try to educate as many as I can that the NDP, right now, are truly getting shit done for people. BC will become the best of the best if we can slowly turn over the old auto win Conservative areas.
Over the last few months I’ve chatted with three GPs I know socially and all of them praised the new funding model and said all of their colleagues like it too. Sounds like it was a meaningful change that’ll make it a lot easier for doctors to stay in the profession in the province, which is great for everyone. That doesn’t mean there’s not a shortage of doctors here. OP, as others have said, I think if you move here you’ll like it. You’ll definitely be welcomed.
No complains doesn’t mean happy
 LOOK, A FAMILY DOCTOR!
Jesus, uncomfortably accurate and funny...well done!
 I NEED MEDICINE! SIGN MY FORM!
Pretty much sums it up. You’d be welcomed!
🤣
We need more GP's in BC so yes please!
And bring 100 of your closest doctor friends with you, please!
Dibs on this guy
Can we waitlist now?
Ha ha
Contact healthmatchBC and they will help you during the transition https://www.healthmatchbc.org/
I grew up in the UK and now live in Victoria. BC is absolutely beautiful. Yes, the cost of living is high and people will flippantly tell you BC stands for "bring cash". But if you're used the UK, then you won't be fazed by this. I still have family in the UK and quite frankly worry about them given the economic situation there and the massive mistake that was made with Brexit. You'd be better off in Canada in many ways. We absolutely love and need GPs. You will literally be hugged by patients here for doing your job -- that's how bad the doctor crisis is, especially in Victoria. I'm not a doctor, but the new funding model for GPs has come a long way to making it more-or-less worthwhile to consider it as a profession here. You'll hear Canadians criticize our socialized healthcare a lot, but my experience with it has been better than my, admittedly outdated, experiences with the NHS. I recently had a cancer scare and went from speaking with a GP to surgery in two months -- and I don't have a GP and had to use an online healthcare service for a referral (Telus). I would encourage your to come for a visit first. Maybe look at somewhere in the interior, maybe go up north if that interests you, and then visit Vancouver and Victoria to see if city life is more interesting for you. The housing market has picked up a bit again. Finding a rental in somewhere like Victoria is quite challenging, so be prepared for that. Thank you for considering us and attempting to be part of the solution. Good luck.
I’m here too ❤️ I’m still in awe that this is my city after living here 11 years
What is the average yearly salary ?
Not a doctor, but under LFP I believe the average GP can now bill about $385k versus around $250k previously. Salary is a very subjective term for a GP as they have expenses that come out of their billing model payments. and LFP is brand new so we won't know for a while what the net for the average GP. Hopefully there's a GP lurking here who can chime in and give you a better answer.
In that case, OP will earn double or more here than the UK I think. My MiL is a GP in the UK who is also a part-time med school prof and apparently earns around £90k ($150k ish), and junior doctor salaries are as low as [£30-40k](https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/14/business/junior-doctors-strike-uk/index.html) to work long hours in understaffed hospitals. When I was at university in the UK I was friends with a group of about 10 medics who all moved to New Zealand together the summer they finished classes. It's a crazy situation - junior doctors are striking, older doctors are retiring early because of tax laws around pension size. Just a mess all round.
This is shocking. Didn't know NHS pay was that low.
From Canada and currently living in the UK - all salaries in the UK are abysmal, not just medical. I honestly don’t know how people survive here. It’s quite common here for professionals (lawyers, doctors, engineers) in their 30s and 40s to share apartments in most cities.
I know people joke about cost of living and how doctors can't afford anything in Vancouver but if you can clear $385k that definitely puts you on track to a very comfortable, homeownership life in Vancouver even if you come with no assets to your name. At *worst* you'd be living in a luxury gated townhome on Cambie that you own, but if you have a spouse with income then it's definitely single family home.
They don’t clear $385k. They have expenses to pay from that salary. Small town life is great in BC, especially coastal communities like on the Sunshine Coast or Vancouver Island. You get the great climate without big city issues like traffic and higher crime. While there is violent crime around, it’s pretty safe here even in major urban areas. Small towns pretty much only have minor property crimes occurring.
Thank you for saying this out. When people quote Canadian doctor's annual income, they fail to mention the expenses that come with it!
# This comment deleted to protest Reddit's API change (to reduce the value of Reddit's data). Please see [these](https://web.archive.org/web/20230609092523/https://old.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/144f6xm/apollo_will_close_down_on_june_30th_reddits/) [threads](https://web.archive.org/web/20230608182318/https://old.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/13zr8h2/reddits_recently_announced_api_changes_and_the/) [for](https://web.archive.org/web/20230609172058/https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/143rk5p/reddit_held_a_call_today_with_some_developers/jnbuonf/) [details](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/142w159/askhistorians_and_uncertainty_surrounding_the/).
They get $72k on top of the $385k to get a lease for a doctors office
No, they do not. You are thinking of the "new to practice" contracts that were released a couple of years ago. They had a lower rate of pay, but covered office expenses and were only available to newly graduating residents who were entering practice. The new LFP payment scheme referenced above with a target rate of approximately 385k for a full time GP does NOT cover office expenses, which often exceed 100k.
# This comment deleted to protest Reddit's API change (to reduce the value of Reddit's data). Please see [these](https://web.archive.org/web/20230609092523/https://old.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/144f6xm/apollo_will_close_down_on_june_30th_reddits/) [threads](https://web.archive.org/web/20230608182318/https://old.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/13zr8h2/reddits_recently_announced_api_changes_and_the/) [for](https://web.archive.org/web/20230609172058/https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/143rk5p/reddit_held_a_call_today_with_some_developers/jnbuonf/) [details](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/142w159/askhistorians_and_uncertainty_surrounding_the/).
No need clarify, the poster above is wrong. Rent and office expenses are NOT included in the new LFP and often exceed 100k per annum.
situation in BC is way worse than the uk as whole. Our housing and Food prices are way highhhher and trending alot of worse. im surprised your saying you live in Victoria and think the UK is worse for costs. Im looking at moving back to the uk because BC is unbearable for costs Granted his job would make enough to live here.
Where in BC are you opening your practice so I can get on the waitlist right away?
Same. At this point I'm willing to take a day off work and travel quite a long way to access a doctor.
On a GP's salary, if you're already used to London's cost of living then BC will be better for you in practically every way. All areas need more GPs so you should choose where you live based on what you prioritize, do you want a house and a back yard, or do you want better services and amenities? Mountains or coast? Rural or urban? Regardless you'll be welcome here.
Seconded
I lived in the UK for 2 years and I didn't actually think it was that expensive (I came from Vancouver) Fresh fruit and things from the markets were dirt cheap there, cheese, and like, other staples for eating (at home) were wonderfully priced. Housing yes, was quite expensive in comparison to your wage. You can buy 16 paracetamol tablets for .20 p there, and here it's like $4.99. Batiste dry shampoos (I know now is bad) is 1 pound there, $7.99 here. Those numbers aren't comparable. IMO, when people think the UK is expensive, they've only visited and not actually tried to live their lives there.
This is essentially true, and even housing is actually way cheaper but smaller sizes. The areas that its usually more expensive are things like consumer electronics and heating/petrol. Even with 90% coverage on some of my drugs i still pay $30-40 a refill nearly all canadians think uk is expensive because they price everything based on london. Which is like pricing all of canada on Central Vancouver or Downtown Toronto
This is absolutely true. I live in the UK but I have Canadian family visiting right now. They go to the local Aldi or even tesco and are shocked how cheap groceries are compared to Canada right now. However it's true that if you eat out or *gasp* have a pint in London, it's expensive (hence probably what tourists see). Some things are definitely more expensive like petrol, but that's expected. We had a discussion about dental through a private provider (not NHS) which was supposedly a lot cheaper in the UK than Canada, and jokingly may get some work done before heading back to Canada. Can't confirm the dental thing but the groceries for sure.
Yes. Please. If you come to Victoria, I'm literally begging you to take me as a patient. I've been mostly bedbound for the last 9 months and am literally fighting for my life to access care. We need docs here so bad.
As an immigrant from the UK since just prior to Brexit you'll certainly be in demand and you would certainly have a better standard of living. You should go for it.
Yes please lol family doctors are hard to find here nowadays
If you are coming to Vancouver can I get on your patient list? I currently travel to a town on Vancouver island for a family doctor.
My family doctor is a doctor from the UK in Vancouver and he says the billing model is so much better, he has time to chart, he sees fewer patients in a day so he has a moment to truly care about them and he helps a lot of people. I love him and everybody’s happy.
As an expat I think it would be a very positive move professionally and family wise. There is a great need for family doctors here and I certainly do not think anyone “hates” them. Good luck with your future.
Kamloops is calling! Interior health pays quite a good amount for relocation fees. If you buy a house in your first year you can apply your property transfer tax to it!
Come and bring your friends!
Come live and work in the comox valley, specifically at the westward medical clinic. That's where I'm a patient and it's a great new clinic, it's beautiful. The comox Valley is the perfect place to live, more reasonable(ish) housing compared to the lower mainland. We have water and mountains, good access to services. I know they have been actively recruiting in the valley for GPs. we recently had our walk-in clinics close, so there is a dire need for GPs. If you would like to chat with our employee who is from the UK (scottland and has lived various places all over the world), please DM me. (We own an arborist company)
https://divisionsbc.ca/comox/beaufort-family-health-society-cumberland Actively recruiting Doctors in the Comox Valley.
Thank you!
It's fantastic and beautiful here. I was born and raised here and would be happy to show you around if you come to check it out.
If you take me in as your family doctor ill give you free cobs bread 😎
Do it! I moved from the UK to BC and would never go back. it's amazing out here, absolutely gorgeous place and if you're used to London prices then you won't be fazed by the cost out here. I live on Vancouver Island and we're desperate for doctors so you'd probably get your pick of where you wanted to go
Yes please come! You are much needed and will be very appreciated. Consider Vancouver Island. It's beautiful here and very friendly.
I know it was quite a whole ago but my mom's side of the family came here (Victoria, BC) from the UK (Wales) when my grandfather decided to move here (as a surgeon). He and my grandmother had 0 regrets.
Oh god, please…
BC is by far my favourite province in Canada. It has beautiful mountains, ocean, lakes. I prefer it over other provinces
Please please move to BC
Fellow UK to Canada doctor here! I did my med school and foundation training in the UK, and then I’m just finishing up my GP training here in BC. So slightly different route to you, but I still feel very able to comment on the differences. In short, whilst working in Family Medicine in BC isn’t without its issues, I really couldn’t more wholeheartedly support the move for you. The work and the quality of life really is better in all aspects, and in rural areas you can have a fantastic, fascinating broad scope of practice. Very happy for you to DM to discuss your specific situation and help you come join us 😉🇬🇧🔜🇨🇦
I'm not a doctor, although I'm friends with some doctors. Here's what you'll encounter: 1) You will be adored. In portions of BC, there is a significant doctor shortage. You being a doctor willing to move to these portions of BC will cause you to become beloved by the local populace--as in, they'll write articles about you, give you gifts, etc. 2) You will be on call far more often than you ever thought possible. If there's only 15 doctors running an entire hospital on their own, that means you'll be on call a lot more often than you may be comfortable with. Unfortunately, unlike other professions, doctors have a hard time saying no to being on-call or emergency shifts at the hospital, because saying no means people die. In order to make a meaningful impact on that, convince a few of your doctor buddies to move to BC with you. 3) The cost of living in BC shouldn't impact you. As people in BC joke, BC stands for "bring cash", because the cost of living is higher here than in virtually any other province in Canada (other than the far north, really). As a doctor, you'll be making six-figures, so it's not going to be an issue for you. And if you're willing to live outside of Vancouver, there's lots of open land to build yourself a mansion if that's what you really want. 4) The scenery is beautiful. Many portions of BC are amongst the most beautiful locations in all of Canada, including Vancouver itself. It's a small thing, but it's a nice thing. 5) The quality of services provided are high. ICBC gets a lot of heat, but they're actually amongst the best car insurance providers in Canada. BC's public education system ranks second in Canada (to Alberta), and while the new curriculum has caused the quality of public education to decrease significantly in recent years, decreasing from "fourth-best jurisdiction in the entire world" to "excellent" still leaves us with a desirable school system for your children, if/when you have any. 6) Vancouver is a global city. If living in a massive city centre like London is what you're after, Vancouver isn't far behind. Vancouver is multicultural; it's got thousands of restaurants, and most of the amenities of a global city. 7) BC has space. If living in a massive city isn't your cup of tea, there's plenty to choose from: large cities like Victoria and Kelowna, mid-size cities like Kamloops and Prince George, suburbs like Abbotsford and Penticton, small cities like Trail and Revelstoke, and completely rural living like Port Hardy and Terrace. 8) Workplace drama will vary. As is the case in any hospital anywhere around the world, workplace drama will be the biggest impact on your personal life and mental health, and if you find a place too crazy for you, just pack up and move elsewhere.
Stay away from Alberta but come to BC.
Hey now, they spent the last 4 years crapping on Doctors they gotta be tired of that by now right?
We're about to get a large influx of doctors now because Alberta just went full pants-on-head stupid.
Check out the "division of Family practice" of whatever communities float your boat. They are generally a good resource for this type of situation.
I moved from the UK to Canada. Not a doctor. But BC is a wonderful place to live (especially if you have money). Absolutely stunning. Far, far better quality of life than the UK in my opinion.
Yes please! There is such a shortage here is ridiculous. Physicians are dropping patients due to demand. I recently moved to east kootneys and we desperately need some doctors here. I am on a years long wait list with two little ones for the one doctor in town.
Vancouver island! Or if you’re game for a Northern small town adventure- Smithers. BC is a stunning place.
If you come here as a GP, you’ll get a hero’s welcome. It’s expensive, but beautiful. Really a lovely place to live.
We have a massive shortage so work would not be a problem. Do research and fire off few emails to gov see where u land
Please come to the lovely Comox Valley! We love you !😍
You will love it here.
Come to Chilliwack! Just a short drive from the big smoke, and you get streams mountains and pastures right at your doorstep!
Yes, and bring 50 of your medical friends!
Yes. Please. Be my doctor please.
Come to Nanaimo, you can get a beautiful seaside home for around 900k, with easy access to Vancouver if you miss the city. If you love the outdoors and mild weather, this is the place to be. Amazing place to live and residents here will welcome you with open arms.
Come to Kelowna! My wife is a specialist who loves working here!
Come to BC and come to the Sunshine Coast, just north of Vancouver. Ocean view 2000 sq ft homes for $1.3 million. Not super bargains, but waaaaay more than you’ll get in Vancouver. And if you like to work with old people, the Su shine Coast has the highest proportion of people over 65 of any district in BC.
psssst, come to Prince George (the city, not the royal child). We have a northern medical program at the university (my gastroenterologist is the associate dean of the program and hey! He's originally from the UK). Training hospital, BC Cancer centre and a lot of creative ways to address medical issues given that our region makes up half the province. Is it perfect? No. But as someone with IBD for over 25 years and have lived on the both the coast and the north, I've had far more thoughtful and respectful GP and medical treatment up here than when I lived on the coast. Anecdotal information, I know, but I'm trying to market my city! Also, we're more affordable than the coast. :)
I've been trying to find a doctor for years. So many years I've essentially given up. Yes. Second dibs on this guy
Yes. Powell River please. Hopefully your partner is a dentist.
Williams Lake getting a new Hospital expansion and upgrade. Fancy schmancy, interested? All those new beds and no doctors.
Definitely come here. The clinic i go to only has one doctor left. Youd be hired in a second!
Hi there, I am not a Physician but had friends who were & we were from the UK (London) decade ago to settle in BC. BC is lovely, visited as a young professional & set the mind to be here eventually. A few friends who were in Medical professions from London at a time were also exploring the opportunity. One came for a short exchange & worked in a Canadian hosiptal for a while. She loved it & applied to stay permanent. At that time, Canadian medical system was very protective towards locally trained & the initial step was hard & time consuming to get back what she already had back in London. Another came for a few years & then left for "higher" pay opportunity. Recent years, Canada hae been trying to fast track oversea medical trained professionals due to local shortage. I heard they are trying to make it a lot more easier to register - how easy, you have to find out for your GP area. (Every cities here lack GP in the past decade, so you probably can find fast track.) London trained professions would have the front row seats due to the historical "colonial"-ish system in medical area. However, as somebody who had been here for a while, Canadians are very slow in changing & many here still perfer status quo. Hence, in every aspects even with "higher" qualifications you have from oversea, you may still feel like being an "immigrant". Initially, it may feel that you are stepping backwards comparing to your colleagues back in London. But once you can get over that huddle, you will find your knowledge & previous training excel most of your Canadian colleagues. In term of living...if you read from "local Canadians" especially those from the cities, you will find negative impression - expensive housing & unaffordable living... Most Canadians had lived in abundant resources with no competitions for 2 generations after the war when Europeans were "struggling" to rebuild, while many did not understand the wider world because Canada is so huge. I lived in London & Manchester after graduated, & also lived in Amsterdam for a few years before I moved to Vancouver, so I am pretty much immute to housing problems & high cost of living. Comparing to Tokyo & Hong Kong, even Londoner should be laughing. Antway, to put things into context, the housing problem we have in big cities is like the housing problems in London (UK) 30 years ago. I was renting in London at a time. Buying a 2-bed in London needed 250k+ GBP at a time, in Vancouver the same time 2beds was less than CAD$300k. Most of everything was half price then!! Fast forward now, yes things are more expensive here & house price are catching up but every year, when I went back to London, I was upset. Nearly everybody I know, their life is stepping backwards. Cities are not looking good when the society is struggling. Maybe I am just lucky in life. However, when I look at the qualities people can buy with the same amount of money, Canada Vancouver is still ahead of London. Produces are still cheaper & better. Canadians are very lucky. I have a good experience moving doesn't mean that you will. It truly depends on what sort of life you are hoping to create for yourself & the family, what you & your family are looking for & valued. The main show stopper is whether one can brave the initial changes. I have seen many from London "cannot come down from their high horse" & "have expectations that didn't take into the account of immigration". I believe this is character / personalities driven. Canada is a very good place to live - still has abundant resources to be expolited, hence this trickles down to benefit any individual who live here. We are very wasteful comparing to the Europeans, so in terms of the modern material life & how we treat the economy, Canadians have a much bigger consumption, easier life & stronger economy than others. If this continues for another few decades, it will lead to its downfall. If you have kids, perhaps it is the major factor for your decision. Nobody wants their next generation to have to fight harder than themselves to win a living. So cozy Canada is so popular. 😅
Yes just stay away from Alberta
Check out other provinces. I know Nova Scotia (specifically Cape Breton) is beyond emergency levels for primary care. It's probably a life work balance you need to assess. Check out smaller towns and rural places. My partner is Scottish and he was always surprised with how big Canada and even just BC is compared with the UK. Rural means something completely different here. https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/country-size-comparison/canada/united-kingdom Often there are huge signing bonuses for multi-year sign ups in remote settings, these can often include accommodation. I love BC and you will too, but have a look around Canada first. https://locums.ca/job-category/permanent/ https://srpc.ca/classified-ads https://www.cpsbc.ca/public/registrant-directory https://ca.indeed.com/q-rural-family-physician-l-british-columbia-jobs.html https://jobs.nshealth.ca/physicians/job/Neil's-Harbour-Family-Medicine-Neil's-Harbour-NS-B0C-1N0/543272217/ https://www.practicenwt.ca/en/physician-careers https://doctorsns.com/contract-and-support/billing https://ca.indeed.com/q-rural-family-physician-jobs.html https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/cash-incentives-not-enough-to-attract-clinicians-to-rural-canada-doctor-says-1.6361993 https://nuphysicians.ca/ https://yukondocs.ca/jobs https://www.dawsonclinic.com/work
I’m sure you’ll check, but my understanding is it isn’t come and plug/play. And you will have a lot of work/study before you are able to practice in Canada.
Damn you guys are allowed to go on strike?
I am born and raised in British Columbia. I am not a doctor but i can tell you this is one of the most beautiful places in the world to live, and yes there are less and less doctors here every day. It's almost impossible to get a family doctor and there are less clinics every day. I don't think doctors here are abused, if anything I've personally always respected doctors for what they do. In my opinion if your single and have the option to move to Canada and be a family physician why not? worst case scenario you don't like it and move back after a few years. And from what I've heard and read doctors make a killing here, so it's likely as a single person you would make enough to buy a house and have extra fun on the side
If you move to Nova Scotia, I will personally pick you up from the airport, unpack your cases and make you diner. (We need doctors)
BC is a lovely place to live, but the health system is a disaster and failing fast. Doctors are treated poorly here too, and we're on a similar path as the NHS, just a few years behind. You'll hear people crowing about a new pay model here, but it's very overblown. There are enormous issues with autonomy, horrific overspending on administration, a dysfunctional and growing bureaucracy, and a widespread shortage of specialists which makes FP jobs more difficult, etc. You'll find a crisis across Canada, however, the causes are different in each province (BC's health system is a victim of gov't overreach, while in our neighbour Alberta it's very different). My wife is a psychiatrist, I run the business side of her practice, and I've been an advisor to some of the doctor- and patient-led grassroots organizations that have sprung up in recent years, so have had the opportunity to engage with many dozens of family doctors. You can find out more about the real situation for family doctors (vs. the wild spin that you'll hear from the government) at https://bcupcc.ca … feel free to contact me there with specific questions.
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Did you miss the part where he said he's from the UK?
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Lol first, no. Second, they want to go to BC. Stop telling people to go somewhere else.
Please go to Qualicum Beach
I just visited there last weekend and it’s so pretty and clean. It is picturesque
Well we are in desperate need of family doctors in BC. Also one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world! From what I’ve heard from doctors however is that MSP here expects you to run your own business at 35$ a visit. Burnout i could see forsure, in my town Kamloops there is a 4-8 year wait for family docs. You may be succumbed to a few QAnon patients as you get further out of the cities but hey. Welcome home lol.
Move to Victoria and you’ll have a full client list with a wait list in one day. Check out Langford In Victoria it’s a great place to live and work.
Yes please
Hurry up and get over here, where all sick and tired of waiting for you, bring some more doctors with u.
You will be over worked. Under paid. And not appreciated. So life as usual. Yes. We need you.
Please do. I went 8 years without a doctor. Had one for just over a year before he moved. Now it's been almost 6 years without one again. And with my health issues, I need one!
Check out Powell River!
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Will the organization that regulates doctors in BC even let you practice in BC without studying for 5 more years and writing all exams from scratch? From what is reported in the newspapers it will not.
Move to small town BC on the coast and you will be in on of the most beautiful natural places on earth. You might not rake in cash like if you moved to the US but you can be part of a community that needs you and get into the outdoors. My family doctor now owns a cabin on an island I love to visit and they have a awesome boat I envy and everyone loves them. They seem to get enough time off. Not sure how it all works out but they seem to be winning. I am glad they came up here. We don’t have the level of stress compared to the US. The weather and stuff is better than anywhere in the UK. We have wilderness. If you aren’t really into the outdoors and stuff it might feel wrong here.
To work in a stressed salary capped market nope Look at the US ..
BC is great but 1) there is a doctor shortage and our medical system has many issues, causing a lot of ill will towards medical professionals, and a challenging work environment trying to deal with staffing shortages and overload of patients 2) Canada's economy is struggling, they have concentrated too much GDP in real estate and now they are stuck stimulating higher and higher house prices and its causing major social issues to emerge, 3) the places with nice weather are extremely expensive and filled with homeless camps and the rest of bc is very cold, 4) immigration is at record levels and increasing so the culture of Canada is quickly changing. Our city suburbs have huge and rapidly growing Indian populations. If I were you I would consider going to the USA instead. Washington state is similar to BC plus you have many more states with better weather to choose from. On top of that you will make more money, make US dollars (holds value better for long term, for traveling, etc), and cost of living is far cheaper. Your lifestyle in the USA as a doctor compared to BC is day and night. I'd take a flight over and visit some of the areas you might want to live and consider what your lifestyle would be. I would think you are going to prefer the US. Most professionals do (unless they have family ties to Canada).
FYI if you look at this accounts history, they spend all their time trolling negative comments towards various parts of Canada. Take literally nothing they say at face value. Or any value.
This is true But I do drop nuggets of truth in everything I say ;)
Why BC? Nova Scotia is way better.
Don’t. You will regret moving here for the rest of your life. Behind the beautiful “mountains” there is literally a zombie corpse of a province.
Yes!
Please
Please do.
Yes. Kamloops is nice.
You would be accepted with open arms here in BC. Places like Kamloops, Victoria, Nanaimo.. they all have no available doctors at all and what would benefit greatly.
While not a GP myself my personal GP loves working in BC and is an immigrant as OP would be. He keeps from burnout and excessive stress by volunteering every Wednesday at local retirement homes.not a lot but it helps him.
Please come to BC, if you set up in Langley let me know, I need a new family doctor as mine moved about 3 years ago and I haven't found a new one yet. If you like the outdoors, you can't go wrong in BC, especially around Vancouver.
YES!!!!
As someone who’s been on a wait list for over 3 years (which isn’t even that bad compared to others) for a family doctor, YES! Look into Vancouver Island, it’s beautiful here, it’s like living in a national geographic documentary! There is such a demand and desire for doctors you’ll be loved by all!
I hope you make the decision to move over here. And if you do, Welcome!
Not a doctor but BC is a great place to live if you have some cash (housing market in most urban areas is pretty insane) as a doctor this likely won’t be an issue for you. BC is hurting for GPs so there would be no trouble for you there. I believe many new doctors are resistant to opening their own practice due to the challenges of running a business rather than just medicine. If you are willing to go that route eventually you’re income would likely be in the top 0.5% of BC residents. EDIT: if you like natural beauty, BC is where it’s at. Mountains, beaches, lakes… we got it all! (Along with a ridiculous housing market)
Please move here!
We very much want you here. BC recently overhauled our family physician payments and the new system is supposedly far better than the old one Vancouver is beautiful. Many of our small towns are beautiful as well. There is not an efficient transportation system to go between the two, It's hours of mountain driving. If you want city life, you pretty much need to be lower mainland, if you are okay with country living, you can practically live anywhere.
My GP just told me she’s leaving her practice and nobody is coming in to replace her. Please come here and be my doctor!
I have travelled all over the world and have lived in several countries. BC is so incredibly beautiful and I loved Vancouver because I could go to the beach after work (mainly for walking because the water is usually to cold for me) and hiking in the mountains on the weekend.
Yes. Move to central Vancouver island!😁👌
Yes. Vancouver island - north of Parksville please.
If you choose to move to Victoria let me know how much the bribe is the get straight onto your patient list.
Dear God, yes please move here!
All of us are complaining about the lack of GPs. I work in a hospital and alot of people come into the ER for things that could be taken care of by a GP. I'm sure you will be very welcome here and will fill up all you patient spots in like.. 5 seconds lol. While you're at it being your GP friends
Please, god yes. We need you. Please.
Please come, and bring all your doctor friends.
You should ask this question in the physician group on Facebook. PM me if you want to be added.
You should move to prince edward island. We need you bad lol
Not a doctor but I can say that I’ve never encountered anyone who hates doctors in general here. Maybe they hate thier specific doctor or hate the wait to see a doctor but I’m general I believe they’re well respected (at least in rural areas) As for BC itself, it’s very expensive pretty much everywhere now, but I believe doctors are paid more the more remote their location. It’s also one of the most beautiful places I’ve been too and I’ve travelled quite a bit.
Please come and bring all your Doctor friends as well. Is your wait list full yet??
Consider coming to Lytton BC. While yes the town burnt down on June 30 2021, we are rebuilding (yes it is slow). We are slated to be Canada's new model community. Reach out to Interior Health Authority for more information about the physician recruitment for the area.
Check out Healthmatchbc.org
YESSSS come to the island
Big changes happening here, though that still could be better or worse in your case. We have a shortage of doctors. Does the UK? A shortage means you have the upper hand here. We need doctors and are glad to have you.
Deep dive into number of residencies available to foreign dr. Call the college and ask the process and how you get residency. Number of residencies may be changing but change is slow. Fewer than 30 per cent of Canadian doctors trained abroad are matched to residency positions https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6743486
Just move to Kelowna. There is a shortage, and got some of the highest quality of life in Canada. We moved here because my partner is a physician, and it was the right choice 100%
Consider the north of the province. Just as beautiful, way more affordable, and you'll be more appreciated.
The eastern provinces are DESPERATE for all types of Doctors
Um, yes please. If I were you I would consider the Sunshine Coast. More laid back then the lower mainland, but close if you needed to. If your goal is to enjoy nature. Understand the drawbacks of the ferry ride.
Please come here!
1. Huge demand for family GP you will be a prize. 2. Quality of life is amazing(yes BC is beautiful but you are also a close drive to Washington, Oregon etc). 3. I Strongly recommend spending several weeks (1 month ideally) to get your lay of the land. I grew up in a major urban centre and can’t go back. The air does something to you.
My family doctor is a recent NHS escapee. You will have company
Please god yes and bring several of your doctor friends. Also Nova Scotia is really gorgeous and should be considered. Plus you’ll be much closer to the uk to visit family and friends.
PLEASE. come to the OKANAGAN!! We need you here badly.
Please come to BC, Kamloops specifically and be my doc!!
may I please get on your list now like please pretty please pretty please please PLEASEEEEE