International mobility of health professionals and health workforce management in Canada: myths and realities
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Health Organization, case study
This health working paper, authored by Jean-Christophe Dumont, Pascal Zurn, Jody Church and Christine Le Thi, examines the role played by immigrant health workers in the Canadian health workforce and the interactions between migration policies and education and health workforce management policies.
A large percentage of doctors and nurses working in Canada are foreign born, contributing to filling gaps in under-served rural areas. The profile of the health workforce in Canada has been shaped by a recent emphasis on increased investment and retention efforts, and a facilitation of the licensure of medical professionals trained abroad.