FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Ontario Physician Recruitment Alliance (OPRA) is deeply concerned about the Government of Ontario’s new eligibility policy for international medical graduates (IMGs) applying to the 2026 R-1 CaRMS residency match. Beginning in 2026, IMGs must have completed two years of Ontario high school to be eligible for designated IMG residency positions in the first iteration of the match. Those [...]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2025 - Niagara Falls, ON A Made-In-Ontario Solution to the Doctor Shortage Unlike any other province in Canada, Ontario does not have a centralized recruitment strategy, leaving communities competing against each other, spending millions in municipal funds on individual efforts. The Ontario Physician Recruitment Alliance (OPRA) today released A Structural Solution to Ontario’s Primary [...]
Know Your Rights and Responsibilities: A Guide for International Physicians in Clinic PartnershipsWorking Together: Fostering Positive Clinic PartnershipsAcross Canada, clinics often partner with pharmacies, landlords, or third-party operators to bring much-needed healthcare services to local communities. Many of these clinics offer shared infrastructure, administrative support, or low-cost space to help physicians establish practices—particularly in areas with high patient need.When structured [...]
June 5, 2025 A Step Forward in Physician Licensing. Now Let’s Take the Next One Today’s announcement by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) is a major step forward for healthcare access in this province. The new expedited licensure pathway for physicians trained in the United States means that many Canadian medical graduates who completed their residency [...]
A Day in the Life of a Community Physician Recruiter: More Than Just Filling Jobs Most people think physician recruitment is just posting a job and waiting for applications to roll in. The truth? It’s a strategic, high-stakes, relationship-driven role that touches healthcare, immigration, licensing, real estate, economic development, and lives. Here’s what one day might look like for a [...]
The ROI of Physician Recruitment: Why It’s More Than Just Filling a VacancyPhysician recruitment is often treated as a temporary solution to a staffing shortage. But in reality, it’s one of the most powerful economic development tools a community can invest in—especially in Ontario.A single physician doesn’t just treat patients. They generate local jobs, stabilize communities, and support millions in [...]
Left to Right: Melanie Goulet (NEOPRA Chair), Zoe Brenner (NWOPRA co-chair), Jeff Remington (OPRA Physician Lead), Jill Croteau (SOPRA and OPRA Chair), Adam Hambly (EOPRA Vice Chair), Melanie Delion (COPRA Chair and OPRA Vice Chair) Stephan Smit (NWOPRA co-chair) Andrea Loewen (OPRA Director of Advocacy), and Owen Doerksen (NWOPRA co-chair). On Teams - David Gravelle (COPRA) and Brad Van den [...]
Ontario Takes a Bold Step to Address Primary Care Gaps Today, Minister of Health Sylvia Jones announced a $1.8 billion investment in primary care improvements. This funding provides a critical step toward addressing the healthcare needs of Ontarians and expanding access to family physicians. "We are excited about the energy behind this initiative," said Jill Croteau, Chair of the Ontario [...]
severe physician shortage, which they say has led to a crisis in rural medicine. This issue is particularly acute in small and rural communities, where emergency departments frequently face closures due to the lack of doctors. The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) hosted an online discussion with its president, Dr. Dominik Nowak, and two northern physicians, Dr. Sarah Giles and [...]
The job of recruiting family doctors starts by understanding where the gaps in primary care services are. To identify the areas where the people do not have access to a family doctor or other primary care provider, the OPRA team requests data from the Ministry of Health, which is compared to the 2023 census data. With this information, it [...]
