The Eastern Ontario Physician Recruitment Alliance (EOPRA), Central Ontario Physician Recruitment Alliance (COPRA) and Northwestern Ontario Physician Recruitment Alliance (NWOPRA) are proud to participate in the 4th Annual CaSPR Repatriation Career Expo, taking place in Ireland on October 17–18, 2026.
Hosted by the Canadian Society of Physician Recruitment (CaSPR) and Atlantic Bridge, this year’s Expo has expanded to two days:
- October 17: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Dublin
- October 18: University of Limerick School of Medicine, Limerick
The event brings Canadian medical students studying in Ireland together with physician recruiters, healthcare organizations and communities from across Canada. More than 1,300 Canadian medical students are currently studying medicine in Ireland—an accomplished, motivated group of future physicians with a clear interest in returning home to practise.
Why repatriation matters
For many Canadian students studying internationally, the path home is not always straightforward. Learners must navigate residency matching, licensing requirements, elective opportunities and decisions about where they may ultimately build their professional and personal lives.
The Repatriation Career Expo creates an important early connection point. It gives students an opportunity to learn directly from community recruiters about Ontario’s regions, health system opportunities and the supports available as they plan their return to Canada.
For EOPRA, COPRA and NWOPRA, the Expo is not simply a recruitment event. It is an opportunity to begin building relationships well before a physician is ready to make a practice decision.
Building the pipeline early
Physician recruitment is most successful when it starts early and continues over time. Students who have meaningful exposure to a community—through an elective, observership, residency placement, mentor or recruiter relationship—are better able to see themselves building a career there.
At the Expo, representatives from the three alliances will speak with students about:
- Elective, observership and residency opportunities in Ontario
- Family medicine, rural and northern practice options
- Community-based and hospital practice settings
- Lifestyle, family and career considerations across Ontario’s regions
- The practical supports available to physicians considering a future move
Each region offers something different. From Eastern Ontario’s connected communities and academic health-system relationships, to Central Ontario’s diverse and growing communities, to Northwestern Ontario’s unique rural, remote and northern practice opportunities, there are meaningful career paths for physicians at every stage of their journey.
A shared commitment to bringing Canadians home
Canada’s physician shortage requires a long-term approach. Recruiting physicians who are already Canadian citizens or permanent residents and who have a personal connection to this country is an important part of that work.
These students are not an abstract future workforce. They are future family physicians, specialists, hospitalists and community leaders who are actively considering where they will complete training and establish their practices.
By meeting students early, listening to what they need and offering clear, honest information about the pathway ahead, Ontario’s physician recruitment alliances can help make the transition home more attainable.
EOPRA, COPRA and NWOPRA look forward to representing their communities in Dublin and Limerick this October—and to welcoming the next generation of Canadian physicians back to Ontario.
For more information about the 2026 CaSPR Repatriation Career Expo, visit CaSPR’s event page.
