The determinants of the migration decisions of immigrant and non-immigrant physicians in Canada

The determinants of the migration decisions of immigrant and non-immigrant physicians in Canada James Ted McDonald University of New Brunswick Christopher Worswick Carleton University Abstract: In this paper, we use data from the confidential master files of the Canadian Census over the years 1991-2006 to study the geographic mobility of immigrant and non-immigrant physicians who are already resid [...] We exploit the fact that it is possible to link individuals within families in the Census files in order to investigate the impact on the migration decision of the characteristics of a married physician’s spouse. [...] While the percentage of the population living in rural areas fell from 29.2% in 1991 to 22.2% in 1996, the percentage 3 of physicians practicing in rural areas fell from 14.9% to 9.8% over the same period. [...] The extent to which particular health regions and provinces are able to retain their physicians is crucial if shortages in the delivery of physician and surgeon services in both the short and longer terms are to be avoided. [...] Bennaroch and Grant (2004) estimate that the average annual departure of GPs from Saskatchewan is approximately equal to two thirds of the graduating medical school class at the University of Saskatchewan; while the gross inflow of physicians to BC approaches the number of medical school graduates in that province each year.