Alberta doctors sound alarm over low number of grads seeking residency in province – CBC
Highest number of family medicine spots vacant in a decade after first-round resident match
Mar 28, 2023
The number of medical residencies in Alberta that went unfilled has grown during the last decade, especially in family medicine, data from the Canadian Resident Matching Service shows.
Numbers released last week show that 12 per cent of Alberta’s post-graduate training spots for doctors went unfilled this year after a first round of matching.
It’s the highest first-round vacancy rate in a decade, which the president of the Alberta Medical Association said is alarming news for the supply of future doctors.
“To me, that just screams we’re failing,” AMA president Dr. Fred Rinaldi said in an interview. “People aren’t interested in staying or coming to Alberta.”
Alberta’s health minister and medical school deans tried to quell those concerns, saying there is still time for doctors in training to fill the vacant positions.
