Adam Mouncef, student in medicine at McGill University in Montreal, sees a change in mentality that he has learned.
“Some people are starting to look elsewhere because of the ambiguity and uncertainty,” he explained. “They are now considering applying to other provinces or regions, despite their love and deep attachment to Quebec and their roots.”
This text is a translation ofa CTV News article.
Mr. Mouncef, who is also vice-president of government affairs for the Society of Medical Students of McGill University, says it is no longer just about choosing the right specialty or program, but also about policy and stability.
“Today, students are starting to be interested in the electoral cycle and the relationship between doctors and the government,” he said.
Quebec currently has the largest number of unoccupied family medicine residency positions – more than the rest of Canada combined – or 146 after the first round.
Family doctor Michael Kalin deplores that the tone of recent debates has negative repercussions.
“It’s due to years of hostility toward family medicine,” he said. “This has rubbed off on new graduates, who are afraid to enter a profession that has been under siege by the government for so long.”
The timing of this conflict is also far from ideal, since 22% of Quebec’s family doctors are currently over 60 and approaching retirement.
“I’m terrified because there’s no new blood coming into family medicine,” said Dr. Michael Kalin. “On the other hand, I’m terrified because I don’t even know if the government is considering family medicine in the future of primary care.”
Students agree that the political climate is difficult to ignore, leading some to question their future within the system.
“We worked so hard over the last few years to get here, and suddenly we no longer knew what our future would look like,” reported Rosalie Kègle, a medical student at the University of Sherbrooke. “We feel helpless not to be able to help our patients.”
She argues that if more is expected of family doctors, there should be increased support, including better access to specialists and resources.
Adam Mouncef adds that the issue goes beyond the simple question of numbers.
According to him, it is more about the quality of care.
“When a doctor trained in French or a French-speaking student leaves Quebec, this loss is difficult to compensate, because care provided in the patient’s language is irreplaceable,” he said.
From students to experienced doctors, everyone says that all they want is to have a say in helping to shape the system and protect access to care for the patients who depend on them.
