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5/15/2012
If you're looking to recruit a doctor, some Ontario physicians may be "ripe for the picking".
Doctors in Ontario are upset because the provincial government is slashing hundreds of fees, and some physicians say they're looking elsewhere. That may represent an opportunity for recruiters in Alberta.
"A single event over a short period of time generally doesn't make a big difference," says David Kay, executive director of the Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan. "But if you've been thinking about it for a period of time and this is the straw that breaks the camel's back, it may be an opportunity for you to look at another Canadian province. And if you do, hopefully Alberta is top of mind."
Recruiting can be especially challenging in rural Alberta because as soon as you lose a doctor or two, it can have quite an impact.
"We saw that with Slave Lake, which had 15 physicians prior to the fire a year ago. A number of them left for a variety of reasons afterwards and they're now down to about seven physicians, and recruiting," adds Kay.
Kay says they'll be watching their recruiting website to see if there's a spike in interest from Ontario. (bd)
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