Canadian Doctors Call for Removal of Licensing Barriers Between Provinces

The entrance to the emergency department at Peter Lougheed hospital is seen in Calgary, Alta., in August 2023. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

Staff shortages, long wait times, and burnout—these are the reasons doctors in Canada are calling for the toppling of barriers that hamper their ability to practise medicine across the country’s different provinces and territories.

Doctors must hold a separate licence for each jurisdiction, and “with few exceptions, practising in a different province or territory involves a burdensome application process and thousands of dollars in fees,” Canadian Medical Association (CMA) president Dr. Joss Reimer said in a press release on Feb. 24.