Internationally trained health professionals are facing significant hurdles in obtaining accreditation to practice in Canada. For many, the journey of getting licensed is fraught with delays and bureaucratic challenges, leading to frustration and underemployment. This situation is exemplified by the experiences of Palwasha Anwari and Laurelle Temtching Maffo, both foreign-trained health workers striving to contribute their expertise to Canada’s healthcare system.
Palwasha Anwari, a doctor with 15 years of experience in public health in Afghanistan, found it surprisingly easier to find a job in Egypt than in Canada. After arriving in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 2022, she quickly realized that navigating the licensing process would be far more challenging than anticipated. Anwari's experience highlights a broader issue faced by many international health professionals who are eager to integrate into the Canadian workforce but encounter systemic obstacles.
The process for evaluating foreign credentials varies significantly across provinces. In Quebec, for instance, it takes approximately four months, which is nearly double the wait time compared to earlier assessments in 2023. To help mitigate this delay, Quebec has implemented the Service Intégration Travail Outaouais (SITO), a program designed to assist foreign-trained workers in gaining Canadian work experience while their credentials are being assessed for permanent positions.
Anwari was enrolled in a professional immersion program through SITO, which allowed her to work with the regional health authority. Currently, she is employed as an orderly at Hull Hospital. Despite holding a medical degree, Anwari expressed her discontent about not practicing medicine. She remarked, "At some point, I felt that I have no skills, no experience, no knowledge to contribute to Canada."
Laurelle Temtching Maffo, another foreign-trained nurse facing similar challenges, also secured a position as an orderly at Hull Hospital. Maffo received crucial assistance from a local resettlement services agency that charted a pathway for her to start working. Reflecting on her initial experience upon arriving in Canada, she stated, "I already knew that once I got here I wouldn't be able to practice as a nurse so I started the process there." Despite her success in finding employment, Maffo admitted, "While today I'm working in healthcare, I'm still not in the role that I chose."
Both women are emblematic of a larger trend among internationally trained health professionals who are often underutilized within Canada's healthcare system. Anwari pointed out the inefficiencies inherent in this situation, noting that many qualified individuals end up taking jobs outside their fields. "It's a waste of resources while they are here… they end up in Amazon as a packing person or an Uber driver," she emphasized.
In Ontario, reforms are underway to streamline the accreditation process for health professionals. The College of Nurses of Ontario announced plans to update criteria for education and work requirements by April 2024. A new "transition to practice" program is set to assist nurses with validated international education as they acclimate to Canadian responsibilities and patient safety standards.
Additionally, Ontario introduced the Practice Ready Ontario program in 2023, aiming to license 50 internationally trained doctors by the end of 2024. Since its launch in September 2022, this program has successfully integrated 296 foreign-trained workers into the Outaouais health system. While these initiatives represent progress, many remain skeptical about whether they will sufficiently address the systemic issues that hinder qualified professionals from fully contributing to Canada's healthcare landscape.
On a national level, the federal government has recognized the importance of this issue. In the 2024 budget, it committed $50 million over two years to simplify the recognition of foreign credentials specifically within the medical and residential construction fields.
As Canada grapples with an ongoing healthcare crisis exacerbated by staff shortages, it becomes increasingly critical for policymakers to recognize and harness the potential of internationally educated professionals. Anwari encapsulated this sentiment well when she stated, "Canada's healthcare system needs to be open to … internationally trained medical professionals."
