Quebec wants to force new doctors to work in public system after graduating
Training a physician costs Quebec taxpayers between $435,000 and $790,000, Health Ministry says
Quebec’s health minister plans to introduce a bill requiring new family doctors and medical specialists trained in the province to work in the public healthcare system for the initial years of their careers.
Health Minister Christian Dubé expressed concern in a statement, saying, “too many doctors decide, as soon as their careers begin, to leave Quebec’s public system.” He added, “We will take steps to ensure that the population has access to the care for which it pays.”
The specifics, including how many years these doctors would be mandated to serve in the public system and whether they would need to work exclusively there, remain unclear. When asked in an interview with Radio-Canada's Tout un Matin, Dubé refrained from offering details, saying it was essential to let the legislative process proceed. “Just know that the objective behind this, like other measures we’ve put forth in the last two years, is to strengthen the public system,” he said.
According to the Health Ministry, 775 of Quebec's 22,479 physicians work exclusively in the private sector—a 70 percent increase since 2020, particularly among newer doctors. Dubé noted, “That may not seem huge, but those could be the doctors we’re missing to give people appointments within 36 hours.” He also pointed out that taxpayers invest between $435,000 and $790,000 to train each physician.
Earlier this month, Radio-Canada reported on a possible proposal to assign family doctors to more vulnerable patients by reallocating them from healthier individuals. Dubé clarified that the idea was not yet under consideration but faced criticism from opposition parties.
Québec Solidaire Response: Good Idea, But Not Enough
On Monday, Quebec’s College of Physicians called for an “immediate suspension” on expanding private healthcare and released a set of principles on the matter. Meanwhile, the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ), representing the province’s medical specialists, withheld comments on Dubé’s plan until the bill is released. However, the FMSQ emphasized the need for proper resources in the public system to retain specialists, saying, “The best way to keep medical specialists in the public health system is to give them the tools to provide care.” They also suggested applying the same obligations to other health professionals migrating to the private sector.
Médecins québécois pour le régime public (MQRP), a group advocating for the public healthcare system, welcomed Dubé’s acknowledgment of the issue, noting that the shift of physicians to the private sector adversely impacts access to public care.
Opposition party Québec Solidaire (QS) said Dubé’s plan doesn’t go far enough, arguing it won’t bring back the 800 doctors who have already moved to private practice. “It won’t bring back the 800 physicians that already left the public sector,” said QS MNA and health critic Vincent Marissal.
