Free doctor training

Canada has a major problem where we do not have enough doctors. My understanding of this is that it costs more than 100K to train to be a doctor, and this is way out of reach for most people.
The solution then is simple, make Doctor education courses free. Let the government pay all those bills. In 7 years the doctor crisis will be over.

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rogy33 · New

I love that idea!
I've briefly lived in Italy. Up to this year (2025) students had to pass a general knowledge quiz before starting Medicine and medical science courses, with questions that didn't have anything to do with Medicine (such as history and literature).
Now the Italian government has scrapped this test because of scarcity of doctors and nurses. They introduced the "student culling" after the first year of Medicine.
But... forget student loans, maintenance loans and free fees if you want to study there. In Italy students pay for everything. There are bursaries of course, but that's all...

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

If it were that simple there would be no of shortage medical personell in Norway where such education is free. The state pays all tuition costs and you just have to pay your own living expenses, cheap loans for that are available from the state.

But we still have shortages of both doctors and nurses.

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

@ninalanyon Absolutely. And in Canada we need to worry about competing with insane American doctor salaries.

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

Or make training for immigrant medical professionals free. Many already have 90% of the requirements and just need additional courses but are stuck trying to pay for them on minimum wage.

FreddieUK · 70-79, M

Will the Canadian tax payer be willing to do this? Genuine question as in the UK the NHS has similar issues.

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SomeMichGuy · M

@FreddieUK Well, my praying for discernment did not work here...

FreddieUK · 70-79, M

@SomeMichGuy Sometimes a nation just goes astray for a while and has to pay the price. Those of us who believe we see more clearly get caught up in the consequences. We live with Brexit here and cope. It's now a historical lesson which I hope we will learn from but not continue to fight over.

SomeMichGuy · M

@FreddieUK From your lips...

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

Pay incentives for rural doctors would also help.

Unless you are a miner nobody wants to be in Thompson,MB

BridgeOvertroubledWaters · 61-69, M

Canada are bringing in so many refugees, they should make sure that some of them trained doctors

chrisCA · M

@BridgeOvertroubledWaters Some are medical professionals but some end up driving cabs.

BridgeOvertroubledWaters · 61-69, M

@chrisCA like happens to imigrants anywhere

rogy33 · New

@chrisCA Oh, so it doesn't happen only here in the UK...

SomeMichGuy · M

Make it a sliding scale:

pay all/most for "best" candidates, down to nothing for anyone with an undergrad GPA < B.

Do similarly for teachers.

SomeMichGuy · M

...and, if they don't complete it, they have to pay it all back.

And if they only work n < N_{desired} years, then they should have to pay back

(N_{desired} - n)/N_{desired}

or

1 - (n/N_{desired})

of the cost.

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