The political scenario in the United States is having an effect on healthcare, as physicians, in particular, appear to be experiencing a form of “medical migration,” searching for opportunities and stability elsewhere. Canada, in particular, appears to be benefitting from this trend, as certain provinces, like New Brunswick, are aggressively trying to attract doctors from south of the border, which is fueled by an increasing number of American physicians seeking to leave the U.S. for political and social reasons.
A Personal Decision: One Doctor’s Journey Home
Dr. Sophia Halassy, an obstetrician-gynecologist, has just taken up a new post at Dr. Georges L. Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick. This is, for Halassy, her husband, and their two young daughters, the end of a decade spent in the United States. While Halassy always wanted to move back to her home province of New Brunswick, she mentions the pronounced shift to the political right in the US as the reason.
The Roe v. Wade Reversal: A Point of Change
As it happened for Halassy, the 2022 Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade, which removed the constitutional right to abortion within the United States, was life-altering. She remarked, “That was in 2022, and I know the time exactly because I just had my daughter. And I think at that point it was very scary,” highlighting her fears regarding women’s reproductive rights in the United States. This was a significant factor in deciding to move for her.
Pregnancy and Reproductive Rights: A Greater Scope of Worry
Aside from Halassy’s reproductive rights concerns, there lie much broader topics. To Halassy, the Trump administration’s attempts to correct what they called a liberal hijacking of ‘medical sciences’ adds to the worrying factors. It is reported that the purges of healthcare personnel, medical technologists, and researchers have caused angsty discontent among the medical practitioners, resulting in a hostile environment. The policy amounts spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of health and human services, are largely considered anti-intellectual and harmful to the health of the public.
The Exodus: Lapse in Spending and Movement Upwards
Cuts to spending on critical healthcare services such as Medicaid, CDC, and NIH are also fueling the emigration of physicians from the United States. The pressure on the healthcare system coupled with a lack of regard for scientific authority is forcing physicians like Halassy to seek more stable and congenial systems, frequently leading them to return to Canada.
Canada’s Gain: Provinces Scramble to Recruit
Underserved regions in Canada, especially New Brunswick, seem to be trying to take advantage of the advertised shortage of medical services. The Department of Health in New Brunswick has verified its recruitment campaign into the U.S., focusing on specialist clinics that are difficult to staff.
The Need for More Positions: An Understaffed System
As of March 1, 2025, New Brunswick is experiencing a significant shortage of physicians, with a projected 389 full-time equivalent vacancies, including 192 in family medicine and 197 in other specialties. Although there are two vacant posts in obstetrics and gynecology, Halassy claims this is a serious underestimate of demand. She points out the struggle she had securing a position, despite her considerable experience.
Red Tape and Roadblocks: Barriers to Entry
Halassy’s experience accentuates the difficulties encountered by even seasoned practitioners trying to work in Canada. She offers an example of needing to promote herself, saying, “Like a billboard of what I can provide,” which is very different from her experience in the U.S., where hospitals seem to actively market themselves to physicians. She argues that there is too much red tape and that more positions need to be carved out in order to retain competent doctors.
A Call for Streamlining: Removing Barriers to Licensure
Some policies are set in place and there’s little to no special consideration given, such as to the foreign-trained physicians who are highlighted by Dr. Stan Kutcher, Nova Scotia senator and professor emeritus at Dalhousie University. He emphasizes the fact that Canada loves to quote unquote ‘make things as complicated as we can’ far too freely. He advocates for distinct routes meant to fast-track the licensure and immigration processes for physicians with significant specialties.
A Matter of Values: Prioritizing Care for All
For Halassy, the rationale for returning to Canada included an underlying difference of values. “There’s no better place than Canada” to practice medicine, she exclaims, highlighting the lack of the “moral dilemmas” like in the U.S., where she had to turn away patients who had no insurance. She describes, “In Canada, everybody gets the care that they need,” underlining a major pull factor for practicing medicine in this country.
A Brain Drain with Broad Implications
The socioeconomic factors, like politics and social life, have led to a movement of physicians from the U.S. to Canada. This epic shift brings into concern a considerable “brain drain” for both nations. While Canada welcomes the growth of skilled healthcare workers, the U.S. has to deal with the more worrying issue of what is causing these doctors to leave. The future consequences on the healthcare structures, systems, and services of both countries are unclear.
