The ultimate guide to locum tenens jobs in Canada

Taking a locum tenens job in Canada will give you the chance to explore the world’s second-largest country. But you’ll also be providing much-needed support to understaffed physicians and underserved patients in Canada’s national health system, which ranks in the lower half of high-income countries and consistently struggles with access to care, including long wait times. Before you decide if locum tenens in Canada is right for you, here’s what you need to know.

The Canadian healthcare system  

Canada uses a universal healthcare system, which must “comply with the Canada Health Act’s five pillars: It must be universal, publicly administered, have comprehensive coverage, portable across provinces, and accessible to the population.” A high percentage of Canadians also buy private insurance or have employer-sponsored plans to help cover the costs of prescription drugs, dental care, eye care, rehabilitative services, and home healthcare.

The opportunity to practice medicine in a universal healthcare system is a motivator for many doctors. Dr. Suneel Dhand shared his locums experience in an interview with KevinMD.com. “I got tired of hearing American doctors blasting the Canadian system, and others championing it, while neither had any idea of what they were talking about,” he says.

Why Canada needs locum tenens physicians

In Canada, roughly 15% – 17% of adults do not have access to a regular primary care provider, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. This creates opportunities in both urban and rural settings

Some rural assignments may give you the opportunity to serve indigenous and other underserved populations, where the physician shortage is especially acute. In the Northwest Territories, roughly 40% of residents lack access to a regular healthcare provider, underscoring the severity of the shortage. Locums are one way the Canadian healthcare system tries to fill these needs.

Assignment details for locum tenens in Canada

Registration requirements will vary by province. GMS will walk you through the specific requirements for your assignment location and help streamline the process as much as possible.

As we continue to see a need for physician recruitment in Canada, some provinces are updating their registration requirements to make it easier for U.S. physicians.

This usually leads to longer timeframes to gain registration.

“We are seeing some provinces amend their registration requirements to allow specifically USs.-trained physicians to be granted registration through faster pathways. We have seen this with Manitoba, where a U.S. board-certified physician who meets eligibility requirements can now apply for full licensure, which does not require supervision.” 

Locum tenens assignments in Canada typically range from six to 12 months, with the possibility of extension based on facility needs. Shorter-term opportunities may also be available; check with your recruiter for current openings. Global Medical Staffing will assist with licensing, registration, and immigration to make the process as smooth as possible.

What does locum tenens in Canada look like?

Pay for locum tenens physicians in Canada varies by assignment, location, and specialty, and is generally competitive within the Canadian market. In many cases, housing, travel, and transportation costs are covered under your contract. Contact your recruiter for specifics on compensation for your situation.

Additionally, because of Canada's universal healthcare system, doctors spend much less time on paperwork than in the U.S., which is why some doctors have chosen to relocate there. One example is Dr. Emily Queenan, who was interviewed for an NPR story. The family doctor, who now practices in rural Ontario, grew up and did her residency in the U.S. After years of frustrating battles with insurance companies, she moved her practice to Canada.

Emergency medicine in Canada ensures that patients receive necessary treatment quickly, and they also receive the necessary preventive care, explains Dr. Steven F. Gordon, a Canadian doctor on Doximity. However, there may be a waitlist for certain procedures, such as joint replacement. Also, doctors don’t practice defensive medicine, so procedures like MRIs are approved only when truly necessary.

Explore Canada's great outdoors

Canada is primarily an English-speaking country, and its people are generally described as nice and easy to work with. The cost of living in Canada is typically the same or lower than in the U.S. Additionally, many locums contracts include housing and transportation, which can help offset higher living expenses.

Standout attractions

The Great Bear Rainforest. “Stretching for more than 250 miles along the coast of British Columbia, the 21-million-acre wilderness is sometimes called the Amazon of the North,” reports National Geographic. “The vast, sodden land encompasses 1,000-year-old cedars, waterfalls spouting off the sides of moss-covered mountains, granite-dark waters, and glacier-cut fjords where you' may encounter coastal gray wolves, grizzly bears, Sitka deer, cougars, mountain goats, orca, salmon, sea lions, sea otters, humpback whales, and its most celebrated resident, the rare, cream-colored Kermode bear, or spirit bear, considered sacred by the T'simshian people.”

Banff

Banff National Park. Banff boasts world-class rock climbing, numerous hiking trails, biking trails, and lakes for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Enjoy the spectacular beauty of mountains, lakes, and valleys on a scenic drive or helicopter flight. In winter, you can cross-country ski, ice skate, snowshoe, go dogsledding, and more.

Whistler. Whether you love winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, or summer sports like golf, hiking, and mountain biking, this is the place to do it, with miles of trails and numerous ski runs for all skill levels.

Old Quebec. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is an intact, fortified city. UNESCO explains that it was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century and says, “It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, together with the numerous bastions, gates and defensive works. The Upper Town, built on the cliff, has remained the religious and administrative centre, with its churches, convents, and other monuments like the Dauphine Redoubt, the Citadel, and Château Frontenac.”

Old Montreal. Check out the Basilique Notre-Dame, great food, shopping, cobblestone streets from 1672, the oldest public market in Montreal, museums, and more.

Victoria, Canada

Victoria. Victoria is a Victorian-era city. “Few Canadian cities have done such a beautiful job of developing their waterfront area as Victoria and its Inner Harbour,” says Planetware. “This is a great place for strolling, relaxing, shopping, dining, and watching street performers all against the backdrop of the harbor.”

Polar Bears of Churchill, Manitoba. People flock to this town to see polar bears and the Northern Lights. The best time to go is in October and November, “when the bears begin their move from their summer habitat on the tundra back to seal-hunting territory—the pack ice that forms every winter over Hudson Bay,” according to Everything Churchill.

Polar bear in Manitoba

Plan your locums adventure

Taking a locum tenens assignment in Canada provides an opportunity to expand your clinical experience while experiencing our neighboring country to the north in ways only a local (or locums) can.

Interested in learning more about locum tenens in Canada? Give us a call at 844.917.4663 or view today's physician job opportunities in Canada.