Nova Scotia Meeting with Doctors Abroad

Staff from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration, Nova Scotia Health Authority and Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons are heading back to the United Kingdom (U.K.) this week to continue efforts to recruit more doctors to the province.

“Recruiting doctors to the province helps more Nova Scotians access important health-care services,” said Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab. “I am very pleased that since launching the Physician Immigration Stream last February, 25 doctors have been recruited to live and work in Nova Scotia.”

The 20 family doctors and five specialists are working, or will be working, in communities across the province. Five of those doctors, from the U.K., recently started practising in Dartmouth, accepting thousands of patients from the wait list.

Also joining the upcoming recruitment mission will be Dr. Jeremy Hillyard, medical site lead for St. Martha's Regional Hospital in Antigonish and Keri McAdoo, deputy registrar, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia.

Representatives will meet one-on-one in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh with doctors over several days to discuss immigration and employment options.

“We are really excited about the high level of interest shown from international doctors,” said Dr. Hillyard. “I’m looking forward to meeting with these candidates one-on-one. It can be daunting to consider a new job and country, I hope the one-on-one meetings and sharing my personal experience can help with that. Being able to offer a streamlined immigration path is key to attraction.”

More information on the Office of Immigration can be found at, http://novascotiaimmigration.com .