OMSA Lobby Day 2019: Solutions for Unmatched Medical Graduates

  • Posted on: 8 April 2019
  • By: OMSA Admin
Category: 

OMSA held its Annual Lobby Day today at Queen's Park where 60 medical students across Ontario met with Members of Provincial Parliament. Ontario medical students are alarmed by the increasing number of medical graduates who do not secure a residency spot to continue their required medical training, otherwise known as going 'unmatched'. This is the second straight year where Ontario medical students voted to advocate on this issue. Historically, 10 to 20 graduates in Canada were unmatched each year, but that number reached an all-time high in 2018 when 123 medical graduates, 53 in Ontario alone, went unmatched. While additional residency spots were created for unmatched candidates as a one-time measure last year as a result of advocacy by OMSA, the Faculties of Medicine, and other grassroots groups, a more sustainable solution is needed.

Medical students ask the Government of Ontario to create a physician workforce that meets Ontario’s needs, is transparent in its physician services planning to enable medical students' informed decision-making, and ensures an adequate number of residency spots for every Ontario medical graduate. This past weekend, medical students met with CMA President Dr. Gigi Osler and representatives from MOHLTC and the Council of Ontario's Faculty of Medicine to discuss and identify sustainable solutions to address the rise in unmatched medical graduates. We hope to continue working with health care stakeholders to address these issues. Improving the physician training process will help build a better healthcare system for all Ontarians.

Click here to read the full press release from OMSA.

For more information on OMSA’s advocacy efforts, please visit our Advocacy Priorities page or contact representation@omsa.ca.