How to find the Best Medical Clinic to Practice as a GP in Canada
Practice Opportunities Across Canada
March – the Month of Spring
Why GP’s love practicing Medicine in Canada
Featured Opportunity
Canada Medical Careers is pleased to represent this very professional medical clinic in the city of Maple Ridge which is one of the most family-friendly places to live in British Columbia. We are recruiting a full-time general practitioner who will serve a patient profile comprised of families and seniors.
Maple Ridge is proud of its stunning natural setting which is why the city is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts with activities ranging from high-energy escapades to pleasant strolls in nature.
Maple Ridge is located in what is known as the Fraser Valley, or the "food basket of BC". In Maple Ridge and the nearby communities, you will see fields of corn, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and much more. Organic food stands can be found along the roadside.
In Maple Ridge, there is a demand for a permanent family doctors by more than 80,000 residents. You will be appreciated and busy!
Among the activities you can enjoy with your family are the City fitness centre, numerous indoor and outdoor pools, ice rink for skating, indoor bike park, and climbing wall.
Nearby is an equestrian centre, the Fraser River for salmon fishing, golfing, skiing, snow sports, and the well-known Golden Ears Provincial Park.
Excellent schools will be found in Maple Ridge. There are 22 elementary schools and 6 high schools, all with excellent teachers. Private schools are also nearby. Maple Ride is equidistant between the University of the Fraser Valley and Simon Fraser University.
An amazing experience for a general practitioner and family awaits in Maple Ridge. Contact [email protected] for more information and to view a video of the clinic.
How to find the Best Medical Clinic to Practice as a GP in Canada
How to find the Best Medical Clinic to Practice as a GP in Canada
by John Livingstone, Senior Physician Recruiter
First, across Canada, we do not use the term "surgery", but rather "clinic" to describe where patients go to see a general practitioner or family doctor. There are four key factors to consider when a GP chooses a clinic to practice medicine:
Compensation: In most of Canada, general practitioners are paid on a Fee-for-Service basis which means you are paid for each patient you see, not on a salary basis.
GP's we have placed like this method of compensation because there is essentially no maximum to your earnings. Basic salary or blended compensation never works out as well.
Location: In a major city, you should be able to see many patients, especially if the clinic is in a high-traffic area with plenty of parking. Without patients you won’t make a good income.
Overhead Contribution: Overhead contribution is an amount you pay the clinic for using their space, the staff, computers, and medical supplies. The contribution is a percentage of your gross billings to the government for treating patients. The percentage is in the range of 15 – 35% with a typical amount being 25-30%
The percentage charged is usually a reflection of the clinic. It is the old story of "You get what you pay for!" Technically, anyone in Canada can own a clinic and enter into an agreement with a physician to provide medical treatments. So, if an accountant opened a medical clinic, she could hire her sister as a receptionist to operate the clinic. Costs are lower so the overhead percentage might be 20%. Sounds better than 30%! However, a physician might find such a clinic has a poor reputation, is not very clean, is in a poor location, has random opening hours, poor billing practices, minimal medical supplies, all of which can result in low earnings for a physician.
Usually, the lower the overhead percentage, the lower your earnings will be. Unhappiness follow.
Term of your agreement: Once you choose a clinic, ask for a longer-term contract. The optimal term is three years. Good clinics want continuity of care for their patients and a good relationship with their physicians. Good clinics are ready to support you on a daily basis and right through to your permanent residency. If you just want to practice for a year or so, then clinic owners know your patients are not going to benefit from a long-term relationship and that it is not worthwhile to support you professionally and financially. Changing practices can involve liability insurance complications, licensing complexities and lower earnings. It is always best to take a long-term perspective.
At Canada Medical Careers we only recruit physicians for first-class clinics where you will be supported and respected. We want you to grow professionally, earn the respect of your peers, and open up new opportunities. Don't hurt your future by choosing a clinic with a low overhead percentage and short-term contract.
Practice Opportunities across Canada
Beautiful Victoria, British Columbia
It is rare that such a great recruiting opportunity for a GP to practice medicine in Victoria is received by Canada Medical Careers!
This is a turn-key practice with approximately 1,500 mostly elderly and complex patients. You can make a difference here! You can earn up to $500,000 CDN which is equivalent to £225,000.
The clinic was new in 2016 and recently underwent a major expansion in 2020 yielding 17 exam rooms. The clinic is centrally located and adjacent to the Victoria General Hospital. There are three partners who are committed to excellent medicine, and they are seeking someone that shares their values.
This is a major teaching clinic with four of the physicians holding clinical faculty positions at the University of British Columbia.
Clinic hours are strictly 8am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday and you can run your clinic anytime during these hours.
There may be an opportunity for the successful applicant to be trained in and practice some side cosmetic Botox or fillers, if that is of interest.
No home or hospital visits. Excellent support personnel including a registered nurse and social worker.
Victoria is probably Canada's prettiest city and is located on Vancouver Island. The name may be misleading as it is an island with a land mass of 31,000 sq. km. For comparison, Wales is 20,000 sq. km. and Scotland is 77,000 sq. km. The population of Vancouver Island is 800,000 residents. Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia and is about as British as can be in Canada. British pubs, tea shoppes, Irish linen shoppes, horse-drawn carriage rides, double-decker buses, and plenty of fish and chip restaurants!
This position will fill quickly! Contact [email protected] for more information.
Vancouver, British Columbia – You should be very compassionate and have experience working with people that are disadvantaged. There is a mix of family and single patients, young and elderly and some with addiction issues as well. The clinic is beautiful inside and collaboration with other GP's and a psychiatrist is excellent. Above average earnings.
Toronto, Ontario – We have numerous openings for GP's throughout the Greater Toronto Area. You do not need to write the MCCQE1 before you begin practicing in Ontario. You can practice in downtown Toronto or in the suburbs like Mississauga, Brampton and North York. Very supportive clinic owners!
Regina, Saskatchewan – In the aptly named "Queen City" our client owns the largest and oldest clinic in the province. Open 365 days a year and long hours, you have your choice of when to see patients. Income can be very high, and the cost of living is low compared to other cities in Canada. You can easily own a nice 3 – 5- bedroom home for the price of a one-bedroom flat in Toronto.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Simple licensing process, but must write MCCQE1 exam first. This attractive new clinic is owned by a GP who will be very supportive. Each physician will have his own office and two exam rooms. This is an excellent opportunity to earn a higher-than-average income.
Edmonton, Alberta – Amazing opportunity for a fully-licensed Canadian GP. Current GP is earning more than £310,000. Arabic language skills a plus. Patient panel is largely hard-working, lower income immigrant families needing medical care.
Fraser Valley, British Columbia – Located approximately 45 minutes east of Vancouver, there are numerous cities and smaller communities that have very modern clinics. These locations are in Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission and towns in between. Urdu, Hindi, or Punjabi languages are an asset, but not necessary. The owner is from the UK and will help with your transition.
Spring has arrived and in Canada it may be one of the most wonderful times of the year. Already blossoms are in bloom on the Japanese cherry trees that line our streets. Daffodils are surfacing everywhere.
The return of daylight savings time where we will all have an extra hour of daylight to enjoy. This occurs on March 22 in the northern hemisphere.
Did you know that on this day the sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west?
The fun starts on March 17 with St. Patrick's Day which in Canada will be celebrated for the first time since Covid. We are all excited!
Spending time in nature is an activity enjoyed by all Canadians. We get back to hiking the thousands of trails in Canada. On the coasts and lakes and rivers we are back to fishing, kayaking, sailing, paddleboarding, and scuba diving.
Why GP’s love practicing medicine in Canada
The TOP 7 observations made by general practitioners, especially those from the UK, after practicing in Canada for some time:
the minimal admin work compared to the UK
the availability of two or three exam rooms for each physician
the stability of working 8 hours a day, five days a week
doctors in Canada are respected for their care
much better income
no home visits
more time to spend with their families
And their greatest regret – not making the move to Canada sooner!
Trouble Completing Your PhysiciansApply.ca Account?
As recruiters, we discovered that many physicians have difficulty supplying their information this online service. A simple error, like not scanning all four corners of a document can cause rejection. Which documents do you have notarized? How do you submit your documents?
We have created an explanatory video that is yours FREE, just by asking. Contact [email protected] to receive your link!
If you are serious about practicing medicine in Canada the first thing you should do is open an account with PhysiciansApply.ca. It is an online portal operated under the auspices of the Medical Council of Canada (similar to the GMC in the UK). Every doctor coming to Canada must have an account. This is where your credentials must be verified. These credentials include your passport, medical degrees and more. Every province and territory of Canada has a regulatory authority to handle physician licensing and these authorities (Colleges) will need to access your PhysiciansApply.ca account before you can be licensed in Canada.
Don’t wait! Some documents can be verified quickly, and others may take some time, especially if you attended medical school in a country that is slow to respond to inquiries from Canada.
If you are an IMG, licensing in Canada as a physician simply does not happen without a PhysiciansApply.ca account.
MRCGP and Family Practice Exams in Canada
The College of Family Physicians of Canada is the recognized licensing authority for family physicians in Canada. Those physicians coming from the UK, Ireland, Australia, or the USA will usually not have to write the examination required to practice as a General Practitioner in Canada. Verification of your MRCGP, MICGP, FRACGP, FACRRM, or DABFM will be required. For more information on this certification visit CFPC.ca and check out the Education and Professional Development section. Members in good standing will use the CCFP certification.
We like questions!
It’s likely that you will have questions along your journey to practicing in Canada. Don’t hesitate to contact John Livingstone at:[email protected]
