Photo: The Canadian Press/HO-Canadian Medical Association Dr. Katharine Smart, former president of the Canadian Medical Association, calls for a national licensing pathway for doctors. As Canadian health care systems buckle under the weight of physician shortages, the past president of the Canadian Medical Association is calling for a national licensing pathway for doctors — and some provinces are on board. The current system, in which each province has its own licensing system, is confusing and bureaucratically cumbersome, particularly for doctors trained outside Canada, said Dr. Katharine Smart in a recent interview. A national medical license could provide a single, streamlined process for verifying the credentials of internationally trained doctors, he said. “Having (all) provinces certifying every university or every country independently doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Smart said. “It would make sense to do it once, for the country.” Foreign-trained doctors arrive in the country hoping to practice but are often stymied by the confusing and expensive licensing process, he said. Some eventually leave for countries where it’s easier to start working, he said, adding, “A lot of people never get to enter the system and actually practice medicine.” The issue of burdensome licensing for doctors trained outside the country has recently come to a head in many provinces. Last month, Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones asked the province’s regulatory colleges to develop plans to faster register internationally educated doctors and nurses. read more Do you have an opinion? Send it to [email protected] Sep 15, 2022 – 8237 votes Should the province do more to keep emergency rooms open 24-7 across BC? Yes: 7798 No: 257 Uncertain: 182 Sep 14, 2022 – 6895 votes Should cities get Big Pharma settlement money to deal with the opioid crisis? Yes: 4486 No: 1865 Uncertain: 544 September 13, 2022 – 8125 votesIs the federal government doing enough to help Canadians? Yes: 2050 No: 5539 Uncertain: 536 Sep 12, 2022 – 9390 votes Should the province force municipalities to provide more housing? Yes: 4341 No: 4201 Uncertain: 848 September 10, 2022 – 14221 votes Should Canada remain a constitutional monarchy or become a democracy? Constitutional Monarchy: 6316 Democracy: 6416 Uncertain: 1489