New Immigrant Health Professional’s Individual, Societal and Economic Impact of Ryerson University’s Internationally Trained Medical Doctors (ITMDs) Bridging Program: Results from a Pilot Bridge Training Program at the Chang School of Continuing Education

Authors

  • Shafi U. Bhuiyan Ryerson University[1], U of T [2]

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18741/jpcoe35

Keywords:

ITMDs Capacity building, non-licensed employment, social and economic Impact, New Immigrant health professional, Ontario

Abstract

Although Canada is home to a large number of internationally educated health professionals, their skills and experiences are grossly underutilized in the Canadian healthcare landscape. Barriers to medical practice are pervasive, and as a result the majority of internationally trained medical doctors (ITMDs) work in “survival” jobs significantly below their skill level. The pilot ITMD Bridging Program was developed to provide an alternative path for ITMDs by providing the skills and competencies required for non-licensed health sector employment, ultimately aiming to improve integration of ITMDs into the Canadian workforce. This secondary research evaluates the ITMD Bridging Program by assessing the impact of the program at both individual and societal levels.

Qualitative and quantitative data were used to evaluate the individual and societal impact of the program. Secondary data from participants’ entry and exit surveys, as well as key informant interviews conducted with ITMDs upon program completion were used for the analysis.  The economic impact of the program and its overall utility to the economy of Ontario were assessed through literature review and social rate of return analysis.

ITMDs program participants reported substantial improvements in skills related each of the core courses including health research methods, health informatics and data management, fundamentals of project management, as well as healthcare professionals communication and leadership skills.  ITMDs also perceived the program to be a viable option to address human potential waste, enhance the economy, develop individual capacity building, and alleviate frustrations associated with labour market exclusion.  The program is also economically viable at the societal level, and represents a rate of return of 6.52%.

The ITMD Bridging Program has demonstrated that providing non-licensed health sector employment is a viable option for policymakers to consider in their efforts to address the current brain waste in the Ontario healthcare sector. Bridging programs similar to the ITMD Bridging Program have the capacity to impact individual outcomes of ITMDs, the economic landscape in Ontario, and Canada at large. 

Author Biography

Shafi U. Bhuiyan, Ryerson University[1], U of T [2]

Dr. Shafi Bhuiyan is an Adjunct [former distinguished visiting scholar] Professor, School of Occupational and Public Health, and Co-founder /leader of the Internationally Trained Medical Doctors (ITMD) bridging program at the Chang School of Continuing Education, Ryerson University. Since 2012, he has also been a faculty member of global public health at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. In addition to his academic appointments, Shafi is an internationally-recognized leader on improving maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) and on the empowerment of women through MCH Handbook. Bhuiyan received his MD degree from the University of Dhaka, an MPH from Mahidol University in Thailand, a PhD in Global Human Sciences from Osaka University, in Japan and an MBA in global health management from TRSM Ryerson University, Canada. He is a founding board member of the International Committee on MCH Handbook at Osaka University, board treasurer & co-chair of the capacity building committee of the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research, and is actively associated with the Canadian partnership for women and children’s health. 

References

Bourgeault, IL, Neiterman, E., LeBrun, J., Viers, K., & Winkup, J. (2010). Brain gain, drain & waste: The experience of internationally educated health professionals in Canada. CIHR health Canada Chair in Health Human Resource Policy, University of Ottawa. Retrieved from http://www.threesource.ca/documents/February2011/brain_drain.pdf

Campbell-Page, RM., tepper, J., Klei, AG., Hodges, B., Alsuwaidan, M., Bayoumy, DH., & Cole, DC. (2013). Foreign-trained medical professionals: Wanted or not? A case study of Canada. Journal of Global Health, 3(2), 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3868812/pdf/jogh-03-020304.pdf

Chen, C., Smith, P., & Mustard, C. (2010). The prevalence of over-qualification and its association with health status among occupationally active new immigrants to Canada. Ethnicity & Health, 15, 601-619. doi:10.1080/13557858.2010.502591

Dean, J., & Wilson, K. (2009). ‘Education? It is irrelevant to my job now. It makes me very depressed...’: Exploring the health impacts of under/unemployment among highly skilled recent immigrants in Canada. Ethnicity & Health,14, 185-204. Doi:10.1080/13557850802227049

Emery, JCH., Crutcher, RA., Harrison, ACM., & Wright, H. (2006). Social rates of return to invest in skills assessment and residency training of international medical graduates in Alberta. Health Policy, 79, 165-174. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16412528

Islam, N. (2014). The dilemma of physician shortage and international recruitment in Canada. International Journal of Health Policy Management, 3(1), 29-32. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4075100/

Lofters, A., Slater, M., Thulien, N. (2013). The “brain drain”: Factors influencing physician migration to Canada. Health, 5(1), 125-137. Retrieved from www.scirp.org/journal/PaperDownload.aspx?paperID=26976

Lum, L. (2009). Accommodating learning styles in bridging education programs for internationally educated health professionals. Canadian Council on Learning. Retrived from http://en.copian.ca/library/research/ccl/accomodating_learning_styles/accomodating_learning_styles.pdf

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD]. (2003). Social internal rate of return. Glossary of Statistical terms. Retrieved from http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=5426

Rudenko, M. (2012). “Canadian experience” and other barriers to immigrants’ labour market integration: Qualitative evidence from newcomers from the former Soviet Union. Retrieved from Ryerson University Digital Commons. (Paper 1676).

Taghizadegan, S. (2013). The underutilization of international medical graduates in Ontario and Canada: A selective review of the existing literature on the experiences of international medical graduates in the context of Canadian health care policies. Retrieved from Ryerson University Digital Commons. (Paper 1726).

Thompson, G., & Cohl, K. (2011). IMG Selection: Independent review of access to postgraduate programs by international medical graduates in Ontario 2011. Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/ministry/publications/reports/thomson/thomson.aspx

Downloads

Published

2018-04-23

Issue

Vol. 3: The Final Issue

Section

Articles (Short)

License

Copyright (c) 2018 Shafi U. Bhuiyan

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license applies to all works published by the Journal of Professional, Continuing, and Online Education (JPCOE). Authors will retain copyright of the work.