Debt Assistance Plan Announced for New Medical Graduates

A plan to attract new doctors to communities in need across Nova Scotia was announced today by Health Minister Jamie Muir. The new plan starts this year and offers new medical graduates debt assistance in exchange for setting up a full-time practice in under-serviced communities.

"Recruiting and retaining doctors for rural communities is a challenge, not just in Nova Scotia, but right across the country," the minister said. "In Nova Scotia, we need to respond to this, and to other challenges in the health care system, without driving up costs that are already escalating faster than taxpayers can afford.

"We need to find innovative, creative ways to provide access to health services at a cost taxpayers can afford and sustain. That's what we're doing here."

The plan offers $15,000 per year -- to a maximum of $45,000 for three years -- to new family practice doctors or designated specialists prepared to establish a medical practice in an under-serviced community. The plan will be offered to five new graduates per year. The graduates must be from medical schools in Atlantic Canada or Nova Scotia residents graduating from other Canadian medical schools.

The debt assistance plan is in addition to the ongoing physician recruitment efforts at the department. It is part of government's commitment to recruit and retain doctors in rural Nova Scotia.

The minister of health is bringing information on the new plan to New Brunswick this weekend, where the fourth annual Maritime Job Fair for residents in the Family Practice Program is taking place.

Communities can be eligible for this plan in several ways, such as having no doctor on-site nor any in a neighbouring community.

"Communities must be part of the recruitment process," said the minister. "They will meet with potential doctors for their area, share information about the community and its need and then come to a mutual decision for going forward."

Last year, 48 physicians were recruited to Nova Scotia. Ten new physicians have been recruited so far this year, with six setting up practice this month.

The Department of Health plans to continue to work in co- operation with the Medical Society of Nova Scotia on any future efforts to retain and recruit physicians.

The Department of Health announced last February a bursary program for nurses to help off-set some of costs of their education.