An assessment of the barriers regarding international medical doctors' path to licensure in Ontario and the initiatives put forth to tackle these challenges

Upon arrival to Canada, International Medical Doctors (IDMs) must undergo a lengthy and complex process in becoming accredited in order to be able to practice in this country, IMDs have historically contributed substantially to the Canadian healthcare system and have great potential to tackle the current physician shortages in the provinces. However, although they have significant skills and experience and can be regarded as a fairly obvious resource to address the physician shortage, their potential remains underutilized. Therefore, this major research paper will focus on the province of Ontario to examine some of the barriers IMDs face in their path to re-entering their profession and outline and assess some of the initiatives and programs put forth to tackle some of these challenges faced by IMDs in this province.

An assessment of the barriers regarding international medical doctors' path to licensure in Ontario and the initiatives put forth to tackle these challenges

Upon arrival to Canada, International Medical Doctors (IDMs) must undergo a lengthy and complex process in becoming accredited in order to be able to practice in this country, IMDs have historically contributed substantially to the Canadian healthcare system and have great potential to tackle the current physician shortages in the provinces. However, although they have significant skills and experience and can be regarded as a fairly obvious resource to address the physician shortage, their potential remains underutilized. Therefore, this major research paper will focus on the province of Ontario to examine some of the barriers IMDs face in their path to re-entering their profession and outline and assess some of the initiatives and programs put forth to tackle some of these challenges faced by IMDs in this province.

An assessment of the barriers regarding international medical doctors' path to licensure in Ontario and the initiatives put forth to tackle these challenges

Upon arrival to Canada, International Medical Doctors (IDMs) must undergo a lengthy and complex process in becoming accredited in order to be able to practice in this country, IMDs have historically contributed substantially to the Canadian healthcare system and have great potential to tackle the current physician shortages in the provinces. However, although they have significant skills and experience and can be regarded as a fairly obvious resource to address the physician shortage, their potential remains underutilized. Therefore, this major research paper will focus on the province of Ontario to examine some of the barriers IMDs face in their path to re-entering their profession and outline and assess some of the initiatives and programs put forth to tackle some of these challenges faced by IMDs in this province.

An assessment of the barriers regarding international medical doctors' path to licensure in Ontario and the initiatives put forth to tackle these challenges

Upon arrival to Canada, International Medical Doctors (IDMs) must undergo a lengthy and complex process in becoming accredited in order to be able to practice in this country, IMDs have historically contributed substantially to the Canadian healthcare system and have great potential to tackle the current physician shortages in the provinces. However, although they have significant skills and experience and can be regarded as a fairly obvious resource to address the physician shortage, their potential remains underutilized. Therefore, this major research paper will focus on the province of Ontario to examine some of the barriers IMDs face in their path to re-entering their profession and outline and assess some of the initiatives and programs put forth to tackle some of these challenges faced by IMDs in this province.

International students and their accessibility to on-campus healthcare services

Background: There is limited information on international students’ experiences and access to the Canadian healthcare system at the University of Alberta. Objective: The main objective of this research project is to characterize the experiences of international students navigating on-campus healthcare resources at the University of Alberta from multiple perspectives (e.g., international students, healthcare providers, student advisors) and determine factors that influence it, including knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers. Methods: This exploratory, descriptive study employed a mixed-method approach to produce qualitative and quantitative data. Through snowball sampling, starting with targeted contacts from the International Student Centre (ISC), interviews were held using a semi-structured interview guide. Interview data was explored using thematic analysis. A 44-item survey was developed to measure the University of Alberta specific experiences including: help-seeking preferences, perceived cultural barriers, and attitudes towards using on-campus health resources. A descriptive analysis was used to characterize the data. Results: Results draw from nine interviews with international students, on-campus healthcare providers, and ISC advisors in addition to 59 survey responses from international students. The study determined three categories associated with international students: the Gatekeeper healthcare system, insurance imperatives, and the unique challenges with medications. Quantitative findings support the categories. For example, more than 50% of students were not knowledgeable about the Canadian healthcare system. Conclusions: Explaining the values and the structure of Canada’s healthcare system is a crucial step in ensuring international students’ access to healthcare services, as well as reconciling their expectations and realities of publicly funded healthcare of Canada. The University of Alberta should support initiatives that better help international students to explore the Canadian healthcare system. Support: University of Alberta Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI) and Social Sustainability Research Award.

It’s All in the Details

Cancer is estimated to affects around half of Canadian population in their lifetime. Often a fatal disease, it costs billions to Canadian healthcare system yearly. Cancer diagnosis, and subsequent prognosis and treatment, all require characterization of tumor cell morphology and genotype, which is conventionally done using invasive biopsy methods. However, less invasive modalities exist and include liquid biopsy – sampling of body fluids for cancer cells and cellular material. It is less invasive compared to majority of conventional practices and yields a variety of biomarkers for further laboratory analysis. Analytical techniques including aptamers – a synthetic analogue to antibodies with increased affinity to target, allow for robust analysis of molecular data. This article discusses directions of research and current applications of these innovations and implications to diagnosis in clinical practice.

The Potential Threat of The Sinaloa Cartel to Canada

Since the first police bust of fentanyl in Canada in 2013, fentanyl may have become a more powerful and deadly drug than ever before (Howlett & Woo, n.d.). The Canadian healthcare system is likely impacted, with the likelihood of the situation worsening because of COVID-19. One of the possible reasons for this could be Canada’s role as a consumer in the supply chain of fentanyl. Accessibility to fentanyl is becoming easier with online purchases and delivery services, such as Canada Post (Brownell, 2019; Howlett & Woo, n.d.). This threat may continue as long as there is financial motivation for drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa cartel to transport fentanyl across borders with the assistance of China. Additionally, the success could potentially incite the production of more man-made synthetic drugs. Hence, in order to minimize this potential risk to Canadian communities, the direct impact Canada is facing must be addressed first. APA Citation Tung, G. (2020). The potential threat of the Sinaloa cartel to Canada: production and transportation of fentanyl. The Journal of Intelligence, Conflict, and Warfare, 3(2), 46-53. https://journals.lib.sfu.ca/index.php/jicw/article/view/2373/1811.

Confronting Racism within the Canadian Healthcare System: Systemic Exclusion of First Nations from Quality and Consistent Care

The study is on racism against First Nation peoples in the Canadian healthcare system. The study design incorporates principles of grounded theory, participant and Indigenous (decolonizing) research. Four questions are addressed: (1) What is the root cause of racism against First Nation peoples in the healthcare system? (2) What factors perpetuate racisms existence? (3) What are the impacts of racism on First Nation health? (4) What needs to be done to eradicate racism and to create an equitable healthcare system that sufficiently represents the needs, interests and values of First Nation peoples?