Statement on Residents’ Open Letter

Most of these residents are homegrown New Brunswick doctors. We have doctors who want to stay, we have tens of thousands of New Brunswickers who need them, the only problem is the bureaucratic government limits on the numbers of doctors who can practice here. When we need doctors more than ever, and our reputation for how the province treats doctors growing nationwide, this government limit is the last thing we need. As New Brunswickers know, recruiting doctors is difficult – and it can be even harder to keep doctors who are new to our province here for their entire career. Doctors from our own communities are much more likely to stay close to home in New Brunswick, which means better access for patients over the long-term.

We support the residents’ right to advocate. These residents are frustrated by the government’s approach to their recruitment – it certainly isn’t a welcoming environment for them. They are looking to take care of some of the same patients they treat today as learners, and get asked all the time if they will stay in New Brunswick. Many are deciding right now whether or not to stay here or move and the timing is critical for the government to convince them to set up a practice here.

Robert Desjardins, MD FRCPC
President, New Brunswick Medical Society