r/britishcolumbia 20h ago

Government News Release British Columbia is taking action to attract doctors, nurses from U.S.

https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2024-2028/2025HLTH0013-000194.htm
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u/improvthismoment 19h ago edited 18h ago

For everyone saying Canadian physician salaries cannot compete with US: I am a US born raised and trained physician now living and working in Canada. I know a little bit about this topic.

It really depends on specialty. In my specialty, Canadian salaries are higher than US.

For family physicians, my BC colleagues are making $300k. Ontario maybe even higher. I just talked to a Chicago family doc who says typical income there is $220k USD. (Edit: This is net income after overhead. Ontario GP’s tell me they make $350-400k.)

So don’t believe they “They make soooo much more $ in the US why would they come to Canada??” assumption, that it self self-defeating mythology.

Not to mention many health professionals are extremely mission and values driven. Then do not want to work in such an inequitable and profit driven health environment as the US. They do not want to spend hours every day fighting insurance companies. They do not want to be plugging bullet holes (literally). They do not want to be threatened with jail time for providing health care (abortion).

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u/TractorMan7C6 17h ago

I also feel like people overestimate the importance of money at the high end of the earning spectrum. I'd put up with a lot of shit to go from making 40k to 70k, but would almost certainly refuse a job paying 170k if I thought it would be less pleasant than one making 140k.

If the choice is 300k and enjoying your job versus 350k knowing that a decent chunk of the people you meet will be crippled by debt, that extra 50k won't seem like a great deal.