There is growing opposition to making family doctor training longer

The College of Family Physicians of Canada has been requested to halt its plans to extend the training period for family doctors from two years to three. Some medical students, family doctors, and provincial health ministers have expressed their opposition.
"Our class, the class of 2027, will be the first to be affected by this change in the length of residency," said Yash Verma, a first-year medical student at the University of Toronto.
"It seems like something that is beyond our control, and we have no power to change it."
He noted a recurring theme among his peers: "If this third year were to happen, they would likly decide not to become family doctors."
As Canada moves towards a three-year training program for family doctors, some are concerned that it may exacerbate the existing shortage of family doctors.
"One medical student mentioned that due to this additional third year, they didn't believe there was enough justification to choose family medicine over another residency program, such as internal medicine, which is five years," Verma stated.
"What we most want is to ensure that our patients are healthy. What concerns me about this extra year is that it may further widen the existing gap in the number of family doctors."
The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) revealed its proposed change to CBC News last month. Its interim CEO suggests that these changes are designed to prepare doctors for more complex cases.
However, the Canadian Federation of Medical Students states that they have not been consulted and do not support the longer training program.
Provincial health ministers also oppose the additional year, urging the college to consider "the potential challenges that a 36-month training program may pose for students, especially within the context of the current nationwide primary care crisis," according to a statement.

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