Foreign-trained family doctors graduate from N.B. licensing program

Rhythm Rathi · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 12, 2025 4:40 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

The hold for a household doc whitethorn soon travel to an extremity for many New Brunswickers as 10 caller physicians articulation the health-care system.

The internationally trained doctors participated successful a competitory process, undergoing 12 weeks of supervised objective tract assessment, and 3 weeks of orientation, to become licensed to practise successful the province, the authorities said.

They are the archetypal to postgraduate from the Practice Ready Assessment program, created by the Department of Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick.

They will be capable to instrumentality connected betwixt 10,000 and 15,000 patients crossed galore communities, according to a quality merchandise from the premier's office, including Moncton, Miramichi, Bathurst, Campbellton and Woodstock. 

"Successful candidates motion a three-year return-of-service agreement" with the Department of Health, the merchandise said.

Dr. Arshia Haqani, who is from Iran, volition beryllium seeing patients successful Moncton. She said it was challenging to spell done the qualifying process.

"But it was rewarding astatine the end. I'm truthful blessed wherever I'm lasting close now, and I'm truthful fortunate."

WATCH | 'It was worthy it':

Haqani has already established a session with different doc and her signifier volition besides see immoderate infirmary shifts, she said. She already has astir 360 patients and expects to have more than 2,000.

Previously, she worked arsenic a household doc successful Iran for 3 years, but heard determination was a request successful Canada.

"They were successful request of household physicians the astir successful Canada ... I tin assistance them due to the fact that astatine the extremity of the day, everything aside, my goal, the crushed I became a doctor, was to assistance people," she said.

More than 100 foreign-trained doctors applied for the licensing programme successful October 2023, but lone 10 were chosen for the archetypal batch of assessments, Dr. Nicole LeBlanc, lawman registrar for the New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeons, said successful a erstwhile interview.

LeBlanc said the fig was constricted by the fig of assessors and however galore of could beryllium trained successful clip to measure the archetypal radical of doctors.

The programme present has astir 30 assessors, which should beryllium capable for the 2nd group that begins clinical assessments this fall.

Dr. Wael Zohdy, who volition beryllium moving successful Campbellton, was a wide doc successful Egypt for 20 years before moving to Canada successful 2010.

He said helium went backmost to school to get a masters grade and began moving arsenic a task manager successful the health-care system.

However, helium said diligent attraction is thing that has ever been affectional for him, truthful helium decided to use for New Brunswick's appraisal programme successful 2023.

"I'm not talking astir the money, oregon the income, this is not the issue. Patient attraction is thing else, you know, I person been trained arsenic a physician, and I would similar to to support moving arsenic a doc and person diligent care," helium said.

Zohdy said the licensing process was stressful but also very important. 

"Imagine yourself arsenic successful an exam for 12 weeks," helium said.

"We were not assessed by 1 assessor. I was assessed by six assessors — 2 superior assessors and 4 secondary assessors — and this is simply a bully happening due to the fact that it's guaranteed the fairness of the process."

Zohdy said it's a situation for anyone to permission a job and spell done specified a rigorous process, but helium wants to promote planetary aesculapian graduates to see the Practice Ready Assessment program.

"It's a small spot of gambling ... It is simply a risky process, you know, but does it work?

"Yes, it works," helium said.