British Columbia says more internationally trained health professionals are being licensed to work in the province, while additional training spaces are being created for people entering health-care careers here at home.

“We are leading the country in attracting health-care professionals and it’s making a difference in the lives of British Columbians and our public health-care system,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Health.

“This has helped us connect one million people to a primary care provider since 2018, and we are making progress by matching 4,000 people a week to a family doctor and nurse practitioner.”

According to Kahlon, more than 1,200 internationally trained doctors received B.C. licences last year. As of July, more than 6,000 internationally trained doctors were licensed in the province. The Ministry says more than 4,400 internationally educated nurses have received full or provisional licences since 2023.

The province is also expanding training at public post-secondary schools. Since 2019, it says it has added more than 765 nursing and midwifery training seats, along with more than 360 seats in allied health professions.

Meanwhile, 48 students have started classes at the new medical school at Simon Fraser University. Its first graduates are expected in 2029, after which they will continue their training through residency.

The Ministry says more than 17,000 doctors were licensed to practise in B.C. at the end of August, while nearly 78,000 nurses were licensed at the beginning of September.

The province also says it has connected one million people to a primary care provider since 2018 and is currently matching about 4,000 people a week with a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

Those figures are province-wide. The Ministry’s release does not say how many of the newly licensed professionals are working in the Campbell River or Comox Valley areas.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.