Making Digby, Nova Scotia Home
When healthcare workers arrive in Digby, the salt air, small-town kindness, and ocean views feel both comforting and unfamiliar. Like many internationally trained healthcare professionals, their journey to practising medicine in Nova Scotia was long, marked by rigorous qualifications, adaptation, and resilience.
Across Canada, thousands of skilled doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals have chosen to make communities like Digby their home. Their expertise keeps hospitals open, clinics running, and families cared for, especially in rural areas that have long faced physician shortages.
Why Canada Needs Healthcare Professionals From Around the World
Canada’s healthcare system simply can’t meet demand through domestic training alone.
According to the Canadian Medical Association, Canada graduates only 7.5 new doctors per 100,000 people, one of the lowest rates among developed countries.
With a national shortfall of over 22,000 family physicians, rural and small-town communities depend on doctors from away to fill vital roles.
In fact, one in four healthcare workers in Canada, including nearly one-third of family doctors, were trained internationally.
In Nova Scotia, 32% of new doctors recruited in 2024 came from outside the country.
These professionals bring global experience, cultural insight, and a deep commitment to patient care, all crucial to keeping emergency rooms, long-term care facilities, and family practices open.
The Journey to Practise Medicine in Nova Scotia
Becoming a doctor in Nova Scotia isn’t easy, even for those with years of international experience. Physicians must have:
- A recognized medical degree from an accredited international university.
- Proof of English proficiency and successful completion of national qualifying exams.
- Clinical assessments to demonstrate medical knowledge and patient care standards.
- A supervised practice period under the direction of Nova Scotia Health.
Through the Nova Scotia Practice Ready Assessment Program (NSPRAP) and other bridging pathways, international physicians receive mentorship, training, and support to meet provincial licensing requirements and transition into community practice. These programs ensure that every doctor working in Nova Scotia meets the same high standards of care while giving communities the healthcare they urgently need.
Why Belonging Matters
Research shows that patients do better when cared for by diverse healthcare teams. They communicate more effectively, problem-solve more creatively, and build trust across cultural lines.
But belonging goes both ways. When healthcare professionals feel respected, supported, and at home in their community, they stay longer and that stability improves health outcomes for everyone.
Sources
- Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Groundbreaking new report reveals Canada can’t train enough doctors and other health professionals. (2025).
→ https://www.cma.ca/about-us/what-we-do/press-room/ground-breaking-new-report-reveals-canada-cant-train-enough-doctors-and-other-health-professionals
Supports: National shortage of doctors (7.5 new doctors per 100,000), 22,000+ family physician gap, and low graduation rate compared to OECD average. - Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Why are there doctors in Canada who don’t practise medicine? (2024).
→ https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real/why-are-there-doctors-canada-who-dont-practice-medicine
Supports: One-third of physicians in Canada are foreign-trained; explains IMG licensing barriers and residency competition (10% of spots). - Statistics Canada. Internationally educated health professionals in Canada’s health workforce. (2023).
Supports: 25% of healthcare workers in Canada — including 31% of family doctors — are internationally trained. - Nova Scotia Health. Nova Scotia recruits 253 new doctors, net gain of 187. (2025).
→ https://www.nshealth.ca/news-and-notices/nova-scotia-recruits-253-new-doctors-net-gain-187
Supports: 32% of doctors recruited to Nova Scotia in 2024–2025 were internationally trained. - Government of Canada – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Immigration Matters: Growing Canada’s Future (Health Edition). (2024).
→ https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/immigration-matters/growing-canada-future/health.html
Supports: Economic and community importance of immigrant healthcare professionals, particularly in rural and small-town Canada. - Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Why diversity in health care is important. (2023).
→ https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real/why-diversity-health-care-important
Supports: Patients do better when cared for by diverse healthcare teams; improved communication, innovation, and patient trust. - Statistics Canada. Discrimination at Work in Canada. (2024).
→ https://www150.statcan.gc.ca
Supports: 41% of workers report workplace discrimination, including within healthcare. - Nova Scotia Practice Ready Assessment Program (NSPRAP). Information for International Medical Graduates. (Nova Scotia Health, 2024).
→ https://physicians.novascotia.ca/practice-ready-assessment-program
Supports: Details on bridging and assessment programs for internationally trained doctors in Nova Scotia.