Doctors Without Residency

Doctors Without Residency

| 9 min

This short documentary highlights how discrimination prevents foreign-trained doctors from practising in Canada – even after they've received their Canadian qualifications. Interviews with medical professionals and human rights advocates illustrate how systemic racism plays a role.

This film is part of the Work For All series, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, with the participation of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

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Doctors Without Residency, Tetchena Bellange, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

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Credits
  • writer
    Tetchena Bellange
  • director
    Tetchena Bellange
  • line producer
    Marie-France Côté
    Aisling Chin-Yee
  • producer
    Kat Baulu
  • advisor, programming
    Michèle Bélanger
  • director of photography
    Stefan Verna
  • editor
    Babalou Hamelin
  • executive producer
    Ravida Din
  • participation
    Comlan Amouzou
    Réjean Hébert
    Fo Niemi
    Yves Robert
  • sound recording
    Daniel Masse
  • music
    Alain Auger
  • sound design
    Don Ayer
  • narration
    Tetchena Bellange
  • voice recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • mix
    Luc Léger
  • online editor
    Denis Pilon
  • titles
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • production coordinator
    Camila Blos
    Christine Williams
    Stefanie Brantner
  • program administrator
    Stephanie Brown
  • marketing
    Susan Nosov
    Sophie Thouin
  • publicist
    Pat Dillon
  • social media manager
    Matthieu Stréliski
    Matthew Forsythe
  • technical supervisor
    Brigitte Sénéchal
    Steve Hallé
  • digital editing supervisor
    Danielle Raymond
  • digital editing technician
    Pierre Dupont
    Isabelle Painchaud
    Martine Forget
  • consultant
    Michael Wees
  • intern
    Jean-Frédérick Bédard
  • associate producer trainee
    Shiraz Janjua
  • translation
    Robert Paquin
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  • dkbzns

    This is retarded. The more that Canada needs doctors.. to replace its current backward thinking dinosaurs. One sign that those so called "better" doctors needs to be replaced - they have no foresight. They added new students but did not add teachers? WTH was that? Of course, more teachers means more budget for salaries and benefits, more supplies needed, more classrooms, more lab materials, etc. They want to spend maybe 10 - 100x more than what it takes to train a foreign graduate doctor. That is absurd, these canadian doctors need to be replaced for crippling the canadian health system. Do you know that doctors of a third world country are better doctors because they have practiced and mastered their so called "clinical eye". They dont need additional tests, or lab works to diagnose. They just use them to confirm and document. Think about it, a 1st world and 3rd world doctor exchange places and practices, who would have an easier time? And who would be seen crying his way home? A good analogy would be, If ou were to drive a 1960's model manual transmission car, no power steering or windows etc, and then you drive the newest MB, or BMW in what car would you have an easier time in?

    dkbzns, 31 Mar 2012
  • Chapula

    This documentary brings once again to the forefront a problem that has been with the Quebec medical"Establishment" for years,it was not addressed 40 years ago and will not be as long as this "discrimination" continues.Please Please all Quebecers who do not have a family doctor are saying,just give us a doctor,we will gladly explain our problems at greater lengths if we have to so that we are understood by these doctors who have received their training elsewhere but let them "in".we need them.

    Chapula, 16 Feb 2012
  • hany53

    are you still reviewing my comment ?!!!!!... give those doctors a fair chance to express themselves, Did they came by themselves or the Canadian Government is the one inviting them to immigrate? Were they were wrong when they thought that they are leaving their underdeveloped countries to live the dream of liberal democracy and human rights ?.. please be fair to them

    hany53, 9 Sep 2010
  • hany53

    Canadian health system, office of immigration what is your expalanation to this real story. An IMG Obs & gyn specialist landed 2007, passed EE, QE1, QE2, fluent english, evaluated by Centre for the Evaluation of Health Professionals Educated Abroad (CEHPEA) and scored Practice ready level. The result is an interview once since one year ago 2009, the result of interview is: Sorry we did not take any one. Until now Sept. 2010 she got nothing. Although immigration authorities still announcing that Canada need Doctors to immigrate?..What is that, a scam to drain respected doctors from their money and damage their families for a fake dream. What do you need more from that doctor who passed all what your blind system to do. that doctor manage to find a Canadian company who are ready to sponsor her to get a temporary license. That requires an assessment for three months in any university, but they are rejecting her, why? why all your doors are closed? is it personal benefits of some doctors who want the system and its benefits closed on them regardless of the immigration office who is calling in everywhere in the world that canada needs doctors.. In same time the universities rejecting the IMG who came to be Canadian citizens, they are hugging all doctors in all specialities coming from Gulf region and after graduation they are not going to serve Canada.. Hey waiting for your reply that one talking non sense in the film.. sorry for being hot but any I am canadian and angry for the bad reputation of Canada

    hany53, 8 Sep 2010
  • whisker

    I wish to comment on the fact that many foreign Dr.s are not granted priviledges to practice medicine in Canada - many have specialities that they have been practicing in & are not even allowed to work as a G.P. in Canada - I feel that the overworked & understaffed medical system in Canada has been granted a gift of these physicians wanting to practice in Canada. If they have passed the qualifications they should be given a special program to assess their clinical applications. It grieves me to see a foreign trained physician working as a care aide in a nursing home. It is time the College of Physicians & Surgeons across Canada reconsider their biast regulations .M. Degelman

    whisker, 26 May 2010

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