So babe, Ontario is literally in its flop era when it comes to doctors, and honestly? It’s giving “my appointment wait time is longer than my last situationship.” Like, according to this super dramatic new Ontario Medical Association (OMA) survey — which I swear read like a breakup note — more than HALF of Ontario doctors are thinking about retiring in the next five years.
Like… hello?? That’s 51% of specialists and 52% of family docs basically being like, “yeah girl, I’m tired.”
And the OMA is out there ringing the alarm bells like it’s a Starbucks mobile-order crisis. The dad of family medicine in Kingston, was like, “when the foundation is crumbling, the whole system is in trouble,” which honestly sounds like something I would say about my contour mid–humidity. But he’s right! Because the drama is happening at BOTH ends — aging doctors peacing out, and new doctors being like, “family medicine? Maybe… but like, can it be cute?”
Because listen: 42% of medical students say they’re into family medicine, BUT only HALF of those say they actually want to do full, cradle-to-grave primary care. The rest want to do leadership roles, niche practices, or research — which is adorable but does not help Karen book her yearly physical.
Meanwhile, Ontario is trying to glow-up the whole system. The province is dropping $2.1 billion to create team-based clinics with pharmacists, dietitians, nurses — basically the Sephora of healthcare — so doctors don’t burn out faster than a cheap scented candle.
They’re also opening new med schools, adding more residency positions, and starting a new pay model next April so family doctors aren’t drowning in paperwork for free. The OMA is like, “okay, yes queen, hope is real,” but even it’s like… we made this mess over YEARS, so let’s not pretend we can fix it with one vibes-only rebrand.
And girl… Premier Doug Ford promising everyone a family doctor by 2029? Bold of him! Especially when two million Ontarians didn’t have one earlier this year, according to the Auditor-General. Like bestie, be serious.
Even students are conflicted. The Ontario Medical Students Association said it’s “very promising” that 40%-ish of students love family medicine… but also like: half of those probably won’t do the actual primary care that literally everyone needs.
So yeah. Ontario’s doctor pipeline right now?
It’s giving… “we need a miracle, a spreadsheet, and probably a group chat.”
XOXO,
Valley Girl News
Where… do I book a doctor when all the doctors wanna retire before my next refill?
