10/05/2026
BC is making it faster and easier for internationally educated doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to join the workforce. This includes streamlining credential recognition and reducing barriers.
For example, more than 1,200 internationally trained doctors were licensed to practise in BC in 2025, bringing the total number of internationally trained doctors licensed in BC to more than 6,000.
And more than 780 US-trained doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals have accepted jobs in BC’s public health-care system.
BC is also training more doctors here at home. In recent years, UBC’s medical school added 40 undergraduate seats, while BC’s new SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine welcomed its first 48 students this year. More than 160 new residency training positions are also being added by 2028.
Today, BC has the most doctors per capita in Canada, with 271 physicians for every 100,000 people.
This growing health-care workforce is helping people get connected to care. Since 2018, one million people have been connected to a primary care provider, and about 4,000 people are now being matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner every week.
By training more doctors here at home, recruiting health professionals from around the world and making it easier for qualified professionals to join BC’s workforce, we’re continuing to strengthen health care for people and communities across the province.