More American doctors are expressing an interest in moving to Saskatchewan or Canada. (ID 371426462 © Fizkes | Dreamstime.com)

By Teena Monteleone

Physician recruitment

American doctors ‘fed up’ with current administration drawn to Saskatchewan

Apr 23, 2025 | 6:00 AM

An American trained doctor who moved to Saskatchewan said the province’s campaign to recruit physicians from the United States couldn’t come at a better time considering the current political climate.

Dr. Ginger Ruddy, an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, grew up in Calgary but went to medical school in Houston, Texas and Seattle, Washington D.C. She worked there until 2017 when she decided to move back to Saskatchewan compelled, in part, because of ‘the damage being done by the current administration.’ Now, she said more of her American colleagues are following in her footsteps and seeking opportunities elsewhere, including The Great White North.

“I’m hearing from friends who have already taken their language testing,” Ruddy said. “Historically it was a lot harder to come north because most residencies were shorter in the States, so people would have to do additional years of residency training to get permission to practice here. That was a deterrent to many of my friends. But this change in the last year is massive in lowering the barriers to American physicians coming here.”

The Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency (SHRA) is launching a ‘Saskatchewan is calling’ campaign this spring in several states through digital advertisements highlighting the benefits of working in Saskatchewan. In the first four months of this year, the agency saw a 20 per cent increase in interest from the United States over the same time period last year. The SHRA said this new campaign will be an increased effort in recruiting all physician specialties with some focus on anesthesiology and emergency medicine.

“Saskatchewan offers a direct pathway to medical licensure for physicians who have American Board certification and have, or are eligible to obtain, a full license in the United States,” SHRA CEO Terri Strunk said. “I’m proud to say our province was one of the first in Canada to recognize a direct path for US-trained physicians, beginning in July 2024.”

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Dr. Ginger Ruddy is an American trained doctor who moved to Saskatchewan in 2017. (Submitted photo)

While Ruddy admits the inclement weather can be a deterrent to move north for some, it was a minor factor for her when she considered other barriers.

“The giant difference of course is they don’t have universal healthcare, so that impacts your practice in a lot of ways. You spend a lot of time documenting. A three-minute visit is still a four-page note because you have to document everything because of the high rate of lawsuits.”

She explained the electronic health record used in the United States is essentially built for insurers, not for patients or physicians.

“It’s all built around trying to demonstrate that you did the right thing, but everything it produces is long and dense and very difficult for patients to actually interact with. I think there’s an average of two to three hours more time per day that docs were using to document.”

She said doctors also spend a lot of time trying to convince insurance companies to cover the services they deem medically necessary for their patients. She worked with vulnerable populations in the United States and spent even more time trying to find somebody who would do the work without getting paid.

“They have Medicaid and Medicare, so those are programs that help the very poorest children, women who are pregnant, people who are disabled in one way or another, and people who are seniors. So, in some ways, the most vulnerable are protected,” Ruddy said. “But because of how low the poverty level is there, lots of people working full time at one or more jobs have nowhere near the money that you need to purchase health insurance. And they’re not entitled to it because they’re hourly workers or contracted workers instead of salaried workers.”

Ruddy said her southern colleagues are relieved to hear they aren’t going to be spending their time fighting with insurance companies if they choose to work in Canada. They’re also attracted to the idea of spending minutes, not hours, commuting to work. Personally, she enjoyed the fact that in Saskatchewan, patients are more likely to come to the doctor because they actually want advice or expertise.

“In the States, because of misinformation or weaknesses in the education system, there is more of a move toward a patient coming to the doctor with a request for something they’ve read about without regard for whether its medically safe or indicated. So, it’s been lovely in Canada to have someone say, ‘I’ve been online and read about this…can you tell me what you think’ as opposed to someone coming in saying ‘I read about this and this is what you’re going to do.’”

Ruddy said the physician groups she is a part of on social media involve people looking ‘pretty extensively’ around the world at places where they can practice with an American license. She has personal friends who would like their children to grow up in an environment where “there are no long guns in primary schools.” Others she said worry about the erosion of women’s rights and bodily autonomy. And there are other pieces to consider like the cost of post-secondary school. Ruddy mentioned an American friend of hers has a child headed to university where the cost will be tens of thousands of dollars more per year compared to the annual tuition in Canada.

“To me, the trade offs are unequivocally on the Canada side,” Ruddy said.

“It’s been absolutely the right spot for me.”

The SHRA said while its main focus is on working to match Saskatchewan and Canadian medical residents with opportunities in the province, recruiting internationally is an important supplement to their recruitment strategy. Over 50 per cent of physicians practicing in Saskatchewan are internationally trained.

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teena.monteleone@pattisonmedia.com