The Welcome Collaborative is designed to support physicians who have trained outside of Canada have been issued a Defined licence and are new to practising in Nova Scotia.
Physicians trained outside Canada have identified the need for a robust orientation program to support their integration into medical practice in the Canadian context.
The orientation program aims to address gaps in the onboarding experience of newly licensed physicians.
Orientation for physicians trained outside of Canada is provided by the Welcome Collaborative, which includes representatives from:
- College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia;
- Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS);
- Doctors Nova Scotia;
- Medavie Blue Cross;
- Nova Scotia Health;
- Canadian Medical Protective Association;
- Nova Scotia Prescription Monitoring Program
- Dalhousie Medicine Continuing Professional Development and Medical Education (CPDME).
The three-day orientation session covers topics such as:
- identifying, acknowledging, and overcoming barriers to practice in Nova Scotia;
- MSI billing;
- communication skills training, and
- settlement resources for physicians and their families.
As important as the teaching sessions, the Welcome Collaborative enables the College to hear directly the experiences, challenges, and concerns of physicians arriving in Nova Scotia. The Welcome Collaborative is committed to improvement and will shape its programming in response.
Orientation Session Agenda Highlights
The Welcome Collaborative physician orientation program covers three days of practical learning and discussion to help physicians trained outside of Canada to settle into their new medical practice.
The healthcare system is complex whether working in a hospital, collaborative clinic or sole practice setting. The program is designed to support newly arrived physicians to become familiar with the healthcare landscape and resources in Nova Scotia.
The curriculum for the orientation session is informed by the Welcome Collaborative’s Advisory Council, by contributing partner organizations and most importantly by physicians participants.
Agenda Overview
- Resources and supports for physicians trained outside of Canada
- People, culture and changing demographics of Nova Scotia
- Medication names, sick notes, and worker’s compensation
- Overview of the Office of Health Professionals Recruitment
- Overview of Nova Scotia Health
- Overview of Virtual Hallway
- College professional standards and guidelines
- Settlement resources for you and your family
- Physicians share their journeys into practice in Nova Scotia
- Patient care in Nova Scotia, including medical record keeping standards
- Nova Scotia Prescription Monitoring Program
- Overview of supervision
- College complaints process
- MSI (Medical Services Insurance) billing
- Doctors Nova Scotia services for physicians
- Communications skills workshop
- Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine overview
- Overview of funding models
- Overview of the Canadian Medical Protective Association
- Department of Health and Wellness overview of funding models for physician practice
“Invaluable and well organized. All presenters were approachable and engaging. Thank you!”
Physician ParticipantThe Welcome Collaborative strives to ensure that the agenda is well-structured and comprehensive. The orientation covers a range of topics important for physicians joining the healthcare system in Nova Scotia.
The orientation aims to provide valuable information, resources, and support to help physicians integrate into the local healthcare community effectively. The combination of presentations, workshops, and networking sessions offers a well-rounded and informative experience for the participants.
