Kris Lane, the Welcome Collaborative’s Program Director, at the January session of the Welcome Collaborative.

Nova Scotia’s Welcome Collaborative met with great success in 2025 with a total of 90 physician participants. In 2026, the orientation program will be expanding as record numbers of internationally trained physicians continue to arrive in the province.

The Welcome Collaborative’s Program Director, Kris Lane, says the biggest highlight of 2025 was welcoming a record number of participants to Nova Scotia.

“We exceeded the expectations of our participant numbers from the projected 60 to 90, welcoming more and more physicians to the province, is a great position to be in,” says Lane.

Throughout its three years of operation, Lane says physician needs have shifted. Earlier cohorts arrived with broad settlement questions, everything from finding housing to navigating community life, but by late 2025, the conversations had evolved.

“We were getting down to very specific questions about practise, which is a really great thing to see,” says Lane. Physicians are now asking about more nuanced operational challenges. “It shows the feedback regarding broader settlement issues has been worked on both by the College and by partner organizations,” Lane added.

To meet growing demand, the program has added a fifth session for 2026 and expanded virtual learning options.

The program staff has expanded to include a learning and development lead, while a partnership with Dalhousie University has resulted in the provision of sensitive exam training. In response to physician feedback, the program has added a social evening in response to support more opportunities to foster connections among the physicians.

Lane says she’s excited by the program’s ongoing evolution. “I’m most excited about listening to the physicians’ feedback and learning about what they need and working with them to ensure they are getting the best experience as they transition into practise in Nova Scotia.”