Record Increase of Physicians
Manitoba saw a net gain of 164 physicians in 2024 – 2025, according to a new annual report released today by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba. This marks a new record, far surpassing last year’s net increase of 133 physicians.
Why it Matters
The doctor shortage has been the top concern for Manitoba’s physicians for several years. A record increase will help address the shortage, and reflects our collective work over the last 4 to 5 years to advocate for more training, recruitment and retention efforts.
Good news, but…
While the news is very good overall, we are concerned about what this report says about retention. Only 23% of all new physicians last year received their medical training in Manitoba. In fact, the number of Manitoba graduates who obtained a license last year was 20% lower than just a few years ago. Manitoba graduates know our system the best, so this decline should prompt a closer look at what the health system can do to keep more Manitoba-trained physicians in the province.
We are also concerned about the decrease in new specialists. Last year, there was a net increase of 50 more specialists, but that’s significantly lower than the gain of 76 the previous year.
What’s Next
We will continue to work with partners at the University of Manitoba, Shared Health, RHAs and Manitoba Health on strategies to improve retention. Our past research has demonstrated that addressing the causes of burnout are critical to making Manitoba an attractive place to continue practicing, and that includes improving how the system engages physicians about changes, reducing unnecessary paperwork and administrative tasks, and pressing for the resources and tools physicians need to practice.
Worth Noting
The CPSM annual report also provides more information on the volume of complaints the regulator receives, which the data shows has largely remained within a range of 15 to 30 complaints per 100,000 residents per year. Meanwhile, the Quality Department sheds light on the Quality Assurance process; a registrant shares their experience with the audit process, their initial reaction, and how it changed their perspective of CPSM and its role.