Answering the Call - Strategies to Increase the Number of Indigenous Physicians in Canada - Full Report - June 23, 2025

Oct 3, 2026

Answering the Call examines strategies to increase the number of Indigenous physicians in Canada to strengthen health equity. It identifies barriers affecting Indigenous students and early-career physicians, including limited career guidance, rigid selection criteria, high costs, scarce local training, and long relocations. The report highlights evidence-informed supports such as mentorship, culturally aligned reviews, cultural safety, and Indigenous governance, while assessing progress and persistent gaps across medical education and recruitment and retention efforts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages33

Reading Time1 h 23 min

AccessFree to download

Key findings

Indigenous physicians are essential to health equity

The project

Reimagining access to medical school

Staying power: Indigenous retention in medical school

Supporting early-career Indigenous physicians, a new path forward

Advancing Indigenous representation in healthcare

Appendix A Methodology

Appendix B Bibliography

Answering the Call Strategies to Increase the Number of Indigenous Physicians in Canada Photo: Pacific Regional Indigenous Doctors Congress (PRIDoC) Impact paper | June 23, 2025 The Future Skills Centre – Centre des Compétences futures (FSC-CCF) is a forward-thinking centre for research and collaboration dedicated to preparing Canadians for employment success. We believe Canadians should feel confident about the skills they have to succeed in a changing workforce. As a pan-Canadian community, we are collaborating to rigorously identify, test, measure, and share innovative approaches to assessing and developing the skills Canadians need to thrive in the days and years ahead. The Future Skills Centre was founded by a consortium whose members are Toronto Metropolitan University, Blueprint, and The Conference Board of Canada. If you would like to learn more about this report and other skills research from FSC, visit us at fsc-ccf.ca or contact [info@fsc-ccf.ca](info@fsc-ccf.ca). [fsc-ccf.ca](fsc-ccf.ca) In partnership with: Funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program Contents 4 Key findings 5 Indigenous physicians are essential to health equity 6 The project 6 Reimagining access to medical school 13 Staying power: Indigenous retention in medical school 19 Supporting early-career Indigenous physicians a new path forward 24 Advancing Indigenous representation in healthcare 26 Appendix A Methodology 30 Appendix B Bibliography The Conference Board of Canada 3 Answering the Call Key findings • Indigenous students, especially in rural and remote areas, often lack career guidance and a culturally relevant curriculum, leading to lower graduation rates and fewer pathways to medical education. Programs such as Camp Med (Northern Ontario School of Medicine University [NOSM U]) and Weeneebayko Area Health Authority Summer Program (Queen’s University) help bridge gaps through mentorship, hands-on learning, and exposure to healthcare careers. • Rigid criteria like high GPA, MCAT, and Casper cutoffs have historically excluded many strong Indigenous candidates. Some schools, such as McGill University, NOSM U, and Toronto Metropolitan University, have removed the MCAT and adopted Indigenous-led reviews, yet disparities remain. • Indigenous students and early-career physicians succeed when they see themselves reflected in faculty, leadership, and peers. Culturally aligned mentorship—through the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada, NOSM U’s Integrated Community Experience, and Fraser Health’s Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Team—builds confidence, reduces isolation, and supports long-term success in medicine. • High costs, limited local training, and long relocations are challenges for many Indigenous students, especially in remote areas. These barriers reduce access to volunteer work, preparatory resources, and clinical placements. Programs like the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Fee Waiver, Indspire, and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) offer support but are often underused or insufficient. • Efforts to embed cultural safety and Indigenous governance in healthcare and medical education are increasing, but not fast enough. Strategies like St. Joseph’s Care Group’s Walking with Humility and the Canadian Medical Association’s Impact 2040 Strategy show progress; however, implementation remains inconsistent across the country. The Conference Board of Canada 4 Indigenous physicians are essential to health equity While colonialism and systemic racism have contributed to longstanding health inequities for Indigenous peoples in Canada, Indigenous communities continue to demonstrate resilience, strength, and leadership in the face of these challenges.1 Health disparities—such as higher rates of chronic illness, lower life expectancy, and limited access to healthcare, particularly in remote and northern regions—highlight areas where c

FAQs

What key barriers reduce Indigenous students’ pathways to medical education in Canada?

The report points to gaps in career guidance and culturally relevant curricula, exclusion through rigid GPA/MCAT/Casper cutoffs, and practical constraints such as high costs, limited local training, and long relocations.

How do culturally aligned mentorship and Indigenous leadership improve outcomes?

It highlights that students and early-career physicians succeed when they see themselves reflected in faculty, leadership, and peers, supported by culturally aligned mentorship and Indigenous recruitment and retention structures.

What strategies are recommended to expand Indigenous representation in healthcare?

The report emphasizes embedding cultural safety and Indigenous governance in healthcare and medical education, while scaling access initiatives and improving implementation consistency across the country.

Oct 3, 2026

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