Doctor Pushes For More Ways to Attract Family Physicians to Woodstock

Monday, 30 May 2016 06:37

One doctor says Woodstock needs to find ways to attract new physicians since no new practices have been set up in seven years.

WOODSTOCK - The Friendly City hasn't has a new family doctor or general practitioner come to the city in seven years according to a delegation made at county council.

In that time, two doctors have also retired, putting strain on the people in Woodstock.

Dr Ross McElory is a retired family physician and general practitioner who worked in Woodstock in the past. He has been studying doctor shortages in rural communities for the past 27 years.

He tells Heart FM, when he first noticed the shortage of doctors in this particular field, he reached out to some of his academic friends.

"I phoned friends in Montreal and also at Queen's, which is in Kingston. These are people in academic medicine and they said rather distressing comments that only 50% of the people in family medicine and family medicine courses, really wanted to be family physicians."

Dr McElory says his time working in Woodstock was great:

"It was a lovely place to practise - wonderful hospital. At the present time this hospital is just fantastic and they've got an excellent collection of specialists to back you up. If you come to town, you're going to get support from the other family doctors; you're not on every night - you get coverage."

He adds Woodstock is also a great place to practise medicine because it has five universities, two medical schools, one dental school all within an hour's drive.

Dr McElory has been looking at ways other communities have been attracting new doctors. He says in Orillia, if a doctor reaches out to the city interested in working there the city will invite them to stay there for a weekend.

Dr McElory adds Orillia also has perks for those studying medicine nearby.

"First of all, they all have a pass to the YMCA and maybe a pass at the golf course, maybe a few deductions at restaurants, and a lot of little stuff. The one I liked best was there's bicycles available for everybody."

Orillia has attracted about 15 doctors in the 5 years before 2015.

Dr McElory wants to see county council, city council, along with other organizations come up with ways to attract new family physicians and general practitioners to Woodstock.