‘It’s a golden ticket’: U.S. doctors explain the urge to come to Canada

Dr. Karyn Ginsberg has spent more than 25 years practising pediatrics in the United States, but in recent months, she warns the political landscape is fueling a “brain drain” of doctors who are choosing to retire or considering a move to Canada — an option she’s exploring.

Ginsberg grew up in Toronto, completed high school and then moved to the U.S. for university, drawn by her mother’s American roots and the opportunity to study at Cornell University in New York.

“I found myself heading back to New York City right out of college because my father had been recruited [from Toronto] as a surgeon to Manhattan. He was a cancer surgeon, and he had an opportunity he couldn’t turn down, and I found myself in New York City as a graduate and went to medical school in New York City,” she told Global News.

Ginsberg said she’s loved her decades-long career as a pediatrician in the U.S. and recently spent time working in Los Angeles’ inner city, helping vulnerable youth.

However, in recent months, she has grown increasingly disheartened by the political landscape — an unease she shares with many colleagues who are finding it harder than ever to continue practising in the country.

She points to growing challenges such as deep cuts to health-care funding, increasing restrictions on reproductive and gender-affirming care and the rise of vaccine hesitancy.

And with Canada’s doctor shortage still growing, provinces and health-care agencies are looking to tap into this interest, hoping to bring in more skilled professionals to help fill gaps in patient care.

“The political landscape in medicine started changing a few years ago in the U.S. … but the recent politics have made things even worse,” she said. “I’m really disturbed and upset with the state of science and scientists, not just doctors.”

Because of these ongoing changes, Ginsberg is now considering a move to Canada to continue her practice — a step she never imagined taking in her career.

Ginsberg isn’t alone in her frustration. Many of her colleagues, particularly those nearing retirement, are seriously considering relocating to Canada or retiring early, she said.

With increasing political polarization and the pressure of combating health disinformation, Ginsberg says her peers are at a breaking point — and Canada may offer a solution.

“It’s a golden ticket for many,” she said.

“I already see some brain drain coming towards Canada. Doctors are really, really unhappy,” she said. “My peers in the U.S. are also looking to retire, every single one of them, if they can financially. If the opportunities were there, they would take it.”

One doctor practising internal medicine in the southeastern U.S. spoke with Global News about considering a move to Canada after working 18 years in the American health-care system.

Fearing retaliation following past threats and the potential loss of his job, he requested anonymity and Global News has agreed.

He said that during COVID-19, he and many of his colleagues received death threats for supporting the vaccine and had to fight years of misinformation — something that continues to this day and, in his view, has only worsened under the Trump administration.

“We’ve had all these federal funds that have been stopped. We recently had RFK Jr. cutting all of the health agencies,” he said. “I can no longer rely on most of the information on the NIH [National Institute of Health] and CDC  [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] websites because a lot of the information that we need has either been scrubbed or it’s been politically rewritten.”

He worries that with bird flu and measles on the rise in the U.S., vaccine hesitancy and misinformation will only exacerbate the situation under the current administration.

“But the bigger issue is what is the state of medical science going to be? Am I going to be targeted because I’m advocating for evidence-based care?” he said.

He originally planned to move to another state, but he said he now feels like there’s nowhere to go since the changing political healthcare landscape is impacting the entire country.

Now, he’s seriously looking at Canada as an option.

“Canada is definitely on that list. In fact, I’m already in talks with a recruiter. I have a second interview with one of their associates next week and they have already given contact information for immigration lawyers in Canada as well as financial people,” he said.

For Ginsberg, the idea of returning to Canada wasn’t on her radar until recently, but after connecting with CanAm Physician Recruiting and learning that her expertise could be put to immediate use in certain areas, she began to seriously consider it.

“I never thought I’d be moving back to Canada, but now I see it as a real possibility. But I’ve spoken to one person and they’re ready to take me on tomorrow as long as I have my license,” she said.

Despite the appeal, Ginsberg is torn. She has deep ties to New York City, a place she’s called home for decades, and the thought of leaving behind her private practice and the community she’s built is daunting.

“But I’m very frustrated and upset with what’s going on,” she admits, acknowledging how fortunate she feels to be in a position where she can consider a move.

“I really feel that my colleagues couldn’t do what I did. They still have kids in college. They love the patients and love what they do, but they are miserable.”

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