Fulfilling a social mission: examining practice locations of residency graduates over two decades

Background: Medical schools play a critical role in shaping the physician workforce. Tracking the practice locations of medical graduates is essential for addressing healthcare disparities and workforce shortages in underserved regions. This study examines the geographic distribution of residency g...

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Main Authors: Tim Dubé, Matthieu Touchette, Linda Bergeron, Mariem Fourati, Cassandra Barber, Christina St-Onge
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Canadian Medical Education Journal 2025-07-01
Series:Canadian Medical Education Journal
Online Access:https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/81307
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author Tim Dubé
Matthieu Touchette
Linda Bergeron
Mariem Fourati
Cassandra Barber
Christina St-Onge
author_facet Tim Dubé
Matthieu Touchette
Linda Bergeron
Mariem Fourati
Cassandra Barber
Christina St-Onge
author_sort Tim Dubé
collection DOAJ
description Background: Medical schools play a critical role in shaping the physician workforce. Tracking the practice locations of medical graduates is essential for addressing healthcare disparities and workforce shortages in underserved regions. This study examines the geographic distribution of residency graduates from a Canadian francophone university, aligning their practice locations with the university’s social accountability mandate. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using data from the Canadian Post-M.D. Education Registry (CAPER) for 2,410 residency graduates (2000-2020) from 35 residency training programs. We analyzed practice locations at two-, five-, and 10-years post-graduation across medical specialties, sex, and geographic region, with a focus on Quebec’s administrative health regions. Results: There were 2,410 graduates from 35 residency training programs. Family medicine accounted for 57.8% of all graduates and 42.2% were from all other specialties. Most graduates (77.7%) practiced in the province of Quebec, with concentrations in the regions of the Eastern Townships (19.4%), Montérégie (14.6%), and Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean (7.6%). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the important regional impact of the university’s role in training family physicians and addressing healthcare needs in Quebec. The findings suggest the importance of tracking to inform evidence-based workforce planning and policy development. Medical schools can leverage such data to align training programs with societal health needs and enhance their contributions to regional healthcare systems.
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spelling doaj-art-b4b45115c43e4f78b8ff2f3ec0279d232025-07-31T15:42:19ZengCanadian Medical Education JournalCanadian Medical Education Journal1923-12022025-07-0110.36834/cmej.81307Fulfilling a social mission: examining practice locations of residency graduates over two decadesTim Dubé0Matthieu Touchette1Linda Bergeron2Mariem Fourati3Cassandra Barber4Christina St-Onge5Université de SherbrookeUniversité de SherbrookeUniversité de SherbrookeUniversité de SherbrookeMaastricht UniversityUniversité de Sherbrooke Background: Medical schools play a critical role in shaping the physician workforce. Tracking the practice locations of medical graduates is essential for addressing healthcare disparities and workforce shortages in underserved regions. This study examines the geographic distribution of residency graduates from a Canadian francophone university, aligning their practice locations with the university’s social accountability mandate. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using data from the Canadian Post-M.D. Education Registry (CAPER) for 2,410 residency graduates (2000-2020) from 35 residency training programs. We analyzed practice locations at two-, five-, and 10-years post-graduation across medical specialties, sex, and geographic region, with a focus on Quebec’s administrative health regions. Results: There were 2,410 graduates from 35 residency training programs. Family medicine accounted for 57.8% of all graduates and 42.2% were from all other specialties. Most graduates (77.7%) practiced in the province of Quebec, with concentrations in the regions of the Eastern Townships (19.4%), Montérégie (14.6%), and Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean (7.6%). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the important regional impact of the university’s role in training family physicians and addressing healthcare needs in Quebec. The findings suggest the importance of tracking to inform evidence-based workforce planning and policy development. Medical schools can leverage such data to align training programs with societal health needs and enhance their contributions to regional healthcare systems. https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/81307
spellingShingle Tim Dubé
Matthieu Touchette
Linda Bergeron
Mariem Fourati
Cassandra Barber
Christina St-Onge
Fulfilling a social mission: examining practice locations of residency graduates over two decades
Canadian Medical Education Journal
title Fulfilling a social mission: examining practice locations of residency graduates over two decades
title_full Fulfilling a social mission: examining practice locations of residency graduates over two decades
title_fullStr Fulfilling a social mission: examining practice locations of residency graduates over two decades
title_full_unstemmed Fulfilling a social mission: examining practice locations of residency graduates over two decades
title_short Fulfilling a social mission: examining practice locations of residency graduates over two decades
title_sort fulfilling a social mission examining practice locations of residency graduates over two decades
url https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/81307
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