ER doctor takes pulse of physician recruitment process by surveying colleagues
Independent survey of doctors in Fredericton, Oromocto finds recruitment process tripping up on basics
Why can't New Brunswick cure its chronic doctor shortage?
Dr. Yogi Sehgal, an emergency department physician at Fredericton's Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, has asked himself this question many times over the 11 years he has worked in the province, noting there has never been a time when he and his colleagues didn't feel short-staffed.
Finally, rather than "just grumbling about it," he decided to take action.
A few months ago, he launched a survey that asked doctors about their experience with the hiring process, and he found the problem might be solved — or certainly at least eased — by focusing on the basics.
The issue has been a prickly one of late, with Health Minister Dorothy Shephard announcing last month that her department is taking the lead on the recruitment of family physicians and nurse practitioners, saying she hasn't been satisfied with the process so far.
In an interview Thursday with Information Morning Fredericton, Sehgal said the survey was conducted independent of the Horizon Health Network and in a way that assured physicians they could be completely anonymous and "speak freely."
It was also conducted before Shephard announced the Health Department would take over the recruitment process.
Sehgal contacted as many of the doctors working in the Fredericton and Oromocto area as he could, and said that of the approximately 120 that he sent his survey to, 51 responded.
Almost half the respondents said they found the hiring process "poor" or "difficult" and faced a lack of support throughout.
Respondents said there was a lack of information provided in specific areas, such as the processes involved with starting a family practice, while others cited an "overall lack of support," saying they were "left to deal with everything" on their own.
Some newcomers didn't feel welcome
Respondents also gave the health authority poor marks on making them feel welcome or needed.
"While the majority of physicians were made to feel welcome by their colleagues, the welcome by the administration, health authority and community could be vastly improved," the survey noted in its summary.
About 80 per cent of respondents said their colleagues made them feel welcome.
By comparison, five per cent of respondents said administration made them feel welcome — and just two per cent said the health authority made them feel welcome.
Sehgal said that surprised him.
"From my point of view, the community was very welcoming to me," he said. "I had no issues that way, but a lot of people, I guess, did."
Finding out why so many respondents felt that way, and then fixing it, should be high on the priority list, he said.
"I'd like to see people saying 'I felt welcomed by my community. I felt welcomed by my employer. I felt welcomed by my colleagues,' " Sehgal said. "I want those numbers to be close to 100 per cent … and that's [not ] just for physicians. That's true for anybody."
Bureaucracy, communication also cited
A dense and complicated bureaucracy was also commonly cited as a barrier in the hiring process, particularly for people coming here from out-of-province.
In his own case, coming to New Brunswick from Ontario, the bureaucracy was "mind-boggling," Sehgal said.
"I can tell you from personal experience, it was the bureaucracy ... it was certainly complicated to navigate from away."
Communication was also frequently cited as a stumble, with poor marks given to recruiters specifically.
One respondent noted that communication with the recruiter was "difficult and often negative and ... both slow and poorly informed."
"The current staff in the recruitment office did not seem knowledgeable about the opportunities available for work," another said. "They made it seem like they were doing me a favour by allowing me to work there."
Sehgal said the survey highlights the fact that the system is not the problem.
"It's really the the basic little things within the system that can be improved, the communication, get the information to the right hands, keep the information up to date, communicate regularly with the public as well as with with potential physicians that are coming here."
Survey wasn't about blame
Sehgal made a point of noting that the survey wasn't intended to "blame or point fingers," and he definitely doesn't want to see it used to score political points.
His hope is that it will be seen as helping to identify how the process can be improved.
As for who he thinks should take on those improvements, Sehgal said that's not his call.
"At the end of the day, I'm not the person that's going to solve these problems, and it's really not my job to propose solutions."
Information Morning Fredericton