Future Doctors Lobby for Better Access to Canadian Medical Schools

The Canadian Federation of Medical Students visited Parliament to promote accessibility.

Too many medical students come from rich families, according to The Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS).

The CFMS is bringing future physicians from across Canada to Parliament Hill today for its Federal Lobby Day event. They hope to raise awareness of the “underrepresentation of low income and rural background individuals in Canada medical schools.”

“Students from low income backgrounds are more likely to treat disadvantaged patients while rural students are 2.5 times more likely to practice in a rural community,” said Matthew Sheppard, CFMS president.

“Both groups are more likely to practice family medicine in underserviced areas, where we are currently experiencing shortages.”

The data from a 2007 survey reported that only 12.7% of Canadian medical students come from homes with annual incomes of less than $40,000, whereas 36.7% of the general Canadian population falls into that bracket. 46.7% of medical students came from families with incomes of over $100,000, while only 19.4% of Canadians fall into that income bracket. The same data revealed that, while 22.4% of Canadians hail from rural areas, only 10.8% of med students have rural roots.

You can learn more about The Canadian Federation of Medical Students by visiting them online.