Prince George, B.C.-The B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons says 2009 was a record year for the number of physicians licences granted. Last year, nearly 500 new licences were issued for physicians to practice in B.C., that’s more than twice the number issued the year before.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons report doesn’t say where those Doctors planned on setting up their practice, but the latest stats for physicians  within Northern Health would suggest they haven’t been heading to the north.

Stats from Northern Health show that in the first six months of this year, there were  250.6 (Full time equivalents) General Practitioners in the Northern Health Region. That number includes 5 family practice residents who became practicing physicians upon completion of the Northern Medical Program.   There were a further 120.1 FTE specialists in the Northern Health region.

Those numbers compare to 247.8 FTE general practitioners and 118.9 practicing specialists for the same period in 2009.

Northern Health continues to actively recruit for 31 specialists to serve in the three Health Service Delivery Areas (Central Interior, North East and North West) of the Northern Health Region. 

For the University Hospital of Northern B.C., that recruitment number includes  the search for a further 4 Emergency Room Specialists, 5 Internal Medicine Specialists, and 1 Radiology Specialist.