The Burin Peninsula on Newfoundland’s south coast is facing a serious doctor shortage, and a local physician says the future of the area’s healthcare is “scary.”
Dr. Lyn Power operates her own practice in the area and is also a full-time faculty member with Memorial University’s medical school. She believes municipalities need to do something drastic to attract more family physicians to the area, which has an aging population and an aging physician population.
While there are many local medical students who have expressed an interest in family medicine, Power says the Burin Peninsula doesn’t have a great track record of promoting itself as a desirable place to live and work.
Power says today’s medial students are seeking a work/life balance and enjoy the idea of working in a group practice with more flexible hours, and the Burin Peninsula could offer that to prospective physicians. It’s just a question of how to recruit and retain them.
