Faculty of Medicine
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. Ed Hunt, Class of 1976, was recently hired as the medical consultant for the province, working in the Department of Health. A Clarenville physician and former president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA), one of Dr. Hunt's main priorities will be the recruitment and retention of physicians in rural areas of the province.
"I'm responsible for medical services in the province and for making sure we have the right number and mix of doctors in all places in the province," explained Dr. Hunt. This responsibility means he will be looking closely at the medical school to ensure that recruitment, training and output meet provincial needs.
"The problem I perceive out in the field is that taxpayers see us graduating doctors and exporting them. They don't like that and if we don't do something about that, the medical school itself is at risk."
Dr. Hunt acknowledges that remuneration for rural physicians is part of the problem. "We have the lowest paid doctors in Canada, but we're also the poorest province in Canada. How do you come up with the money when you don't have it? We may have to separate our wants from our needs and look at exactly what we can afford."
Dr. Hunt, who practised in Clarenville for 19 years, replaces retiring medical consultant Dr. Gordon Winsor. Although the position is not new, the mandate has been expanded to include all medical services, as well as work with MCP, regional boards in the province, and the medical school. "I am a resource person who can provide data to allow people to make good decisions."
Dr. Hunt said one of his immediate concerns is to ensure that foreign medical graduates working in the province are qualified, with an enhancement program available to bring their skills up to standard if required. "But that's a short term measure, what I'd like to see in the long term is graduates from Memorial's medical school fill the requirements of the province."
Last updated 18 Jun 1997 by 