American doctors look to Nova Scotia amid Trump uncertainty

Carolyn Ray · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 03, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Nova Scotia's wellness authorization says it has hired 1 doc anxious to permission the United States due to the fact that of President Donald Trump, and is successful talks with much than 2 twelve more.

The authorization launched a integer recruiting run successful the U.S. in November, targeting physicians feeling uneasy astir the predetermination results.

"We saw it arsenic an accidental with the predetermination to punctual folks and the leads that we person successful the U.S. that we are here, acceptable and waiting for them should they privation to take Nova Scotia to travel practise here," said Katrina Philopoulos, the manager of doc recruiting.

Nova Scotia Health has been actively recruiting southbound of the border for years, but the caller run led to 150 responses.

"We person seen immoderate successful definite specialties that person decided that they're disquieted astir however the changes successful the U.S. volition alteration their practice," Philopoulos said.

The excavation has been narrowed down to 27 superior negotiations, including 1 caller hire.

Philopoulos said that physician, a hospitalist, is expected to commencement astatine the extremity of the month. She won't accidental wherever they'll beryllium located until they arrive.

"That was a truly speedy turnaround," she said, adding that respective different physicians person committed to doing locums, which are short-term contracts to capable successful gaps.

"I deliberation boots connected the ground, we expect to spot immoderate of those individuals sooner than aboriginal successful the coming months."

'They're precise embarrassed'

In Elmsdale, N.S., John Philpott is proceeding a akin message. He runs a backstage recruiting company, CanAM Physician Recruiting, which has contracts to prosecute planetary doctors crossed the country, but not successful Nova Scotia.

He told CBC's Information Morning Nova Scotia that his concern is proceeding from astir 20 American physicians a day.

"It's the vexation of the Trump administration. They're precise embarrassed with the rhetoric and the lies that are coming retired of the president of the United States."

Philpott said he's been recruiting for 27 years, and said this is 1 of the busiest times of his career.

"They're precise serious, they're asking astir citizenship and they're signing contracts."

Philpott said it's excessively soon to accidental however galore physicians volition marque the move, but helium estimates it could beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic 50 per cent of those he's had interaction with.

Nova Scotia Health is besides banking connected beardown returns during this uncertainty.

Philopoulos said their squad volition proceed to scope retired to caller and aged contacts successful the States, including Canadians they cognize who are moving there.

"Sometimes it's the close infinitesimal successful clip for idiosyncratic to marque a determination to change."