Jacob Levy

A Spatial Analysis of Distribution of Practicing International Medical Graduates in Canada, Ontario and Toronto ©2015

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) comprise roughly 24% of physicians in Canada, yet there is a lack of literature detailing the spatial patterns and trends seen amongst this group.  This paper aims to identify and discuss the composition of IMGs, and explores the distribution of IMGs compared to Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs) throughout Canada, Ontario and Toronto. Methods used include cross tabulation analyses, location quotients, global and local spatial autocorrelation, bivariate correlation statistics and a qualitative government policy assessment. Analyses conducted indicate that the composition and practicing patterns of IMGs tend to be slightly different from CMGs throughout the country. In Ontario, IMGs seem to cluster around urban areas and are less prevalent in rural areas than CMGs. Correlation analyses determined Toronto neighbourhoods with high concentrations of IMGs have slight but significant correlations with ethnicity (positive) and income (negative). The study suggests that immigration and social policy not only can attract IMGs to Canada or a specific province, but also can affect distribution patterns. Moreover, other factors including cultural, proximal and geographic similarities can influence where IMGs tend to practice. Implications of these findings can be used by social and health policy planners in order to make effective policies and programs for IMGs.