One of the studies we're running right now is quite interesting. We're looking at the employability of physicians. It came to light that a number of doctors were either unemployed or underemployed. Looking at the new skill mix and the upscaling of different health professions, it is having an impact on how our physicians should be trained in the future and the numbers we'll actually need.
In a very integrated model in orthopedics, for example, where you could have an occupational therapist, physiotherapists, and so on working together, we're seeing that we need fewer actual orthopedic surgeons. We're also looking at really interesting ways of triaging patients. The hip and knee registries are really paying off now; the patient sees the first available clinician. So those are really neat ideas.
But how are we factoring in all of these new innovations and success stories to align with the needs and the actual production of the future?
There are some disciplines that are in absolute shortage. With an aging population, geriatric medicine is problematic. Family practice has a stream for care of the elderly, but it is a problem as patients are becoming more and more complex. Internists are in high demand as well.
So the disciplines that don't require a lot of infrastructure are having greater ease finding work. At the Royal College we're actually considering what will probably be a vastly different training paradigm, where education will really be more integrated. We have our maintenance of certification program, which is a life-long learning process, but to create some basic entry points so that you can then stream more easily, more nimbly, depending on what the needs are of the country.