More doctors have come to work for the province thanks to recruiting efforts.
Nova Scotia Health says the province welcomed 278 new doctors in the last fiscal year, which is up 10 per cent. This includes 111 family doctors representing a nearly 25 per cent increase over last year.
The remaining 167 new physicians are specialists, including 12 now working at the IWK Health Centre.
Forty per cent of those recruited were internationally trained physicians, who came from multiple locations, including a high number from the United Kingdom and United States.
Doctors coming from the United States is on the rise with 33 American physicians recruited in 2025 to 2026 compared to only 12 in 2024 to 2025.
Nova Scotia Health says while accounting for physician starts and departures, the province saw the remarkable net gain of 199 new doctors this past year, which is up a dozen new starts than the previous year.
Health minister, premier say recruitment efforts are key
Minister of Health and Wellness, Michelle Thompson says she attributes the progress to ongoing efforts.
“I think once you kind of get that pipeline and that momentum going, I think it’s easier. It’s sometimes hard to get started. We were in a big hole, as folks know,” she explains.
Thompson says there are a number of things that have contributed to recruitment success. They include new infrastructure, a new record-keeping system, and making it easier to get a license.
“We work really hard. Nova Scotia Health, the Office of Healthcare Professional Recruitment, [and] IWK communities have been a really integral part in terms of helping us recruit not only physicians but their families,” adds Thompson.
Premier Tim Houston says our efforts to showcase Nova Scotia as an attractive place to live, work and raise a family is working.
“Recruiting more doctors results in more Nova Scotians being attached to a primary care provider, more healthcare appointment opportunities, and faster access to specialists. This is how we are delivering better care, faster.”
Dalhousie Medical School also continues to be a key focus of recruitment for family medicine and other specialties.
In 2025 to 2026, the first cohort of 30 future doctors were welcomed at the new Cape Breton Medical Campus from Nova Scotia communities, and they agreed to practice family medicine in rural areas of the province after their graduation, according to Nova Scotia Health.
