Engagement, Education and Retention of Rural Saskatchewan Healthcare Practitioners

Highlights of CME Research

  • Community integration, spousal employment opportunities, and supportive work conditions were identified as key drivers of international medical graduate retention, with fair contracts and physician-led support groups emerging as leading retention strategies - SIPPA Program
  • CME Webinar Series reached 35% of participants from rural, Indigenous, and northern communities, with physicians representing over half of this group - 2023/24 Webinar Series 

CME Programming/Projects Engaged in this Research

The Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA)

Workforce Research

Study: This study compared the early practice intentions of internationally trained physicians entering practice through the SIPPA program with those completing a Canadian family medicine residency program.
Key Insight: Both pathways showed similar challenges in long-term retention intentions, with factors such as mentorship, spousal satisfaction, remuneration, and community fit influencing physicians’ decisions about whether to remain in Saskatchewan or rural practice.
Impact: Findings highlight the importance of mentorship, family supports, and community integration strategies to strengthen retention of internationally trained physicians in Saskatchewan’s rural communities.

Study: This study examined how clinical workload factors are associated with self-assessed sustainability among rural International Medical Graduates practicing in Saskatchewan through the SIPPA program.
Key Insight: Physicians were more likely to perceive their practice as sustainable when workloads included manageable emergency department shift volume, access to post call recovery time, reduced role overlap, and stable staffing. Unsustainable perceptions were linked to excessive shifts, long hours, administrative burden, and limited recovery time.
Impact: The findings identify modifiable workload and scheduling factors that can support physician wellness and strengthen long term retention of IMGs in rural and remote communities across Saskatchewan.

Study: A systematic scoping review examined research from Canada and Australia to identify factors that influence the retention of internationally trained physicians in rural communities.
Key Insight: Physician retention is influenced by a combination of professional, community, family, and structural factors, with community integration, family supports, and sustainable workload models playing a critical role.
Impact: Findings highlight the importance of community engagement, supportive practice environments, and tailored recruitment and retention strategies to strengthen the rural physician workforce.

Project (In Progress): This study is examining how and why family physicians choose to remain in rural and remote communities in Saskatchewan. The research is led by Dr. Tracey Carr in collaboration with the SIPPA program.
Focus: Using a realist evaluation approach, the project will engage physicians, healthcare leaders, and community partners to explore the factors and contexts that influence rural physician retention.
Expected Impact: Findings will generate practical, evidence-informed recommendations to support policy, strengthen recruitment and retention strategies, and improve access to primary care in rural Saskatchewan.

Study: This study examined migration patterns of internationally trained family physicians who participated in the SIPPA program between 2011 and 2021, alongside a literature review on physician migration in Canada.
Key Insight: 30% of physicians remained in their return of service community; the remainder left their initial rural placement after completing their RoS requirement, with rural-to-urban migration outside Saskatchewan being the most common pattern.
Impact: Findings highlight the need for stronger physician retention strategies and community supports to sustain the rural physician workforce following return-of-service commitments.

Program Evaluation

Project (In Progress): This study analyzes multi-source feedback (360) from SIPPA graduates to explore how communication, professionalism, and collaboration relate to physician integration and retention in rural Saskatchewan.
Focus: The project will examine trends in feedback from colleagues and healthcare team members to identify relational and systemic factors associated with successful practice integration.
Expected Impact: Findings will help identify early indicators of physician success in rural practice and inform strategies to better support internationally trained physicians and strengthen long-term retention.

National Workforce Research

Project (In Progress): SIPPA is a partner in a national longitudinal study led by the Medical Council of Canada examining the long-term outcomes of physicians entering practice through Practice Ready Assessment programs.
Focus: The study follows PRA candidates from application through five years of independent practice to better understand factors associated with program success, return-of-service completion, and physician retention.
Impact: Findings will help inform national policy, strengthen PRA program design, and improve recruitment and retention strategies for internationally trained physicians practicing in underserved communities.

Knowledge Translation

Project: This faculty-led presentation shares practical lessons from emergency department chart reviews conducted through SIPPA’s supervision program to improve documentation practices among physicians.
Key Insight: Common documentation gaps include clinical reasoning, reassessment notes, discharge instructions, and communication within the care team. Strong documentation supports patient safety, team communication, and medico-legal protection.
Impact: The session provided practical strategies and a simple self-audit framework to help physicians strengthen documentation and reduce risk in rural emergency practice.

Project: This conference presentation shared lessons from the SIPPA program on supporting internationally trained physicians transitioning into rural medical practice in Saskatchewan.
Key Insight: International medical graduates often face challenges adapting to new clinical systems, professional expectations, and rural practice environments during their first years of practice.
Impact: The presentation highlighted practical strategies—including mentorship, supervision, and targeted training—to help physicians successfully transition from initial practice challenges to long-term success in rural communities.

Health Systems & Primary Care Research

Project: This initiative brings together physicians, patient partners, researchers, and health system leaders to examine how primary care providers are trained, organized, and supported to work in Saskatchewan.
Key Insight: Saskatchewan faces significant challenges in primary care access, workforce recruitment, and long-term provider support, particularly in rural communities.
Impact: The project will develop a collaborative research agenda and evidence-informed strategies to strengthen recruitment, support, and retention of primary care providers across the province.

Physician Well-being

Category: Physician Well-being

Study: A survey of family physicians who completed the SIPPA program examined the relationship between on-call workload, physician well-being, and retention in rural Saskatchewan.

Key Insight: Higher on-call demand was associated with increased burnout and lower retention.

Impact: Findings highlight the importance of addressing workload and call demands in rural practice to support physician well-being and long-term retention.

Category: Physician Well-Being

Study: This survey explored experiences of racism among physicians who completed the SIPPA program and were practicing in Saskatchewan communities.

Key Insight: Many respondents reported experiencing racism in the workplace or community, including microaggressions and discriminatory behaviour from patients or colleagues.

Impact: Findings highlight the need for ongoing cultural safety, bias awareness, and support initiatives to foster inclusive practice environments and support the retention of internationally trained physicians in rural communities.

Study: A systematic scoping review examined research from Canada and Australia to identify factors that influence the retention of internationally trained physicians in rural communities.
Key Insight: Physician retention is influenced by a combination of professional, community, family, and structural factors, with community integration, family supports, and sustainable workload models playing a critical role.
Impact: Findings highlight the importance of community engagement, supportive practice environments, and tailored recruitment and retention strategies to strengthen the rural physician workforce.

Study: This study examined how clinical workload factors are associated with self-assessed sustainability among rural International Medical Graduates practicing in Saskatchewan through the SIPPA program.

Key Insight: Physicians were more likely to perceive their practice as sustainable when workloads included manageable emergency department shift volume, access to post call recovery time, reduced role overlap, and stable staffing. Unsustainable perceptions were linked to excessive shifts, long hours, administrative burden, and limited recovery time.

Impact: The findings identify modifiable workload and scheduling factors that can support physician wellness and strengthen long term retention of IMGs in rural and remote communities across Saskatchewan.

Webinar Series

This evaluation examines healthcare professionals’ engagement with online educational games integrated into a continuing medical education (CME) webinar series, assessing how gamification may extend and reinforce learning beyond the webinar format. Using registration, attendance, and game participation data, the project explores interactivity, time spent on learning activities, and overall patterns of engagement. A qualitative component further investigates participants’ experiences, perceptions, and the perceived educational value of the gamified environment. Findings will inform how online gamification can be effectively incorporated into CME to enhance learner engagement and support educational outcomes.

This evaluation examines the reach, effectiveness, and self‑reported impact of a CME webinar series delivered to rural healthcare practitioners in Saskatchewan (2023 - 24). Using registration, attendance, and post‑webinar survey data, it assesses interprofessional participation, perceived relevance, learning outcomes, and barriers to engagement. The evaluation also informs a broader mixed‑methods program aimed at understanding rural practitioners’ needs and strengthening webinar‑based CME.

Articles

December 2025: From Field of Dreams to Back to the Future? Exploring Barriers to Participating in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programs  

November 2025: Factors influencing retention of International Medical Graduates in rural practice https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40052776/ 

April 2020: Cultural Responsiveness Training in Post Graduate Medical Education https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7162310/ 

Presentations

  • ER Documentation: Practical Lessons to Keep You Out of Trouble!
  • From Surviving to Thriving: Setting New Rural Physicians Up for Success 
    • 2025 SRPC Rural & Remote Conference 
  • Tracking Internationally Trained Family Physician Flows (Migration Patterns of Internationally Trained Physicians Post-Return of Service (RoS) in Saskatchewan) 
  • Factors influencing retention of International Medical Graduates in rural practice
  • NAC Practice Ready Assessments (NAC PRA): Providing physicians to rural and remote communities 
    • 2024 SRPC Rural & Remote Conference 2024
  • On-call frequency in rural Saskatchewan
    • 2023 SRPC Rural & Remote Conference 2023
  • Strategies for Enhancing International Medical Graduates Retention in Rural Areas: Synthesis from Canada and Australia.
    • North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) 2024 Practice Base Research Network Conference 
  • Practice-related racism faced by physician graduates of the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment program
  • Anticipated rural retention among internationally trained family physicians in Saskatchewan: An early practice-intention comparison between those accessing Canadian practice through the SIPPA Program vs. a Family Medicine Residency Training Program. 
  • Strategies for Enhancing International Medical Graduates Retention in Rural Areas: Synthesis from Canada and Australia.
    • 2023 Resident Scholarship Day - Department of Academic Family Medicine, USask 
  • The Role of Practitioners in Indigenous Wellness - Health Practitioner Experience with Cultural Responsiveness Training. Society for American Continuing Medical Education.
    • Society for American Continuing Medical Education 
    • Collaborating for Health and Wellness Virtual Conference 
  • Supporting New-to-Saskatchewan Physicians Through Coaching and Mentorship: A RE-AIM Evaluation of the CoMPAS Pilot Program
    • 2026 International Congress of Academic Medicine (ICAM)