Shaping Our Medical Education Journey - College of Medicine ...

What is
Gabriella Doing?
Our College of Medicine students know and love her. In fact, Gabriella
Mezo-Kricsfalusy was named the Honorary SMSS President last fall by
our student body.
Gabriella is still serving medical students, but in her new capacity as a
Recruiter with the Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan.
The Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan is a one
stop shop connecting physicians and communities from across
the province. Our team looks forward to connecting and working
with medical students at the College of Medicine, the SMSS and
PAIRS, as well as alumni to talk about the issues, challenges and
opportunities for physicians wanting to establish their practice
here at home.
While the Agency became operational in the fall of last year,
its development goes back to 2009 when the Government
of Saskatchewan announced its overall provincial physician
recruitment strategy. The Agency, more commonly referred to
as saskdocs, has secured office space in close proximity to the
College of Medicine and is minutes away from many of its key
stakeholders such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Medical Association.
Over the past six months the Agency has done a lot of work
in a number of areas. Our CEO, Ed Mantler along with our
physician recruitment consultants, including Gabriella, have been
meeting and working with medical trainees and the College
of Medicine to encourage and entice more students to set up
their practice here, at home, upon completion of their medical
training. The Agency has also been
meeting with the province’s health
regions, their physician recruiters, the
Ministry of Health, municipal councils,
communities and practicing physicians
to see how our collective recruitment
efforts can be streamlined and how
we can work together to make sure
Ed Mantler, CEO, Physician
Recruitment Agency of
Saskatchewan
future, and practicing, physicians know
Saskatchewan is a great place to live,
work and practice.
“Saskdocs plays an important role in coordinating recruitment
and retention efforts between regions and communities,” says
CEO, Ed Mantler. “Many of the people we work with are starting to
envision us as a one-stop point of contact for physicians seeking
to set up practice in the province, and that is exactly what we’re
here to do.”
Saskdocs has created a plan to fill current vacancies and also
meet the ongoing and future needs of our growing province.
14 C O M M U N I Q U É College of Medicine • University of Saskatchewan
Saskdocs, Regional Health Authorities, the College of Medicine
and government work collectively to expand our province’s
capacity to train and retain our own physicians. “It is important to
remember that every initiative currently underway with saskdocs
and its partners is focusing on long terms results. While we will fill
current vacancies, we are not going to solve all of the recruitment
and retention problems overnight, we’re looking at seeing results
by 2013 and beyond,” says Mantler.
Saskdocs is meeting with students and residents to make sure
those who want to stay and practice in Saskatchewan have an
Gabriella Mezo-Kricsfalusy
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