Nova Scotia saw net gain of 199 new doctors last fiscal year

A doctor wears a lab coat and stethoscope in an exam room on Friday, July 14, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh)

Nova Scotia welcomed 278 new doctors in the last fiscal year. According to Nova Scotia Health, this represents a 10 per cent bump from the year before.

When accounting for the physicians moving to and leaving the province, there was a net gain of 199 new doctors – up a dozen from the previous year.

“Recruiting more doctors results in more Nova Scotians being attached to a primary care provider, more healthcare appointment opportunities, and faster access to specialists,” said Premier Tim Houston.

Of the 278 new doctors, 111 are family doctors – a 25 per cent increase from last year – and 167 are specialists, including 12 at the IWK Health Centre.

Internationally-trained physicians coming to the province account for 40 per cent of the recruits, coming from many locations, including the United Kingdom and United States.

Physician recruitment from the United States rose significantly over the past year, from 12 recruits in 2024-25, to 33 in 2025-26.

Some of the recruits were recent graduates and Nova Scotia Health says Dalhousie Medical School continues to be a key focus point.

Seventy-nine family medicine residents graduated between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. Of those, 41 are “securing positions or actively progressing toward local practice in Nova Scotia.”

A total of 108 other specialty residents graduated between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. Of those, 42 are were retained in Nova Scotia.

The province also notes the new doctors are contributing to the decrease of Nova Scotians on the Need a Family Practice Registry.

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