Dr Deena Case’s letter [BCMJ 2025;67:198] about the high rate of infertility among physicians emphasized that this situation arises from the length of time it takes to train to be a physician in Canada. Consequently, the ova of female doctors are likely to exceed their best-before date prior to the time they are professionally ready to conceive.

She raises a valid observation: Is it really necessary that the training to become an effective physician involves so much of a person’s adult life? The experience for a member of my family was 4 years to obtain an undergraduate degree and 2 years for a master’s degree before acceptance into 4 years of medical school. That was followed by 5 years of specialty training and then over 2 years of subspecialty training, with 1 year out for serious health problems. That is 18 years (well over one-third of one’s earning lifetime), paid for out of pocket after high school, before significant earnings begin, as well as putting oneself years behind in the housing market, with no pension to compensate at the end of a career working for the government system. Can such a setup provide the physician workforce for our country?

Next month, my niece’s son enters medical school in Denmark, with nothing more than a high school diploma. No wonder the Danes are such a well-provided-for nation. Time for Canada to cut prerequisites and catch up.
—Anthony Walter, MD
Coldstream

This letter was submitted in response to “Re: Infertility among physicians.” [11]

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