Table 2.

Voluntary post-graduate medical education ROS programs for CMG* in Canada

Province	Program name	Program		Eligibility criteria	Funding	Time requirement	Payback amount
		Family Medicine	Other
BC	Return of Service Program [22]	✓		Parallel stream for designated residency positions [23]	Not specified	1 year ROS/1 year training; to maximum of 3 years [22]	Training cost + interest + estimated damages (cost of replacement physician + average annual MSP billings). [22]
SK	Family Medicine Resident Bursary [39, 40]	✓		Specific for family medicine residents [40]	$25,000 per year (up to three years) [40]	1 year ROS/2 years in regional community, 1 year in rural community, or 6 months with SK Medical Association locum program [40]	All or a portion of the costs + interest [40]
MB	Northern Remote Family Medicine Stream (NRFMS) [41]	✓		Parallel stream**; required for anyone who is matched to this particular stream [28]	$50,000 taxable [28, 41]	2 years [28]	$50,000 + interest; can be prorated [28, 41]
	Medical Student/Resident Financial Assistance Program (MSRFAP) [38, 42]	✓	✓	Available to family medicine residents at the University of MB or a MB College of Medicine residency program in another Canadian/US university [42]	$20,000 grant [42]	1 year of ROS/1 year grant received [42]	Not specified
NL	Medical Resident Bursary Program [32]	✓	✓	Parallel and competitive streams; existing service need must be identified by the RHA [23]	$25–90,000 based on ROS community [32]	36 months/bursary [32]	Prorated cost of training based on number months of ROS unfulfilled + interest [43]
NS	Family Medicine Bursary [44]	✓		Available to full-time, part-time and locums [44]	$60,000 [44]	3 years [44–45]	Not specified
NB	Recruitment Incentives for New Physicians and Medical Residents (urban) [35]	✓		Available to residents in their last 2 years of residency training as well as new physicians, up to 6 months prior to their start date [35]	$30,000 [35]	2 consecutive years [35]	Not specified
	Recruitment Incentives for New Physicians and Medical Residents (rural) [35]	✓			$80,000 [35]	4 consecutive years [35]
PEI	Family Medicine Physician Return-in-Service Grant [36]	✓		Physicians must be relocating from out of province or be in the PEI Family Medicine Residency Training Program and not have another ROS commitment [36]	Up to $90,000 (depending on location) [36]	Not specified	Repayment of funds + interest [36]
	Family Medicine Sponsorship Program [37]	✓			$80,000 [37]	5 years [37]

ROS return of service; CMG Canadian medical graduates

*Voluntary ROS programs are available only to CMG

**Parallel—international medical graduates (IMG) apply to a separate stream of positions than CMG in one or more disciplines; competitive—IMG apply to the same positions as CMGs in all disciplines