Endocrinology in Canada

Informative Guide on Training, Practice Settings, and Salary Expectations

What is an Endocrinologist?

Endocrinologists are physicians that specialize in diagnosing and treatment of hormone-related conditions. The Endocrine System includes glands such as the adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries, testes, and the thyroid glands. These glands produce hormones that control aspects of the body, such as reproduction, stress release, and metabolism.

Practitioners of Endocrinology are trained to identify and diagnose endocrine conditions, create treatment plans, and prescribe medication.

The role includes recommending and interpreting bone mineral density tests and blood tests. The role also includes fine-needle aspiration biopsies of the patient’s thyroid and conducting imaging tests to check endocrine glands and organs.

Delivery of Care Settings

Endocrinologists deliver care in many settings. They work in hospitals, research institutions, private practices, and clinics. They can also join health systems and even work independently. Their care settings include a wide range of conditions such as diabetes, metabolism, Endocrine oncology, Neuroendocrinology, Pediatric endocrinology, Thyroid disease, and Pediatric endocrinology.

In large hospitals, endocrinologists use advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques. In clinic settings, they are given more freedom over their schedules and number of patients they will see. Some endocrinologists also work in academic settings and combine endocrinology practice with research and teaching.

Canadian Training General Requirements

Upon completion of medical school, to become certified in Endocrinology requires 6 years of training. This includes certification and enrollment in a Royal College-approved training program in internal medicine or pediatrics. A certification in a primary specialty is required to take the Royal College certification examination in metabolism and endocrinology.

Upon getting certification, doctors must also complete an additional 2 years of residency in adult or pediatric endocrinology and metabolism.

Applying to Canadian Medical Schools

Canada has 17 accredited faculties of medicine, distributed geographically across the country. Canadian medical schools are accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

According to The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), the number of places available is determined by provincial governments based on educational and financial resources, as well as Canada’s future physician workforce requirements. Medical schools have an increasing number of applicants every year, while the number of positions available for entry does not increase significantly.

Can International Students Apply to Canadian Medical Schools?

Since the universities are under provincial jurisdiction, the majority of places in a faculty of medicine are allocated to permanent residents of the province in which the university is located. So, although 14 out of the 17 medical schools accept international students, the number of actual positions is limited.

What International Medical Schools are Recognized in Canada?

Anyone with a Medical Degree (MD) from outside of the accredited Canadian and American programs who wants to undertake residency training or practice medicine in Canada is considered an International Medical Graduate (IMG). This includes Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) has a helpful guide to the acceptable medical schools as defined in the Model Standards for Medical Registration in Canada.

How are Endocrinologist Paid?

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) which provides essential information on Canada's health systems and the health of Canadians and has the following data:

• Most physicians receive compensation through multiple models, including both fee-for-service and alternative payments.
• Alternative methods of paying physicians include salaries, sessional and hourly rates, capitation models and contract-based payments.
• The largest payment program as a proportion of total gross clinical payments to physicians in Canada is fee-for-service, at about 73% of total payments in 2018–2019.
• Fee-for-service services provided by physicians can be split into 2 broad types: consultations/visits and procedures.

What are Endocrinologists Paid in Canada?

The gross range of potential annual earnings can vary based on factors including hours, experience, province, rural or urban location, clinic setup, as well as incentives and bonuses offered. A range we see for Endocrinologists across Canada is $300,000 to $600,0000.

Demand for Endocrinologists in Canada

The demand for Endocrinologists is high in Canada. This occupational group is expected to face labour shortage conditions over the period of 2019-2028 at the national level.

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This page is a general guideline only and is not intended as financial or other professional advice. Remuneration ranges are from both source information and our job board. All content is subject to change.