Alberta’s pediatricians say they are grappling with intense workloads, rising patient needs and complexity, and an immanent wave of retiring doctors that will lead to a crisis if changes aren’t made to address these challenges.
Dr. Sam Wong, president of the pediatrics section of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA), says the number of pediatricians in Alberta hasn’t kept pace with the population boom, and “many pediatricians face burnout as we try to keep up with demand.”
Along with increased patient volume, Wong said there is a much greater need for children’s mental health and developmental care, but even with a referral, children are currently waiting 12 to 18 months to see a mental health practitioner due to high demand.
“As pediatricians, we got into this field to look after kids, and it's tough to see them going without the care that they need. My colleagues feel enormous moral distress as a result, which really intensifies the burnout they’re experiencing,” Wong said.
A January 2025 survey of AMA members found that 43 per cent of pediatricians were thinking of retiring, leaving Alberta, or cutting back clinical work. And 80 per cent reported being less satisfied with their work conditions.
Wong said that because of recent cuts to on-call pay for doctors in Alberta, many pediatricians are avoiding or leaving hospital work altogether.
“All these factors contribute to the waning interest among pediatricians to train work and stay in Alberta, making human resources issues even worse,” he said.
“We also know there are not enough pediatricians to replace the ones that are retiring, especially in rural areas that are already stretched thin. We will have a crisis in the next five to 10 years, especially in rural areas, if we don't do something to retain and hire pediatricians.”
Pediatricians are calling on the government to increase funding for children’s physical and mental health, offer better pay for pediatricians, incentivize work in acute care settings, and provide solutions to offset the viral surge that occurs each winter, such as fighting anti-vaccination messaging and health misinformation.
