Burnout Crisis in Canadian Emergency Medicine
A recent Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) study found that one in ten emergency physicians in Canada have left the specialty, and many describe the future of emergency medicine as hopeless.
Survey Results Show Widespread Distress
Among 410 respondents, 41 reported leaving emergency medicine: 25 moved to another practice setting, 10 retired, and six stopped treating patients altogether. Of the 351 physicians who completed the full survey, 163 (46 %) scored high on emotional exhaustion and 193 (55 %) scored high on depersonalization, a sense of unreality about themselves or their environment.
Working Patterns and Attempts to Cope
Nearly half of the remaining physicians said they were reducing clinic hours, while 20 % reported taking time off in an effort to mitigate burnout.
Systemic Challenges Contributing to Burnout
Respondents identified a broken healthcare system, unrealistic societal expectations, and insurmountable workplace challenges as primary sources of stress. Dr. Catherine Varner, an emergency physician and deputy editor at CMAJ, noted that physicians feel unable to meet standards of care and unable to change the systems they work within.
Demographic Trends
Younger and female emergency physicians were found to be more likely to experience burnout, raising concerns about the sustainability of the workforce as these groups are more inclined to leave the field.
Implications for Patient Care and Hospital Capacity
If physicians continue to exit the specialty, emergency departments may face staffing shortages that cannot be filled, leading to closures, unfilled shifts, and unavailable emergency beds, according to Dr. Varner.
Career Loss and Workforce Gaps
Dr. Kerstin de Witt, Professor of Emergency Medicine at Queen’s University, emphasized that losing physicians early in their careers means losing their entire contribution to the emergency department, posing a major threat to the workforce.
Rising Wait Times in Emergency Departments
Data from a June report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) indicate that one in ten patients admitted to an emergency department waited more than 48 hours for an inpatient bed in 2024‑2025, affecting roughly 180,000 individuals.
Emergency Department Visits and Overcrowding
In 2024‑2025 there were 16.1 million emergency department visits across Canada, with 12 % resulting in hospitalization. Many physicians reported that their departments were constantly overcrowded, lacking sufficient space to treat patients safely, and that logistical challenges slowed care for seriously ill patients.
Ontario Survey Confirming Overcrowding
A separate Ontario Medical Association survey found that 74 % of emergency physicians described overcrowding as severe or critical, and 76 % said it affected their ability to provide timely care on most or almost every shift.
