1. wait time for both systems has increased over the past 20 years but it varies by province since each one runs its medical system to large extent. They also have a doctor shortage. UPDATE: Ave Canadian wait for specialist after GP referral is 27 weeks. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250729/dq... 2. Specialist wait times in the US rose for most specialists in the past 20 years. See link 3. They come from the magic specialist tree. Oh snap, it took my kid 4 years of med school, 3 years of residence to become a board certified internal med doc and 3 years of fellowship to become a board certified oncologist. And add the BS that’s 14 years. My kid who is a nurse practitioner had 4 years for BSN and 3 for NP degree. 4. 2/3 of post md training funds ultimately come from the feds with some like Virginia’s program for rural docs from the state. A little bit comes from insurance companies. ** Edited by Va AandM at 6/2/2026, 7:44:14 AM