Physician recruitment in Richmond, BC is a strategic, relationship-driven function that supports clinic stability and long-term community care. RDFP’s high-touch, concierge-style approach connects qualified candidates with the unique needs of Richmond clinics, focusing on long-term fit, professional integration, and retention. By prioritizing sustainable recruitment outcomes, we help physicians and clinics build lasting success.
Recruitment Improvements Implemented
Navigating Complexity and Overcoming Challenges
Recruitment in Richmond involves navigating a high volume of candidates across multiple pathways, each with unique regulatory, licensing, and contractual requirements. These may include Return of Service obligations for UBC residents, provisional registration pathways for internationally trained physicians, and other practice-specific considerations.
To support both candidates and clinics through this process, RDFP has developed a comprehensive, multi-stage recruitment framework. This personalized approach helps physicians successfully transition into practice while ensuring clinics find candidates who are a strong long-term fit.
Our recruitment process includes:
- Initial outreach and exploratory Meet & Greets
- Interview facilitation and clinic matching
- Contract negotiation and healthcare system navigation
- Licensing, immigration, and clinical onboarding support
The Streamlined Recruitment Concierge Model
Highlighting the journey and early outcomes of the first new graduate supported through RDFP’s Concierge Recruitment Model and its locum-to-permanent pathway since July 2025.
- 100% Placement Success: From initial engagement in July 2025, the physician secured four clinic locum placements through signed Alternative Payment Option (APO) agreements during a single recruitment cycle.
- Full Early-Career Capacity: The flexible onboarding model enabled the physician’s schedule to be fully booked from August 2025 to January 2026, providing six months of clinical coverage that helped alleviate provider shortages and reduce burnout across the medical community.
- Strong Early Retention: Comprehensive onboarding and ongoing support allowed the physician to focus on patient care and successfully transition into practice, resulting in an additional six-month part-time locum commitment through June 2026.
- Expanded Practice Exposure: Locum opportunities enabled the physician to experience a variety of clinical settings before selecting a long-term practice home, while also beginning to establish patient relationships and build a future patient panel.
Early Impact
This pilot demonstrates how a structured, relationship-driven recruitment approach can support successful physician integration, strengthen retention, and increase access to primary care services in Richmond.
Learn more about how the Richmond Division is improving family physician recruitment in our Annual Impact Report.