ManitobaAnother American doctor is citing the current political climate in the U.S. as a reason why he decided to come work in Manitoba.Province would benefit from ramping up recruitment efforts south of the border, says new Winnipeg physicianArturo Chang · CBC News · Posted: Oct 25, 2025 10:40 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesDr. Jesse Krikorian says Donald Trump’s presidency has made it harder to provide care in the U.S. Krikorian is one of six American physicians who’ve chosen to move to Manitoba after Trump took office. (Arturo Chang/CBC)Another U.S. doctor is citing the current political climate in the U.S. as a reason why he decided to come work in Manitoba.Dr. Jesse Krikorian began taking patients at Klinic Community Health in Winnipeg earlier this month.The family physician decided to leave Michigan for Manitoba as the province ramped up efforts to recruit U.S. doctors in the wake of Donald Trump’s second term.”A lot of my care focuses on underserved populations, including trans health,” Krikorian said. “I wanted [to go] somewhere where it was more of a sure bet that I was going to be able to provide the care that I know is necessary for my patients.”The doctor said a lot of evidence-based medicine like vaccines and gender-affirming care came under attack very quickly after Trump took office, and that it’s become harder for physicians to do their jobs and for patients to get the care they need.Krikorian, a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, said he’s worried the administration may embolden people to discriminate against an already victimized population.”I continue to be very worried about my friends and … my former patients back in the U.S.,” Krikorian said. “This care is becoming very hard to access, and we know that it can really improve quality of life. And I’m also worried about the increasing level of rhetoric around trans rights. This is a population that’s already at risk.”Numbers ‘encouraging’: Doctors ManitobaEarlier this week one of six U.S. doctors recruited by the province told CBC News political instability as one of the factors behind her decision to come to Canada. Manitoba says there are 27 other physicians are in various stages of the recruitment process.Doctors Manitoba president Dr. Nichelle Desilets said she’s pleased to see the province is finally tapping into the U.S. “It’s very encouraging to hear that 2025 is shaping up to be a record year,” she said in a statement.Annual reports from the College of Physicians and Surgeons show that on average, the province only hired two U.S. trained physicians per year over the past 15 years.The last time the province recruited six U.S. doctors was in 2018-19. Since Trump was elected, Manitoba has registered 10 U.S. physicians, and eight additional doctors have open applications.Desilets said despite the strong progress, it’s still early, and Manitoba continues to deal with a record shortage.Province ‘might not be on the radar’ for many: KrikorianOther provinces have also ramped up recruitment efforts as they look to benefit from the political turmoil south of the border. The Ontario government said earlier this month more than 260 U.S.-board certified doctors have moved to that province so far this year amid efforts to make it easier for them to move there.Last month, the B.C. government said it had hired 38 American doctors and 90 nurses following a recruitment campaign that included a $5-million digital ad blitz targeting American health-care workers. Nova Scotia, P.E.I., New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan all launched similar recruitment initiatives after Trump was elected president.Krikorian, who was originally looking at Vancouver and Toronto as potential destinations, said Manitoba could do more to get the word out.”There are a lot of U.S. doctors who are considering … international options, but for whom Manitoba might not be on the radar, on the map,” he said. “I didn’t know that much about Manitoba before I came here and found this job listing…. There could be a big impact to increasing awareness of Manitoba as an option.”The Manitoba government launched an eight-week, $500,000 ad campaign this summer targeting health-care workers in four U.S. states, including some that have placed limitations in gender-affirming care or where abortion is banned.Doctors Manitoba also began running its own recruitment ads shortly after Trump was elected.”I have a number of colleagues who are making plans,” Krikorian said. “A lot of them are thinking about Canada. I mean, it’s right here.”ABOUT THE AUTHORArturo Chang is a reporter with CBC Manitoba. Before that, he worked for CBC P.E.I. and BNN Bloomberg. You can reach him at arturo.chang@cbc.ca.
Doctor says U.S. targeting of underserved groups, trans health factored into Manitoba move
