Data released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information in 2024 puts the total number of physicians in Canada at 97,384. 53,074 physicians (54%) identify as male, while 44,310 (46%) identify as female.
On March 11th, 1875, Jennie Trout became one of the first women licensed to practice medicine in Canada. Denied entry to Canadian colleges and universities because she was a woman, Dr. Trout travelled south to attend medical school in Pennsylvania. Upon graduating in 1875, she returned to Toronto and passed examinations at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
Many of her contemporaries opposed her because she pushed society’s boundaries in the pursuit of equity and inclusion. Dr. Trout became a luminary advocate for medical education for Canadian women. She never gave up.
From a single female doctor in 1875, to 44,310 female MDs in 2025. In family medicine, women physicians account for 50% of the workforce across Canada. Women in medicine are integral to our healthcare systems.
March 11th is Canadian Women Physicians Day. Medical and Academic Affairs recognizes the trailblazing contributions of MDs like Jennie Trout and Emily Stowe, and we honour and celebrate the women physicians who continue to drive innovation and excellence in healthcare.