We believe that moving your career to Nova Scotia should be as easy and enjoyable as living your life in Nova Scotia. So, if the thought of packing everything up, finding a new home and career is daunting, allow us to help. Nova Scotia Health offers a variety of incentives designed to relieve some of the pressure, cost, and difficulty that comes with relocation.
Nova Scotia Health incentive programs
Site visit program
Visit Nova Scotia before committing to relocating. We will reimburse you (and a plus one) for a one-time visit to potential practice sites. Physicians must have an approved site visit application submitted prior to the visit.
Physicians will be reimbursed for a one-time visit. A site visit may include more than one site and more than one zone within Nova Scotia Health. Each site must be approved in advance to receive reimbursement and you must be eligible for licensure in Nova Scotia.
Costs that will be reimbursed include return airfare, meals, accommodations, vehicle rental, fuel, or mileage (Atlantic Canada only) for the physician and one additional person (spouse, partner, child).
For more information, contact a recruitment consultant.
Relocation allowance
Relocation Allowance Physicians may apply to have their eligible moving costs reimbursed up to $20,000.
Physicians must have accepted a full-time practice opportunity and remain in full-time practice within Nova Scotia for one year or will be asked to return their travel allowance reimbursement. Physicians must follow the application process and submit eligible receipts. Reimbursements will be processed after the physician has relocated and has entered into full-time practice.
For more information, contact a recruitment consultant.
Rural Specialist Retention Incentive
Eligible specialist physicians working in Nova Scotia’s rural communities will receive a $16,000 annual payment after three years.
Negotiated Benefits
Physicians in Nova Scotia are provided with health and dental benefits, EMR grants, funded locum coverage, CME funding, and parental leave.
Physician Retirement Incentive
The retirement benefit is available to all full- and part-time doctors who are licensed to work in Nova Scotia and provide direct patient care or clinical services such as specialists in radiology and pathology. The amounts doctors can receive based on their years of service, are as follows:
- Five or fewer years of service – $5,000 annually; no savings contribution by the doctor is required
- Five to 15 years – up to $10,000 annually
- More than 15 years – up to $15,000 annually.
The Province’s contribution is based on full-time equivalency. Doctors who work part-time will have their hours prorated and contribution matched based on their full-time equivalency.
Nova Scotia Department of Health & Wellness incentive programs
Family physicians and specialists who want to establish full-time community based practices in the Central Zone may be eligible for up to $75,000 in incentives ($25,000 when they sign the agreement and $10,000 per year for the next five years). These payments will be made at the end of each year after contract deliverables are met.
Those establishing practices outside the Central Zone may be eligible for up to $125,000 over five years. Physicians remunerated through an Alternative Payment Plan (APP) are ineligible, though part-time APP and community-based practitioners may qualify for a pro-rated incentive.
For more information on these programs, including eligibility criteria, contact Department of Health and Wellness at physicianresources@novascotia.ca. All Department of Health and Wellness physician incentives are taxable.
Locum support
Come explore Canada's ocean playground and learn about what it is like to practice here. Nova Scotia Health offers a number of locum opportunities throughout the province.
The Provincial Locum Program helps bring medical care to patients of eligible physicians when the physician is away from their respective practice due to illness, vacation, or continuing medical education.
Locum physicians in family medicine and designated specialties receive the following payments.
- Per diem rate ($100/day)
- Accommodations (100% to a maximum of $300 daily at a hotel, AirBnb, etc.)
- Airfare (100% at regular economy rate to a maximum of $1,500)
- Mileage in Nova Scotia
- Overhead (paid at $250 per day where applicable)
- Call stipend (paid on top of other payments when a locum physician is covering call)
- College licensing fees will be paid for out-of-province locum physicians
Locum physician minimum income guarantee
Locum physicians shadow bill above the minimum daily rate, the excess is paid to the locum physician at 100%. No payment for services delivered after-hours, unless billings exceed the daily guarantee. Guaranteed income varies per speciality:
- General practitioner: $1,200/day
- Psychiatry: $226.85/hour
- Emergency medicine: up to $300/hour based on location and time of day
- Hospitalist: up to $2,100/day based on roster size
- Specialist: $1,600/day
The locum program is administered by Medavie Blue Cross on behalf of the Nova Scotia government. The Department of Health and Wellness provides policy direction and funding. Physicians interested in participating in the locum program must submit application forms to, and establish billing arrangements through, Medavie Blue Cross. Locum registration—including guidelines, application forms and claim forms—may be found at MSI - Locum Registration – (bluecross.ca).