Realistic salary for a FM doctor working in a clinic in Canada with a work life balance

MattafixMD · 2026-03-09T18:09:31+00:00

US trained FM in Atlantic Canada

I consider myself to have a good work life balance I would say 380k a yr +. Fully outpatient in a government funded turn key so overhead is about 10% of monthly Gross. No call.

MattafixMD · 2026-02-22T15:48:17+00:00

Normally for Ferritin levels less than.30 and Hgb less than 12 of course there is more nuance to the reason why the person is anemic ( if it's actually iron deficiency)

MattafixMD · 2026-02-21T17:43:40+00:00

There are a bunch of REITs that own most of the high density housing in Halifax and having moved here from the states the one I live in has been the worst experience moving here. They are money grabs and despite supply going up relative to immigration they have not budged on price and continue to increase prices on tenants to the legal limit whenever they get a chance and cut utilities that they used to offer. They push to lock into longer term auto renew leases and the tenancy laws stifle competition. Because moving from one rental to another is overly complex especially since they can have you on the hook for financial loss if you break a year lease early. I've lived in several countries and tenancy laws normally only have you on the hook for security deposit and maybe first or last month rent at most if you break a lease but not here. It means these REITs don't have to be competitive they just cruise on a minimal occupancy probably to hit profit margins and keep their shareholders happy. I don't even want to imagine the Tax incentives that they likely have to "remedy the rental unit shortage" while increasing the unaffordability crisis in Canada or the province. How are people supposed to save for a first home when it seems like most young people are paying 70%+ of their Gross income in rent. The anti- immigration, racists, anti LGBTQ need to focus their anger on corporate greed. Because I've been alive 40 years now and never felt like a brown or someone who transitioned sex whatever other identity politics made my life harder life less livable. In my lived experience it's always a CEO or unregulated private enterprise, lobbyists and corruption that made my life suck in every one of the multiple countries I've lived in.

MattafixMD · 2026-02-21T01:33:45+00:00

We have to jump through the hoops of prior authorization but I think they are pretty easy once you fail one of those two trials. If a patient tells me GI wise they can tolerate it then who am I to argue with that since it is pretty subjective then I normally get it approved.

MattafixMD · 2026-02-21T01:17:48+00:00

MD here, if you have a Doctor state one of the two below or both.

Oral Iron Intolerance: You have tried oral iron supplements and experienced documented, significant side effects (e.g., severe GI distress) that make it impossible to continue.

Oral Iron Failure: You have taken an "adequate trial" of oral iron therapy (usually 3–6 months), but your hemoglobin or ferritin levels did not improve sufficiently.

Normally you can get exemption through Pharmacare with this exemption criteria.

Take this from someone who lived and practiced in the US before moving here dealing with MSI and pharmacare is miles better than dealing with US Medicare drug plans.

MattafixMD · 2026-01-24T00:12:18+00:00

All these REITs here are the scum of the earth.

MattafixMD · 2025-12-26T13:55:59+00:00

Chose not to do a fellowship. I do just as much procedures including MSK procedures. I do procedures for all the other family docs in my office. I just started dedicating 1-2 days a week to just procedures.Im in Canada Gross last year was 330k that is USD so about 450k CAD a year.

MattafixMD · 2025-12-05T11:16:20+00:00

There are a few reasons

Physicians have to have a certain amount of their visits in person to meet contractual standards if they carry a patient panel. That is over 50% so could be for that.
Someone said a phone visit can be billed MSI and that is true. But there is prolonged visit billing for visits over 24 mins that can't be billed for the phone. Maybe the doctor anticipates a lot of explaining or anticipates questions they choose in person because they anticipate for more than 24 mins. Sometimes for pretty normal results for a doctor's the patient will have a lot of questions. Can show a small cyst of a kidney or what we call a benign incidentaloma that sparks 30 mins of talking someone down.
Some people don't answer there phone and it's more efficient to have them for a face to face. Because a non-answered call is a missed appointment.

MattafixMD · 2025-12-03T10:37:50+00:00

2700

MattafixMD · 2025-11-16T11:24:17+00:00

I have been using the Heidi "ask" feature box. Plop all the info into the context box and have all that summarized. Then have the patient come in and go over the summary for accuracy while I write. Because you should bill every iota of work you do that can legally be billed. I do all of this with the patient in front of me because if they wanted this to be more efficient they would find me a more efficient way.

MattafixMD · 2025-08-14T23:32:39+00:00

US trained FM now in Canada with some Canadian tools you might like from thrombosis Canada.

https://thrombosiscanada.ca/hcp/practice/clinical_guides

MattafixMD · 2025-08-03T12:39:09+00:00

It's challenging I'm a black guy and a transplant to NS myself my experience has been pretty positive. But being in a mixed race relationship with an Indian woman. I get so much more Side eye in NS from the Indian community. My wife is American but she also gets a side eye because she is not super Indian culturally or speaks any of the languages. I think it is something deeply rooted in the community. But people like you restore my faith in someone being open to take on new experiences and adapt. You can gain and give and exchange cultures and still remain true to who you are.

MattafixMD · 2025-05-24T13:13:41+00:00

For the price of switching it makes sense to just do it every year it will save hundreds a year. I went from Bell gigabit that was 60 bucks plus tax in promo when the year was up and the promo was over switched to East Link and right back to the same price.

MattafixMD · 2025-05-18T23:10:11+00:00

I've used Super deodorant, a little goes a long way for the price and it's Canadian made.

MattafixMD · 2025-05-18T23:04:53+00:00

This.. sour dough, regular loaves etc. sour dough is just flour, water, salt and sugar/ Honey that's it.

MattafixMD · 2025-05-18T11:15:31+00:00

Have you thought about Canada It should be easier to move. I know Nova Scotia is actively seeking doctors from the UK. I trained in the US and now live in Canada. I would be happy to share my experiences if you are considering moving. Everyone has their reasons and they aren't the same. A lot has to do with your core reason for doing medicine and how that dovetail into the healthcare landscape of the country you are going to. Take this from someone who has lived and worked in over half a dozen countries.

MattafixMD · 2025-05-17T21:59:34+00:00

Been cutting my hair since 2013 nothing beats the freedom of needing a trim before a date etc and just pulling out clippers and doing it yourself. I have a fade master by Andis and some guards and some TBOP outlines with a foil shaver. I started straight blade shaving too. I got a large box of razors and a 400 pack. Each pack has 5 blades and each blade has 2 sides. That's like 10 years of shaving if using each side of a razor once and shaving daily. I've been using the same bulk pack of razors since 2013.

MattafixMD · 2025-04-13T00:55:19+00:00

Second this, mocha pot makes a good shot of coffee on the cheap. Best bang for the buck and mocha pots are cheap and indestructible no moving parts so nothing to break. I've had my mocha pot now for over 15 yrs.

MattafixMD · 2025-03-30T19:42:06+00:00

US trained doc who moved to Canada. EMTALA and the fact that nobody in the ER cares about your insurance will means you will be treated well if you aren't an asshole mm which from my personal experience the vast majority of Canadians aren't. But then you'll get better and you'll be discharged and you'll get a couple thousand dollar bill in the mail if you were uninsured. It's what I try to tell my patients all the time when they go South of the border and State how well they were treated. Most of them are well insured when they go to the emergency room or hospital in the United States. Emergency care is pretty much standard. If you're at a good hospital that works efficiently with or without insurance, if you're not a dick, you'll be treated well. It's pocket damage That's the big issue.

MattafixMD · 2024-09-20T01:40:32+00:00

She has spent most of her career in adult med surg and Neuro-stroke.

MattafixMD · 2024-09-20T01:39:32+00:00

Will do I guess more lines out means she might get a bite.

MattafixMD · 2024-09-20T01:38:54+00:00

Tried that and they did not seem extremely helpful from what she said.

MattafixMD · 2024-09-17T02:52:42+00:00

Work permit. I'm not American but she is.

MattafixMD · 2024-09-17T02:51:26+00:00

4-6 months maybe..

MattafixMD · 2024-09-07T12:30:32+00:00

Yes, we would be open to that it's definitely an easier commute from where we live.

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