Whether joining an established clinic or starting a new practice, doctors can find professional support and personal balance here. With access to modern medical facilities and a diverse patient population, you can grow your career while enjoying the natural beauty, cultural vibrancy, and family-friendly lifestyle that define life in Cowichan.
Coming to Cowichan from outside of BC?
Be sure to check out the following resources to help you navigate your way to licensure:
BC Health Careers
Health Match BC
BC College of Physicians and Surgeons
College of Family Physicians of Canada
Doctors of BC
BC Family Doctors
Medical Council of Canada
Douglas College Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants
B.C. Skills Immigration (Health Authority)
B.C. Skills Immigration (Skilled Worker)
Our Medical Community
As of 2025, there were 19 family practice clinics with 83 physicians providing services throughout the community. The region is also home to a number of specialists from the departments of Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, Geriatrics, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, Plastic Surgery, Psychiatry, Radiology, and Urology.
Acute care for the region is provided at the Cowichan District Hospital (CDH) in Duncan, which
currently has 148 funded beds. CDH is complemented by two urgent care centres in Chemainus and Ladysmith.
Construction on a new hospital began in 2023 and is projected to be completed by 2027. The new facility will have increased capacity (204 beds) and will provide better access to care and resources for the community.
Cowichan is also a PCN (Primary Care Network) community, an initiative developed as part of BC’s broader Primary Care Strategy. Learn more about Cowichan’s PCN here. And, as of October 2025, Cowichan was home to a new Urgent & Primary Care Centre, also part of the province’s overarching primary care system transformation.