Eleven Nova Scotia communities are getting new doctors thanks to a program that recruits foreign-trained doctors for rural practices.

Some of the 13 new recruits started practising this week. All of them will be on the job by the New Year.

The doctors have been recruited under the Clinician Assessment for Practice Program.

The new recruits will be practising in communities all across the province, including in some that have had problems recruiting in the past.

Glace Bay, Bridgewater and Digby will be getting new doctors. New Glasgow will have two new doctors.

All will practice first under the supervision of a fully licensed and established physician. The hope is within two years the new doctors can be fully licensed and free to practice completely on their own.

Dr. Nasser Ghassemi, originally from Iran, is one of the new doctors. He’ll be practising in Hantsport. The former orthopedic surgeon is happy to get the chance to practice community medicine in Nova Scotia. He said he plans to bring his family here as soon as possible and put down roots.

Of the 69 graduates of this program since 2005, just over half are still in Nova Scotia.