Medical Licensing in Canada
International Medical Graduates (IMG's) - Licensing in Canada
Summary of Licensing Steps to a Medical Licence in Canada
- Have your documents verified with PhysiciansApply.ca
- Pass the MCCQE1 exam in provinces where it is required
- Complete an Application for Medical Registration in the province where you will practice
- Obtain an eligibility letter from the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Specialist Consultants should contact the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
- Apply for your Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), if needed in the province where you will practice
- Determine if you need Health Authority or Ministry of Health sponsorship in the province where you will practice.
Canada Medical Careers’ recruiters will guide you through these steps if you practice with one of our clinic-clients or you can follow the detailed steps below.
Document Verification
As an international medical graduate from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or the USA wishing to come to Canada to practice as a physician, the first step to a medical licence you will take is to open an account at PhysicianaApply.ca, a portal of the Medical Council of Canada (MCC).
This is where your official documents will be verified. Once your documents are verified, you will share them with various regulatory authorities. PhysiciansApply.ca is also where you will register for the MCCQE1 exam, if you will be practising in a province where the exam is required.
There are usually five documents you will submit to the Medical Council of Canada, via PhysiciansApply.ca
- Passport – Your passport photo page and the facing page must be notarized by a lawyer or notary public.
- Medical Diploma – This is your medical school diploma. It does not need to be notarized. If there are two sides to your diploma, you must submit both.
- Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT in the UK or proof of completion of your family medicine training in Ireland, Australia and the United States).
- Certificate showing membership in the Royal College of General Practitioners, membership in the Irish College of General Practitioners, membership in the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, or diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine.
- Proof of registration with the General Medical Council in the UK or similar organizations in Ireland, Australia, and the United States.
The above documents must be submitted as follows:
- In their entirety showing all four corners.
- No markings on the document that are not part of the original document.
- Clear and easy to read. No camera flash if you photograph through a glass frame
- Full size A4 page (except the passport which can be original size copied onto a full size page).
- In some cases, translated documents may be required. Use an MCC authorized translator to avoid rejection.
- You must use a PhysiciansApply.ca/MCC cover sheet with each document.
- Upload your documents in PhysiciansApply.ca as instructed.
Each document will usually take two weeks to several months to be verified. If you don’t see any progress or if you need your documents verified quickly, ask your recruiter about the process to have document verification expedited.
There may be other documents required in unique circumstances, so it is always wise to discuss your documents with your recruiter.
Your documents, if acceptable, will be verified with the issuing organizations through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
On the home page of your PhysiciansAccount.ca account you will see a legend in the lower right-hand corner. This will explain the status of your documents. The goal is to have green checkmarks in front of all documents.
Exams
General practitioners from the UK, Ireland, and Australia will need to write the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam, Part 1 (MCCQE1) if they plan to practice in British Columbia and Alberta but the exam is not required in the provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. Ask your Canada Medical Careers recruiter about other provinces. There is no longer a MCCQE Part 2.
Canadian graduates and many IMG’s must pass examinations with the College of Family Physicians of Canada. International physicians from the UK, Ireland, Australia and the USA, with qualifying family practice credentials, may be eligible for certification if they qualify under CFPC’s Recognized Training and Certification From Outside Canada program.
To see if you qualify visit CFPC.ca and complete their self-assessment questionnaire.
Assessment Programs
Each of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories may offer other pathways to medical licensure in Canada. Contact the medical college in each province for details of any pathways they might offer.
Canadian Provincial Medical Colleges and Licensing Bodies
BC College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPSBC)
Alberta College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPSA)
Saskatchewan College of Physician & Surgeons (CPSS)
Manitoba College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPSM)
Ontario College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPSO
Quebec College of Physician & Surgeons CPSQ)
New Brunswick College of Physician & Surgeons (CPSNB)
National
Apply Now to Practice Medicine in Canada
We invite you to submit the simple, no-obligation, preliminary application below. Once we receive your application, we will be in touch within one business day, often immediately! For positions as a General Practitioner please apply only if you have the designations MRCGP, MICGP, FRACGP, FACRRM or DABFM (or an affiliate in the USA).