Due to the competitive nature of the Canadian medical school landscape, prospective medical students have increasingly sought opportunities to study medicine abroad. Some students have pursued medical school in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, with the long-term goal of returning to North America.

As an international medical graduate (IMG) looking to match to medical residency programs in Canada or the US, it is important to be aware of the challenges you will have to overcome to match successfully. In this article, you will learn about the eligibility criteria for IMGs in Canada and how recent SGU Canadian graduates have prepared for a successful medical career in Canada.

Route to Canadian licensure for IMGs

Canada is estimated to face a deficit of nearly 44,000 physicians before the end of this decade. Amid this nationwide doctor shortage, the need for quality medical school graduates is higher than ever. If you’re hoping to bring your medical training and expertise back to Canada as an IMG, you’ll need to take the following step:

Review the established criteria for the Medical Council of Canada

Before an internationally trained doctor can practice medicine in Canada, they will need to have their qualifications officially recognized.

The national organization that sets standards for physicians is the Medical Council of Canada (MCC). Its role in this process is to grant a qualification known as the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) to graduates who have completed the following:

• Achieved a passing score on the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part 1, in addition to passing the clinical assessment administered through the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) exam
• At least 12 months of acceptable postgraduate training>

The detailed criteria can be reviewed in the MCC’s Route to Licensure guide. It can be helpful to think of these conditions as the Canadian equivalent to the United States Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE) and US medical residency training. These standards are in place to ensure that internationally trained doctors have gained the knowledge, hands-on skills, and clinical aptitude necessary to meet Canadian expectations.

The MCC offers a credential verification service through PhysiciansApply.ca. This platform helps medical students and graduates apply for the necessary Canadian qualifying exams, facilitate medical registration, share credentials with medical regulatory authorities, and more.

Once you’ve been granted the LMCC qualification, you can move onto the next phase of Canadian medical licensure for foreign trained physicians.

Apply for Canadian medical licensure

As LMCC-qualified, you will then need to enroll in the Canadian Medical Register to ensure you meet the Canadian Standard — a set of qualifications that makes an applicant eligible for full licensing in every Canadian province and territory.

The MCC identifies four main criteria within the Canadian Standard. Qualifying physicians must:

• Have a medical degree from an institution listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools
• Be LMCC-qualified
• Have satisfactorily completed a discipline-appropriate postgraduate training program
• Have achieved certification from the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the Collège des médecins du Québec

It’s also worth considering that foreign-trained physicians don’t have to pursue full licensure that enables them to practice anywhere in the country. They have the option to start their Canadian practice with a provisional license, equipping them to practice medicine within a specific province.

Those looking to get a provisional license can take advantage of Practice-Ready Assessment (PRA) programs, if applicable in their intended province. PRA programs are designed specifically to offer clinical field assessments for internationally trained MDs who have completed medical residency training abroad. The process ensures that internationally educated physicians possess the appropriate clinical skills and knowledge to provide quality patient care in Canada, and it is province-specific.

If you’re unsure which pathway to Canadian medical licensure is best for you, it can be beneficial to speak with an advisor within your current medical or residency program.

Prepare for a successful medical career in Canada

As a Canadian-born medical student who is interested in pursuing formal training internationally, it’s clear there will be a few extra steps you’ll need to take before you can return to Canada to practice medicine. But it’s a process many before you have completed seamlessly.

You can learn how past medical school graduates made it happen in our article “5 SGU Grads Who Are Back Home Practicing Medicine in Canada.”

Are you considering St. George’s University Medical School? If you’d like to know more, you can reach out to an reach out to an SGU graduate. They’re happy to tell you what their experiences were like.

If you feel like SGU could be the right medical school for you, take the next step. Continue your research by visiting our request information page.