Licensing: MDs – Canada

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Canadian Medical Doctors

Doctors must be licensed in the province in which they would like to work. Individual provinces are responsible for issuing their own license to practice and general information is provided below for your convenience. Applicants are encouraged to contact the licensing body in the province in which they wish to work to confirm the specific requirements for that province.

Please note, if you currently hold a license to practice in another Canadian Province, licensure by endorsement is often possible. Again, please contact the appropriate provincial licensing body for specific details.

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Medical Doctors from the US or Mexico

Like Canadian physicians, American and Mexican physicians must obtain a provincial license before being allowed to practice in Canada.

Note that some provinces have special programs for doctors willing to go to areas of need, and exact requirements, and what may be temporarily or permanently waived, varies according to province, so the licensing body in the province(s) of interest must be contacted individually.

In general, however, the procedure to obtain a provincial license includes passing both parts of a two-part exam administered by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC), called the MCC Qualifying Exam Parts I and II (MCCQE I and MCCQE II). The MCCQE I is computer-based, offered in more than a dozen centers across the country, and offered during two periods: in spring (usually during a two-week period) and in the fall (usually during a one-week period). The MCCQE II is a three-hour Objective-Structured Clinical Examination, which assesses competence (knowledge, skills, and attitude) through candidates being presented with "problems in Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Preventive Medicine and Community Health, Psychiatry and Surgery, as well as in similar disciplines considered essential for competence in general medicine and health care." The MCCQE II is typically held at more than a dozen locations across the country in spring and fall. For more information, you should contact the MCC directly.

Also note:

1. Before being able to challenge the MCCQE I and MCCQE II, American osteopaths and IMGs (or international medical students in their final clinical year), must first complete the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE). The MCCEE is a four-hour computer-based examination offered in both English and French at more than 500 centers in 73 countries worldwide. Exceptions: An IMG who is a specialist certified by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada may request an exemption from the MCCEE.
2. Applicants who attended a medical school outside of the United States and Canada must also note that to be eligible for the MCC examinations, they must have graduated from a medical school (or be in their final clinical year at a medical school) which is listed in either the International Medical Education Directory or the World Health Organization's World Directory of Medical Schools.

Specialty Practice: For detailed information about specialty certification, see The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Generally, however, if one hasn't completed specialty training in Canada, the requirements for specialty certification via the "Practice Ready Assessment Route" (PRA) include completing the following steps:

Visa information: Physicians are covered under NAFTA for the purposes of teaching and/or research only. If you are a citizen of the USA or Mexico, you are eligible for a visa. Permanent Residents of the USA or Mexico are not eligible under NAFTA.

You can obtain an Employment Authorization (NAFTA Professional Status) from any Canadian port of entry, US-Canadian border crossing, or Canadian Consulate (or in Canada, if you are already in the country as a visitor). No sponsorship is required. Job Offer Validation is not required. However, you will still need to provide proof of an offer of employment from your employer in Canada. You must also meet the minimum education, experience, and licensing requirements set for your profession.

Your documentation* you present must indicate:

*This documentation can include: a signed contract between you and an employer; a letter from your prospective employer confirming that employment has been offered and accepted; a letter from your current employer stating that you are entering another NAFTA member country to render services pursuant to a signed contract between your employer and an enterprise in that country.

The duration of the Employment Authorization is set for an initial period of one year. An unlimited number of one-year extensions may be subsequently obtained so long as you can show that the employment remains temporary, and that you continue to be qualified to work in your profession.

If you do not fall under the category of teaching and/or research, you are likely to require a work visa, and usually employer sponsorship is required. Note that Human Resources and Social Development Canada/Service Canada (HRSDC/SC) maintain regional lists of occupations under pressure. What this means is that if an occupation is on the list for the region, employers in the region will not be required to undertake lengthy or comprehensive advertising efforts before being eligible to apply to hire a qualified foreign worker, which saves them time. However, the employer will still have to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (also known as an employment confirmation) from SC, which can take weeks. So in a case in which a few provinces have a certain career listed as an "occupation under pressure," but the others do not, a person would more likely find success in finding a job if s/he were to apply for licensure in one of the provinces in which their career is an "occupation under pressure." Currently, all of the seven regional lists include "Specialist Physicians" and "General Practitioners & Family Physicians."

Please contact the nearest Canadian Embassy or Consulate to inquire about obtaining an Employment Authorization.

You can also find more information at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

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Medical Doctors from Outside North America

Like other physicians, internationally trained doctors must obtain a provincial license before being allowed to practice in Canada.

Note that some provinces have special programs for doctors willing to go to areas of need, and exact requirements, and what may be temporarily or permanently waived, varies according to province, so the licensing body in the province(s) of interest must be contacted individually.

In general, however, the procedure to obtain a provincial license includes passing both parts of a two-part exam administered by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC), called the MCC Qualifying Exam Parts I and II (MCCQE I and MCCQE II). The MCCQE I is computer-based, offered in more than a dozen centers across the country, and offered during two periods: in spring (usually during a two-week period) and in the fall (usually during a one-week period). The MCCQE II is a three-hour Objective-Structured Clinical Examination, which assesses competence (knowledge, skills, and attitude) through candidates being presented with "problems in Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Preventive Medicine and Community Health, Psychiatry and Surgery, as well as in similar disciplines considered essential for competence in general medicine and health care." The MCCQE II is typically held at more than a dozen locations across the country in spring and fall. For more information, you should contact the MCC directly.

Also note:

1. Before being able to challenge the MCCQE I and MCCQE II, American osteopaths and IMGs (or international medical students in their final clinical year), must first complete the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE). The MCCEE is a four-hour computer-based examination offered in both English and French at more than 500 centers in 73 countries worldwide. Exceptions: An IMG who is a specialist certified by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada may request an exemption from the MCCEE.
2. Applicants who attended a medical school outside of the United States and Canada must also note that to be eligible for the MCC examinations, they must have graduated from a medical school (or be in their final clinical year at a medical school) which is listed in either the International Medical Education Directory or the World Health Organization's World Directory of Medical Schools.

Specialty Practice: For detailed information about specialty certification, see The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Generally, however, if one hasn't completed specialty training in Canada, the requirements for specialty certification via the "Practice Ready Assessment Route" (PRA) include completing the following steps:

Visa information: You are required to have a Canadian Employment Authorization before being allowed employment in Canada. Sponsorship is often required. Note that Human Resources and Social Development Canada/Service Canada (HRSDC/SC) maintain regional lists of occupations under pressure. What this means is that if an occupation is on the list for the region, employers in the region will not be required to undertake lengthy or comprehensive advertising efforts before being eligible to apply to hire a qualified foreign worker, which saves them time. However, the employer will still have to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (also known as an employment confirmation) from SC, which can take weeks. So in a case in which a few provinces have a certain career listed as an "occupation under pressure," but the others do not, a person would more likely find success in finding a job if s/he were to apply for licensure in one of the provinces in which their career is an "occupation under pressure." As of when this was last updated (see date below the box), all of the seven regional lists include "Specialist Physicians" and "General Practitioners & Family Physicians."

Please contact the nearest Canadian Embassy or Consulate to inquire about obtaining an Employment Authorization.

You can also find more information at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

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