Another confusion with Canadian licensing...

[biawaz]

Hi!

I've searched the forum but I couldn't find anything that would explain my problem.

I'm a last-but-one year med student in Poland, and I've been thinking about moving to Canada to practice after having graduated AND completing my (hope so) radiology residency and passing the relevant exams. I've been looking for information about the whole licensing process to validate my qualifications in Canada but what I've found was rather confusing to me.

The thing is, most of information I've found applies to the graduates after med school trying to validate their diploma and getting to open a residency in Canada. However there is few info (or at least I haven't found any) about registering certified specialists practising certain discipline (like radiology or anaesthesiology) willing to move to Canada and practice there.

My main question is whether it is really necessary to such a person, apart from passing all the exams (MCCEE, MCCQE and the board exam of the specialty that he wants to practice), to REDO their residency in Canada? Isn't there any way that foreign residency and specialty certification could be recognised? Because what I've figured out so far was that basically when coming to Canada you are treated as a person who just graduated from med school, regardless to what further training you've completed.

Thanks for answering, sorry if I failed to find a similar thread that already exists.

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[realaircanada]

From some of my own research and from reading a lot on these forums, it seems like you must do your residency in Canada or the USA to be able to work in Canada. I believe there are some very limited exceptions when you train in a commonwealth nation, such as if you are a family doctor from Australia/UK, but even still you must jump through some hoops to get fully licensed. That advice that permeates throughout this site is to go to school in the country you wish to practice in and if you can't, work your butt off to get a residency in that country or else your pretty much screwed.

 

[biawaz]

Thanks for your reply!

So in that case, if I am very determined to work in Canada, it would be better for me to pass UMSLE 1 & 2, do my residency in USA and then go to Canada? Does that make any sense? And in case I'm not so determined to work in Canada - is US licensing system a bit easier for foreign specialists?

 

[realaircanada]

Easier is a relative term; more foreign trained doctors enter the USA because they have a population ~10x larger than Canada and therefore have more residency positions available. I do not know if the actual tests and process of becoming fully licensed is any easier/more difficult in the USA than in Canada. Also, I do not know your citizenship but that is also something to consider because you will need a visa to study in the States. I'm not sure of the exact details, but for Canadian citizens doing residency in the USA you need a statement of need from the Canadian government saying the specialty your training in is in demand in Canada, which allows you to get the appropriate visa. Either way, you are looking a difficult route.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Thanks for your reply!

So in that case, if I am very determined to work in Canada, it would be better for me to pass UMSLE 1 & 2, do my residency in USA and then go to Canada? Does that make any sense? And in case I'm not so determined to work in Canada - is US licensing system a bit easier for foreign specialists?

Yes-you can't do a residency in Canada if you aren't a citizen either I belive

 

[realaircanada]

Yes-you can't do a residency in Canada if you aren't a citizen either I belive

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is true

 

[NewCanadian]

Hi!

I've searched the forum but I couldn't find anything that would explain my problem.

Here are links to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada that has the information you are looking for on Certification in a specialty and/or subspecialty.

http://www.royalcollege.ca/portal/page/portal/rc/credentials/start/routes

http://www.royalcollege.ca/portal/p...documents/credentials/policy_procedures_e.pdf
See Section VII

http://www.royalcollege.ca/portal/page/portal/rc/credentials/start

Getting a medical licence is a distinct process from certification.
All the licensing bodies can be found here:
www.fmrac.ca

Other responses above advise that if you want to practice in Canada, then you should do your residency in Canada or the United States.
There are loads of details involved in US residency training which I won't go into here.

 

[biawaz]

Thank you all for the answers and the references!

So, if I get it correctly, first thing that I would have to do would be to get all of my medical training certified by RCPSC, and then, apply for practice license at one of the licensing bodies within a specific province, is that right?

I also have one more question - could you explain to me briefly what is the difference between provisional and general license register? I understand that the provisional license requires a sponsor and a supervisor appointed by the sponsor, but are there some significant practical differences once I get the license?

Other responses above advise that if you want to practice in Canada, then you should do your residency in Canada or the United States.

Yeah, that's the general message that I get throughout the Internet, though I've written a message to CPS of Alberta, NL and NS and it appears that at least Alberta has regulations for licensing doctors that have completed the entire training abroad (although only the provisional license - that's where my last question came from), therefore it must be possible to get the license.(though I do see that it's a rather tough process - still, it doesn't hurt to ask )

 

[NewCanadian]

There is what's called a Canadian Standard Medical Licence. You get that when you have both certification from the RCPSC or CFPC and the LMCC. LMCC is a document issued after you have passed all the MCC exams. Doctors who train in Canada get this one. There are no geographical restrictions and you are entirely independent in your practice. It is 'portable' across Canada.

Each of the provincial licensing organizations (eg, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan) is in charge of medical licences in their province. Each College has its own bylaws, rules and procedures. It can issue medical licenses that are 'provisional', 'conditional' , 'restricted' according to your circumstances. The terminology may differ somewhat for each College. EG, in Ontario, you might get a restricted licence but still be independent, where the restriction is geographical. In Ontario, say you have ABIM but not RCPSC: the CPSO could designate you a 'specialist' on its register but you're not a RCPSC specialist. Yes, it is clear as mud.

Another example: Nova Scotia: a doctor who trained in family medicine outside North American can go through a thorough assessment of her skills and credentials by the College, and receive a licence to practice in family medicine in nova scotia.

Look, if you want to be sure you can apply for a medical licence anywhere in Canada, then write every Canadian medical examination. All of them. If you don't want to write all Canadian exams (or money won't let you), then you will have to follow whatever assessment process is set out by the licensing authority in the province you choose to work in.

 

[UBC2014]

From some of my own research and from reading a lot on these forums, it seems like you must do your residency in Canada or the USA to be able to work in Canada. I believe there are some very limited exceptions when you train in a commonwealth nation, such as if you are a family doctor from Australia/UK, but even still you must jump through some hoops to get fully licensed. That advice that permeates throughout this site is to go to school in the country you wish to practice in and if you can't, work your butt off to get a residency in that country or else your pretty much screwed.

This is incorrect.

Commonwealth specialists are able to practice in Canada as well, but again have to go through some hoops - much less hoops than FM which is easier.


Also note, that in order to practice in Canada -you need to be a PR or a citizen...you'd have to look into coming to Canada through programs that hire FMGs in rural areas to get that process going. Not sure about this.