Do I NEED to take Mcc exams or rather should I ?

[jok200]

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I’m a family physician in the states and I’ll be moving to Ontario. I’m ABFM boarded and I plan on doing family clinic and some walk in clinic as well, not urgent care in the ED. Should I even take the MCC exams ??? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Iris42]

I think you should be able to write the board directly, your USMLE steps are enough, no need for MCC. Although I don't think you can practice in Ontario without 1 yr of Canadian GME, gotta do the pathway thing with the 1 yr of observership

 

[DJDakoo]

From what I know from FM friends, since the FM residency is longer in the US, you do not have to write the Royal College exam for FM in order to work in Ontario. These things are ALWAYS changing though - your best bet is to contact the RC directly and they will give you the exact answer. More reliable than SDN too lol

 

[ProtonPump]

Family Medicine in Canada is not accredited by the Royal College it is the College of Family Physicians see here for further info on certification: Recognized Training | Alternative Pathways to Certification in Family Medicine | Education | The College of Family Physicians Canada

Short answer is if you want an independent practice license then take the MCC exams if you are ok with taking a supervised practice job first then you could get a restricted certificate without the exams: CPSO - Recognition of Certification without Examination Issued by CFPC

 

[Gos81238ia]

I’m a family physician in the states and I’ll be moving to Ontario. I’m ABFM boarded and I plan on doing family clinic and some walk in clinic as well, not urgent care in the ED. Should I even take the MCC exams ??? Any help would be appreciated.

Hello,

I am very familiar with this process as I am ABFM boarded and just got my Ontario license so I can give you a definitive answer. The answer depends on how you want to start practicing:

1) To obtain an independent license (ie. practice immediately anywhere you want without a preceptor): You need to write QE1 and QE2 full stop. You do not need to write the Canadian family med exam if you have completed ABFM as they are equivalent, however writing the Canadian exam will speed up the process by about 2 months. If you can continue working in the states, then do that in the meantime. If you will be in Canada, an extra two months of sitting around is a lot of lost income.

2) To obtain a license through pathway-4 (ie. with a preceptor): You can directly apply with no additional exams. You will need to be precepted for a year, meaning you need to find a job that offers a preceptor (you can filter HFO jobs to see only ones with a preceptor). This also affects your income for the year as your preceptor gets some or most of your billings. At the end of the year, you need to undergo an in person/in clinic evaluation with the MCC; not a formal exam, but something like a representative coming to watch you in clinic.

Your go to resources will be Health Force Ontario for questions on the transition, College of Family Physicians of Canada to get your FM training recognized and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to get your Ontario license.

Let me know if you have additional questions, I'm happy to help.

 

[tonic-clonic]

Hello,

I am very familiar with this process as I am ABFM boarded and just got my Ontario license so I can give you a definitive answer. The answer depends on how you want to start practicing:

1) To obtain an independent license (ie. practice immediately anywhere you want without a preceptor): You need to write QE1 and QE2 full stop. You do not need to write the Canadian family med exam if you have completed ABFM as they are equivalent, however writing the Canadian exam will speed up the process by about 2 months. If you can continue working in the states, then do that in the meantime. If you will be in Canada, an extra two months of sitting around is a lot of lost income.

2) To obtain a license through pathway-4 (ie. with a preceptor): You can directly apply with no additional exams. You will need to be precepted for a year, meaning you need to find a job that offers a preceptor (you can filter HFO jobs to see only ones with a preceptor). This also affects your income for the year as your preceptor gets some or most of your billings. At the end of the year, you need to undergo an in person/in clinic evaluation with the MCC; not a formal exam, but something like a representative coming to watch you in clinic.

Your go to resources will be Health Force Ontario for questions on the transition, College of Family Physicians of Canada to get your FM training recognized and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to get your Ontario license.

Let me know if you have additional questions, I'm happy to help.

Thank you so much for the reply. I have been following as well. So to clear things up...if I give my exams I can have an independent license. If not then I have to work under someone for a year and then I can have an independent/unrestricted license?

 

[Gos81238ia]

Thank you so much for the reply. I have been following as well. So to clear things up...if I give my exams I can have an independent license. If not then I have to work under someone for a year and then I can have an independent/unrestricted license?

Yes exactly! I believe it’s 12-18 months of precepting, so sometimes over a year for some people. But you do get an independent license at the end.