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Getting licensed in Canada

Started by AllieLane
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AllieLane

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7+ Year Member
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Hello all.

I graduated from a US accredited vet school and am currently practicing in the US. I am planning on moving to Canada next year due to personal reasons, and I am looking into getting licensed in Canada. Honestly I am a little shocked as according to the information I found so far, among the long list of documents needed, I also need a recommendation letter from my current state board - are they even gonna do this for me???

I am wondering if anyone has similar experience and can provide some guidance.

Thank you!
 
Personally, I would recommend you contact the licensing body of the province where you want to become licensed and practice. http://wiki.cvma-acmv.org:8090/display/NEBP/Coordinates+of+Provincial+Veterinary+Licensing+Bodies You'll get a much more helpful and direct response (and the CVMA's website is a horror). I can see why it's confusing, for instance they say that they want a letter or recommendation from "someone in the veterinary profession or a responsible citizen", but then say it has to come from an official source and not a gmail account.

Yes, a letter of good standing from your current state board is easy and common - they do them all the time, stating that your license is valid and not under any current restrictions. They might charge a nominal fee, or something.
 
Personally, I would recommend you contact the licensing body of the province where you want to become licensed and practice. http://wiki.cvma-acmv.org:8090/display/NEBP/Coordinates+of+Provincial+Veterinary+Licensing+Bodies You'll get a much more helpful and direct response (and the CVMA's website is a horror). I can see why it's confusing, for instance they say that they want a letter or recommendation from "someone in the veterinary profession or a responsible citizen", but then say it has to come from an official source and not a gmail account.

Yes, a letter of good standing from your current state board is easy and common - they do them all the time, stating that your license is valid and not under any current restrictions. They might charge a nominal fee, or something.

Thank you! I got in touch with our state board, and they did say that they could do a letter of good standing with no problem, likely not a "recommendation".

And thank you for the webpage! I will get in touch with the province for more instructions.
 
Thank you! I got in touch with our state board, and they did say that they could do a letter of good standing with no problem, likely not a "recommendation".

And thank you for the webpage! I will get in touch with the province for more instructions.
Definitely contact the province. Be aware that you will also need a work visa assuming you are not a Canadian citizen. That typically requires you already have a work offer in hand, which obviously means you will need to contact practices and interview, etc. Not as simple as just getting licensed where you want to practice.