US board certified family physician - return to Canada

[Frostmoon]

I am a Canadian citizen and finished residency in US. I'm currently working full-time in US as a border certified family physician. Due to family issues, I'm thinking about returning to Canada next year. How can I obtain unrestricted license upon returning? I intend to practice in Ontario. I heard that I might need to complete MCCQE2, but the exam had been canceled twice this year. Is there anyway to get full license without taking QE2? Any input is appreciated.

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[AnesthAnon]

Some provinces will grant you a full unrestricted license if you have your USMLE + board certification in FM, I'm just not sure which - maybe SK? BC? MB? AB?

You should check each provincial licensing authority for more information.

 

[schmutz]

I'm going through this right now (in a different specialty). This is what I have learned so far:

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will take USMLEs in lieu of MCCQEs. Once you get the full license in one of the provinces that signed the free-trade agreement, you are eligible for a license in other provinces. So, in theory, you should be able to get a full license with CPSO if you can get it in any other province, even if you don't qualify for CPSO license based on your credentials. Whether that works in practice I am not sure as I personally know no one who has done it.

If anyone knows more, please contribute! This is such a niche path that there are only a few people in the whole country who have taken it.

 

[Gos81238ia]

I'm going through this right now (in a different specialty). This is what I have learned so far:

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will take USMLEs in lieu of MCCQEs. Once you get the full license in one of the provinces that signed the free-trade agreement, you are eligible for a license in other provinces. So, in theory, you should be able to get a full license with CPSO if you can get it in any other province, even if you don't qualify for CPSO license based on your credentials. Whether that works in practice I am not sure as I personally know no one who has done it.

If anyone knows more, please contribute! This is such a niche path that there are only a few people in the whole country who have taken it.

Not so niche!! I know lots of people who have done it, myself included, I think just not clearly advertised how to be done. Yes bottom line is it depends which province you are trying to get to. Agree with NS and NB. Without MCC exams, Ontario and BC will give you a restricted license requiring supervision for a year. This generally restricts you to one practice location (ie. as a hospitalist only or clinic only) and requires someone to precept you. That person does not have to be on site. They can check in with you at their leisure. There is a practice assessment at your site with MCC at the end.

 

[schmutz]

Not so niche!! I know lots of people who have done it, myself included, I think just not clearly advertised how to be done. Yes bottom line is it depends which province you are trying to get to. Agree with NS and NB. Without MCC exams, Ontario and BC will give you a restricted license requiring supervision for a year. This generally restricts you to one practice location (ie. as a hospitalist only or clinic only) and requires someone to precept you. That person does not have to be on site. They can check in with you at their leisure. There is a practice assessment at your site with MCC at the end.

Gos, so have you gone the way of getting CPSO license by means of getting licensed in another province first? Do they require you to have actually worked in the province where you are licensed? Anything worth knowing before embarking on this path?

 

[Virk007]

Not sure if this has been answered before but I was curious about the path back home (Ontario). Currently finishing 3rd year FM residency. I will be writing ABFM boards in April 2021. Do I need to get a state license before I can apply for an Ontario license or just be "eligible" for one in the state? Currently on temporary training license. Thanks

 

[schmutz]

For the record, got a response from CPSBC. The RCPSC certifications and USMLEs will get you a full license in BC (despite what their perplexing "flowchart" may suggest). One question yet to be answered is: will CPSO/CPSA grant full license once a full license in NS or BC is acquired. Stay tuned.

 

[Gos81238ia]

Gos, so have you gone the way of getting CPSO license by means of getting licensed in another province first? Do they require you to have actually worked in the province where you are licensed? Anything worth knowing before embarking on this path?

I did not go through another province, no, so not sure on the details on that. While I was a resident in the US, I wrote QE1, QE2 and then the canadian FM exam alongside all my American exams. Was all licensed through CPSO in about 10 weeks.

 

[Gos81238ia]

Not sure if this has been answered before but I was curious about the path back home (Ontario). Currently finishing 3rd year FM residency. I will be writing ABFM boards in April 2021. Do I need to get a state license before I can apply for an Ontario license or just be "eligible" for one in the state? Currently on temporary training license. Thanks

Yes you need your state license, you have to be fully licensed in the US and graduated to even start the application process. The only thing you can skip is paying for a DEA number for prescribing controlled substances.

 

[Virk007]

Yes you need your state license, you have to be fully licensed in the US and graduated to even start the application process. The only thing you can skip is paying for a DEA number for prescribing controlled substances.

Just wanted to verify does having the actual state license speed up the process? According to their requirements it says have state license OR be eligible for one.

 

[crossled]

Not so niche!! I know lots of people who have done it, myself included, I think just not clearly advertised how to be done. Yes bottom line is it depends which province you are trying to get to. Agree with NS and NB. Without MCC exams, Ontario and BC will give you a restricted license requiring supervision for a year. This generally restricts you to one practice location (ie. as a hospitalist only or clinic only) and requires someone to precept you. That person does not have to be on site. They can check in with you at their leisure. There is a practice assessment at your site with MCC at the end.

how do you like your job? M3 here interested in returning to canada as well as fm doc!

 

[Gos81238ia]

how do you like your job? M3 here interested in returning to canada as well as fm doc!

Sorry for the delayed reply, but everything is going great for me and I am very happy I returned to Canada. I have full autonomy over my job and day to day schedule. I started by locuming, then I joined a FHO, built my own roster of patients and opened my own clinic after a year with a few colleagues. I have about 700 outpatients and see them over 2.5-3 days a week, then I also do FM-OB and surgical assist to boost the rest of my income. It's a great balance. I am my own boss as most family docs in Ontario are, so I am not signed on a contract with any "organization". I have changed my schedule a million times over and toyed with seeing anywhere from 6-12 patients in a half day to see what works for me. I've incorporated a mix of virtual care during COVID. I pick whichever days of the week I want to work and change them week by week. I book my vacation time any time I want to. I can at any time if I feel like it take on more or drop patients if I wanted to change my hours or income. My income is higher than anything I was offered in the US (even converted) for way less days/week of work and again, I have full autonomy over my day to day.

I know after doing residency in the states, it can seem really safe and like a great idea to sign up for a 4 day per week salaried job in the US rather than tackle an unknown path back to Canada, but once you've dipped your toes back in Canadian waters it's quite straightforward to get going and there's certainly some benefits to practicing here.

 

[Lee Ik-jun MD]

thank you for the above post
having family in North Vancouver, practicing in Canada is really tempting.

I have " verbal offers" but never really took the time to apply for license.

thanks again