Acceptable medical credentials for source verification

International medical credentials

Only certain medical international credentials or documents are eligible for source verification. Canadian credentials are not eligible for source verification.

Eligible international medical credentials

medical degree or diploma
medical school transcript
internship document
postgraduate training document
specialty certificate
medical licence or proof of registration

Ineligible documents

letters of employment or work experience
letters of recommendations
certificates or letters of ongoing training
membership with professional associations
language training documents
statements of examination results
curriculum vitae

Definitions of eligible international medical credentials

Medical degree or diploma

The final medical degree or diploma is an official document issued by your medical school or university confirming that you have graduated in medicine.

The degree or diploma submitted must:

Be a copy of the one used for framing and wall-hanging purposes (such as, the diploma given to you at convocation)
Be recognized by Canada (identified by a Canada Sponsor Note in the World Directory of Medical Schools)
Include the full name of your medical school or college. If the full name of your medical school is not included, you need to submit official documentation that clearly identifies the name of your school (e.g., graduation certificate, internship certificate, provisional certificate, final medical school transcript). Do not create a new source verification request for this additional document; upload it with the copy of your diploma.

Medical school transcript

The final medical school transcript is an official complete record of your medical education and is issued by your medical school.

The transcript must:

Be issued after your degree has been awarded
Indicate the degree title
Confirm your graduation date
Include the grades and/or credits you received for all courses taken to receive your medical degree
Be signed by a medical school official

Internship document

The internship document is an official record confirming that you have successfully completed a period of clinical medical training. This period of training involves direct responsibility for patient care and treatment, and is not necessarily specific to one discipline.

The internship document must:

Include the start and end dates of the completed training
State the disciplines, rotations, and the length of time spent in each
Indicate the title of your role during the training (e.g., intern, house officer)
Be issued on official letterhead of the medical school, university, hospital, or institution responsible for the training (the full address and contact information of the institution must appear on the document or be provided on a separate document)
Be signed and dated by the person responsible for the training program (e.g., dean, program director)

Note: A clerkship is not an internship, because in a clerkship the supervisor has the direct responsibility for patient care and treatment. Therefore, clerkship documents are not eligible for source verification.

Postgraduate training document

The postgraduate training document is an official record confirming that you have successfully completed a period of postgraduate clinical medical training. This type of training is usually done after you have received your medical degree or diploma.

The postgraduate training document must:

Include the start and end dates of the completed training
State the program discipline
Indicate the title of your role during the training (e.g., resident, registrar)
Be issued on official letterhead of the medical school, university, hospital, or institution responsible for the training (the full address and contact information of the institution must appear on the document or be provided on a separate document)
Be signed and dated by the person responsible for the training program (e.g., dean, program director)

Specialty certificate

The specialty certificate is an official document confirming that you have obtained certification as a specialist in a particular branch of medicine. This is earned by completing the certifying examination process for that specialty.

The specialty certificate must:

Be issued by the country’s certifying body for the discipline, a medical school, or university
Include an issue date

We do not require the back (overleaf) of specialty certificates.

If your specialty certificate does not indicate the discipline, you may be asked to provide additional information.

Medical licence or proof of registration

A medical licence or proof of registration is an official document issued by a medical regulatory authority confirming your registration or licensure to practise medicine.

The medical licence or proof of registration must:

Include the registration date
Include a licence or registration number
Indicate the type of licence or registration (e.g., full, temporary, educational)
Include both sides of the card if your document is in a card format