Verification of credentials
Prepare to share your international medical credentials with Canadian medical regulatory authorities and organizations by submitting them for source verification.
What is source verification?
Source verification is the process by which the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) sends your credential to the issuing institution (the source) and requests that they confirm that they issued the credential and that it is authentic, accurate, and valid (verification). This process is completed in collaboration with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), a member of Intealth.
Why submit your international medical credentials for source verification?
There are various reasons to have your international medical credentials verified. It may be a requirement of a medical regulatory authority (MRA) for licensure or another organization, or it may be required to access other MCC services and exams. Candidates focused in practising in Ontario only should contact the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario for source verification.
To share your credentials with Canadian MRAs and other organizations, you must submit your documents to the MCC for source verification, except for Ontario. Any medical credentials you submit are added to your physiciansapply.ca account for easy sharing.
When should you submit your credentials for verification?
You should submit a source verification request (SVR) as soon as you know you need a credential verified. Each SVR is unique and is affected by different variables, such as the type of credential, if additional documentation is required, and the response times of the institutions that issued the credential. As a result, the time it takes for a credential to be verified differs and cannot be guaranteed. This is why the MCC recommends submitting your SVR as soon as possible.
What are the steps in the source verification process?
Candidate
1
Submit an SVR and upload your documents through your physiciansapply.ca account. Your documents will be viewable immediately.
MCC
2
Your documents are reviewed by MCC staff.
- If your documents are acceptable, they are sent to the ECFMG.
- If issues are identified, you are given a detailed explanation through your physiciansapply.ca account, and you may be asked to upload new or additional documents. Resubmitted documents will follow the same process starting at Step 2.
ECFMG
3
The ECFMG reviews your credentials and sends them to the issuing institution, along with a verification certificate to be completed by the institution. The ECFMG typically sends your documents for verification within 5 days of receiving them from the MCC.
4
The institution reviews the verification request and completes the verification certificate. The length of time it takes each institution to respond varies; it can take 3 months or longer.
5
The ECFMG receives and processes the response from the institution. If the verification certificate is completed, the document status in your physiciansapply.ca account will be updated within 5 to 10 days, and you will receive a notification message.
What if the ECFMG has already verified my document?
If you have had documents previously verified by the ECFMG, through the Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC), United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), Australian Medical Council (AMC) or Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), this may help with the verification process. You will still need to create an SVR, pay the SVR fee, and send your documents to the MCC for review.
After submitting your documents to the MCC please send a message from your physiciansapply.ca account with one of the following:
- EPIC number
- USMLE number
- Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates International Credentials Services (EICS) number (and the AMC/HPCSA reference number if available)
If the credentials sent by the MCC to the ECFMG are the same as those in ECFMG’s records, a previously completed verification can be used, instead of sending new verification requests to your institution(s).
If the credentials sent by the MCC to the ECFMG are different than those in ECFMG’s records, or if the ECFMG has not previously received a completed verification, your credentials will be sent to the institution for verification.
How do I check the progress of my SVR?
You can check the status of your document by accessing your physiciansapply.ca account. Reference the document status legend to understand how your request is progressing.
If you have any questions about the source verification of your credentials, contact the MCC. Please do not contact the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), a member of Intealth, as they will not be able to support your inquiry.
What happens if my institution does not respond?
The MCC recommends that you follow up directly with the organization that issued your credential once the status of your document in your account says Sent for source verification. If the ECFMG has not received confirmation from the institution after 2 months, it will send another request to the institution. This process is repeated until 3 requests have been sent. If no response has been received by the ECFMG from your institution after the third attempt, no further action will be taken by the ECFMG or the MCC for that request until a response is received.
If your institution is not responding, you can send a message from your physiciansapply.ca account to request to have your credentials sent directly to the institution by courier service. You will be responsible for registering with a courier company and paying all related expenses.
If your initial SVR is more than 2 years old, and you still want to have the document verified, please contact us for next steps as you may need to submit a new SVR and pay the current document fee.
