News
The Medical Council of Canada’s (MCC) well-attended webinar, Specialist licensure in Canada – paths to practise for internationally trained physicians, is now available for viewing.
Over the course of the 65-minute session, the panelists covered the main routes to licensure and certification for specialists seeking to practise medicine in Canada. Topics included examination requirements, the practice eligibility route (PER), and the approved jurisdictional route, which is now an option for specialists in some provinces. More than 2,200 participants from 83 countries attended the live event, which took place on July 15.
The conversation was moderated by the MCC’s CEO, Dr. Viren Naik, who acknowledged the challenge of addressing the nuances of such a complex topic in a single webinar.
Ms. Chantal Benoit, Manager of the Credentials Unit in the Office of Standards and Assessments at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (RCPSC), outlined her organization’s role in the specialist licensure journey. She explained how eligibility for certification examinations is determined and described the RCPSC-led PER to licensure.
In her capacity as Executive Director of Registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, Ms. Corinne de Bruin brought a more jurisdictional scope to the discussion. She addressed specific questions related to practising in her province, including the issues of recency of practice, language proficiency, and what her organization is doing to process applications more quickly, including proposed by-laws, currently out for consultation, that aim to expedite processes for qualified physicians.
Dr. Filipe Santos, the MCC’s international medical graduate (IMG) special advisor and practising anesthesiologist who arrived in Canada in 2017, addressed many of the broad issues facing specialists wanting to practise in the country, including the challenge of understanding the different provincial and territorial requirements. He stressed the importance of proper preparation when pursuing licensure in Canada.
The recording of the webinar is currently only available in English; a version with French subtitles will be made available soon.
For more information about the panelists and moderator, see WEBINAR: Specialist licensure in Canada – paths to practise for internationally trained physicians.