Now live: Physician licensing in Canada eBook

The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) is proud to have partnered with Dr. Filipe Santos, international medical graduate (IMG) special advisor, to publish the Physician licensing in Canada eBook on our website. This free resource is a practical guide to clinical assistant, associate physician, and Practice-Ready Assessment pathways across the country.

The eBook is a summary of information publicly available from the medical regulatory authorities (MRAs), as compiled by Dr. Santos, and is accurate as of April 2025.

This eBook can be used by IMGs to understand the differing requirements for applying to each province in these roles, and to assist their decision of which province and program best matches their qualifications and experience. By compiling this information into a single resource, the need for each individual candidate to search for this information across provincial sources is eliminated.

The MCC is committed to working with our MRA colleagues to keep the eBook’s information as up-to-date as possible. Given the importance and speed of the work being done across the country to support IMGs who are navigating the complexities of licensure in Canada, eligibility and selection requirements can change at any time without notice. Always confirm requirements directly with your preferred provincial or territorial program.

Dr. Filipe Santos joined the MCC in March 2025 as an IMG special advisor and will be supporting the organization’s strategic objective of actively assisting IMGs as they navigate to practising as physicians or move into other medical roles in Canada, including through developing preparatory tools. A board-certified anesthesiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, Dr. Santos received his medical education in Brazil, where he also completed medical school and his residency training and later earned a PhD in pharmacology. Informed by his own experience as an IMG, he has supported and mentored many others hoping to practise medicine in Canada and has an active social media presence.