The MCC ceases delivery of the MCCQE Part II

Following our May 31 communication, the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) confirms that it is stepping away from the delivery of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part II going forward.

Recognising the impact of the pandemic, and the unprecedented challenges associated with delivering a MCCQE Part II examination, the MCC Council, at a meeting on June 9, affirmed updated criteria informing policy on the granting of the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) to candidates meeting all the following requirements:

1. Are a graduate from:

   a) a medical school accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools or the Liaison Committee on Medical Education;
   or

   b) a medical school listed in one or more directories of medical schools approved from time to time by resolution and be a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools which includes a sponsor note indicating it is an acceptable medical school in Canada;
   or

   c) a United States School of Osteopathic Medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.

2. Have successfully completed the MCCQE Part I (PASS).

3. Have successfully completed:

   a) at least 12 months of acceptable clinical post graduate medical training as determined by the Executive Director;
   or

   b) at least 12 months of acceptable osteopathic post graduate clinical training in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as determined by the Executive Director.

4. Have the required medical credentials including verification of postgraduate training successfully source verified through MCC or, in exceptional circumstances, have provided evidence of the required medical credentials acceptable to the Executive Director.

Where an individual otherwise meets all of the above criteria but is subject to a prohibition order barring him or her from writing the MCCQE Part II examination, the Executive Director may award that individual the LMCC only after the expiration of the barring order.

The LMCC is not a licence to practise medicine. The authority to issue licences is reserved to the provincial and territorial Medical Regulatory Authorities (MRAs).

Independent standardized assessments remain a key component of medical licensure and are critical in ensuring patient safety in Canada. We will continue to work with the Assessment Innovation Task Force (AITF), the medical community and partner organizations, to reflect on how clinical skills and emerging competencies required of physicians will be assessed in the future. Criteria for the award of the LMCC may be reviewed at a future date as standardised assessment requirements for physicians evolve.

We recognize that the exam fees are substantial and are expediting the refund of the MCCQE Part II exam fee within the next 30 days to the credit card that was used for payment. Processing and the award of the LMCC for candidates who were registered for the latest exam session is expected to take up to two months. For other eligible candidates, this process will require coordination with third parties and may take longer. A separate fee for processing the LMCC is expected to be applied following the meeting of the MCC Finance Committee in late June as this cost was previously included in the exam fee.

For questions about the MCCQE Part II, please contact the MCC service desk.