Why is Canada recruiting International Medical Graduates (IMGs)?

Due to unique Canadian demographics, Canada has an aging population that has resulted in an aging and rapidly retiring workforce. Although Canadian provincial and federal governments are taking steps to increase the number of Canadian trained physicians, the current physician shortage is expected to persist for several years. Recruiting top physicians to Canada is the priority and thrust of all that PhysicianJobsCanada.com has done and will continue to do.

Is the medical licensing system in Canada standardized across the country?

No – there are 13 separate and distinct provincial and territorial medical licensing authorities across Canada, each with their unique medical licensing standards. There is a movement to have one licensing authority, but We expect that is several years away. The closest we have to one regulatory agency  is Physicians Apply which presently represents Western Canadian provinces namely British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Quebec in Central Canada, as well as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in Atlantic Canada.  They are the initial step when anyone is seeking application for medical registration.

I am a diplomate in family medicine in the Philippines. Practice at Government Hospital for 9 years. At present am working as part time physician at the at university. Have plan to apply in Canada.What exam should I pass to qualify.What are your requirements. I’m female, 49 years old.

Unfortunately, Canada only accepts physicians who have had post graduate training from one of the following countries, namely, Canada, United States, the United Kingdom, The Republic of Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. If your training is not from one of these countries you will not be able to practice medicine in Canada. The rules are ever more demanding but for those physicians who have committed themselves to work and live in Canada, and are willing to put up with the costs and lengthly process of coming will succeed.

I’ve obtained board certification in Family Medicine in the state of Iowa. How do I proceed to being licensed in the province of Ontario? (I’m a Canadian citizen, foreign trained, U.S. Board certified) Are there any special requirements other than general FCFP / RCFP certifications, for working ER?

If you are board certified in the United States, you may be eligible to practice in Canada. Having your CCFP is very beneficial for gaining employment in larger provinces. The first place to go would be credential verification, and a governing body in Canada for this and for gaining LMCC designation ( considered the gold standard in training) is physicians apply. If you are U.S. board certified or have trained in Canada, you are eligible to write the exams for certification of CCFP, but if you are U.K., South African or Australian/ New Zealand trained you will have to practice family medicine for three years in order to be eliglbe to write the CCFP exams. For more information contact Warren Bonnell, lead adminstrator at PhysicianJobsCanada.com via email at admin@physicianjobscanada.com or via mobile at 709.728.0049.

I am an IMG from India. Is there any option or job opportunity for IMGs to practice directly in Rural or Under-served areas of Saskatchewan or New Foundland?? and meanwhile, allowed for some time duration to complete the necessary exams and other requirements that has to be completed for acquiring a licence in the particular province?

If your post graduate medical training was completed in the country of India, unfortunately you will not get licensure in any province in Canada.

I have been practicing as General Practitioner in California for about 15 years. How can I be a practicing physician in Canada? I am a foreign graduate year 1979 and a US Citizen.

Physicians who are in the United States are able to Practice medicine in Canada. That said, it does require a physician to be motivated to come and live and work in Canada. Source verification is where a physician needs to start in order to come to Canada. If you are ABFM certified, you will be able to write the CFPC exams at any time. Note: it depends on which province a physician applies for licensure which will determine what other requirements they will need to fulfill. Every province is different. For more information on how to get started with licensure and which provinces are best to target depending on one’s credentials, please contact Warren Bonnell, Lead Adminsitrator at PhysicianJobsCanada.com at admin@physicianjobscanada.com or via phone at 709.728.0049.

My spouse just finished from medical school in Nigeria. I am planning to registering the MCC Exam, so she can come here to do her residency. What are my chances?

Well, I would need to know more details on her training, etc, before giving you information on whether she can do a residency program in Canada. Please provide this at admin@physicianjobscanada.com . There are job opportunities in Canada for physicians from Nigeria but only certain provinces accept this medical and post graduate training.

I am a new immigrant to Canada I have passed the Evaluating Examination (MCCEE). And I have Academic IELTS overall score 6.5. I want your guidance where in Canada will be the easier place to start a medical career job? I am ready to relocate to any place. I have a master degree in Cardiology with certification in both internal medicine and echocardiography.

Depending on which province you go to and whether you are a Specialist or Family Practitioner, you may not necessarily need to do the evaluating exam. What is more important from a licensure perspective in Canada is not where you’ve done your medical degree, but where you’ve done your post-graduate training. Canada only has certain countries where post graduate training is accepted. Doing a Fellowship in Canada does not mean you can avoid the need to have post graduate training in the required countries. Many physicians think a Fellowship it is beneficial for gaining licensure in Canada; it may not necessarily be so.

I am a doctor, Specialist in Obst & Gyne, possess MRCOG London UK with adequate work experience and perm. res. of Canada. Please advice me that how can I enter in Alberta’s new practice-readiness assessment process. Awaiting to hear good from you. Regards, Dr. Shagufta Tasveer shaguftatasveer786@yahoo.com

If you are a physician from the U.K. and have MRCOG status, and are also on the specialist’s registry one should be able to be licensed in Canada. Having Permanent Resident status will be beneficial as it demands by law in Canada. that the health authority consider PR or citenzenship over someone who has a work permit. For more information on how to get licensure and a job in Alberta, contact Warren Bonnell at admin@physicianjobscanada.com or at 709.728.0049

I am a General Surgeon. I completed the LMCC and FRCSC and is looking for a job. Is there any official website that advertise the jobs in each province.

Hello. Thank you for contacting us at PhysicianJobsCanada.com It would be a pleasure to work with you. Please contact me as soon as possible at 709.728.0049
or email me at admin@physicianjobscanada.com . I am the lead administrator for general surgery jobs in Canada. Thank you, Warren Bonnell

I am a canadian citizen (born in Poland) who completed undergrad in Canada and medical school in Poland, residency and fellowship in the USA (Neurology and Sleep – I am a US permanent resident) at a top instituation and have been practicing in the US for 2 years. I would like to know what I would need to qualify to work in Ontario (no definite plans to move, just a backup plan)

If you are a Canadian citizen this is a very important step for gaining licensure in Canada. Fortunately for you, it does not matter what country you’ve completed your medical degree. What’s more important is that you have completed your residency and fellowship in the United States. Another point is that the need to have completed a fellowhip is important, because in the United States, a residency program lasts three years and in Canada, it’s four. Your additional two years of fellowship training means it will be possible to gain licensure in Canada. Having U.S. board certification is also very important. For more information on gaining a Neurology position in Canada Please contact Warren Bonnell , Lead Administrator at PhysicianjobsCanada.com at admin@physicianjobscanada.com or contact him directly at 709.728.0049

How long does it take to get Provincial licensure approval for a family physician job in Canada?

The time it takes to get approval for a family physician depends on several variables. The province in which you apply, coupled with the amount of commitment and focus a physician has on seeking positive licensure will determine how long this process takes. Ontario, being the most sought after , takes probably the longest time with respect to seeking licensure. A known loop hole would be that if a physician, especially an International Medical Graduate, who has gained a license in another province, then the process for licensure into Ontario is much easier. Other provinces like Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are much easier but they still require a certain protocol and attention to detail. As for Specialist’s verses Family physicians, the steps to get licensed in Canada are relatively the same.

Which provinces and cities have the best job opportunities for doctors in Canada?

The provinces that have the best opportunities in Canada all depends on whether you are a Canadian or International Medical graduate. Most physician opportunities in the big cities throughout Canada are Scooped up by Canadian graduates as they pass through their residency programs. Throughout Canada, you’ll find it difficult for an International Medical Graduate to gain a job in the bigger cities, but that said it can and often times does happen. Usually, the most common route is for a physician to gain credentials in Canada such that they have either an FRCPC designation or CCFP designation. Provinces like Saskatchewan, Newfoundland , Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island allow for study leave, so often times these are good provinces to use in gaining employment in larger cities and provinces.

Are the emergency physician jobs requirements much different from other countries than in Canada?

For a physician to work in an emergency setting they will require ATLS, ACLS, and PALS. Most emergency room physicians are either family practitioners or full time emergency room physicians.

How many jobs for doctors in Canada are available on an annual basis?

The amount of job vacancies available in Canada varies depending on the provinces. Overall the smaller provinces would have a continual job vacancy of 3 – 5% but the larger provinces would be less than 2%.

Are physician jobs in Canada mostly available in rural centers or in bigger cities?

Most job vacancies are in Canada are in rural areas with a large percentage of these jobs in Family medicine.

I am an IMG (permannat resident), have passed MCCEE and have eligibility letter by CPSA for practicing General Surgery in Alberta. I also hold MRCS (Edinburgh,UK), Diploma in minimal access surgery from IRCAD, France. Can you guide me as to how to effectively search and apply for jobs/fellowships.

Having passed the Medical Council of Canada’s Evaluating exam is important in some provinces but not necessarily others. And it will also depend on if you are a specialist or a family practitioner. Having your MRCS designation from the U.K. is also important. Please note provincial licensure policy dictates that you will need to be on the Specialist’s registry in most provinces. For more information and how to become licensed in Canada, please contact Warren Bonnell , Lead admisitrator at physicianjobscanada.com at admin@physicianjobscanada.com or contact him directly at 709.728.0049

Are there more medical jobs in the western part of Canada?

As a general rule studies show there is a higher percentage of job vacancies in the east than in the western part of Canada, however population dictates that more physician job vacancies exist in larger provinces.

I am landed immigrant living in Toronto. Would like to know, whether there are any job opportunities for IMG specialists as an OB/GYN(+8 years of experience)?

It does not matter what your immigration status is in Canada; you could be a Permanent resident of a landed immigrant. What matters is where you’ve done your post graduate training. If you wish to practice medicine in Canada, there are only certain countries that are acceptable for post-graduate training. Please contact Warren Bonnell, Lead administrator of PhysicianJobsCanada at admin@physicianjobscanada.com or call directly at 709.728.0049 for more information on your ability to get licensed in Canada.

If 1st Part Mrcog ,Can I get Exemption From 1st part Licensing exam?

Unfortunately, there are no exemptions. For example, having LMCC without meeting previous licensure policy of a particular province is of no value. In other words, it does not improve likelihood of licensure status.