Ontario to Launch Doctor Credential Program in 2023

Healthcare professionals are one of the most in-demand workers in Canada. Recent data suggest that job vacancies across the country for nurses and doctors/physicians are rising rapidly. As a result, foreign-trained doctors and nurses have one of the highest chances of immigrating to Canada in the near future. The challenge for doctors and nurses who immigrate to Canada has always been the long and hard process of being certified to work in Canada. This year, this can change as Ontario is on track to launch a credential program for foreign-trained doctors.

What is the Program?

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) says that a 3-month program to certify foreign doctors in Canada could be organized as soon as the spring of 2023. Earlier this year, CPSO proposed a 12-week-long program for physicians with international training and education.  

The governing body in this program will:

• Quickly evaluate the qualifications of international physicians through direct supervision and expert observation
• Deploy the successful applicants to underserved communities
• Provide a licensure path for these international physicians

The CPSO has also asked the government to raise the number of residency positions available to physicians with international training.

As only a small number of residency positions are accessible to internationally-educated physicians, Ontario is essentially limiting the opportunity to quickly grow our base of future physicians and support (them); we ask the government to immediately increase the number of residency positions available to internationally-educated physicians.

CPSO

Why is this Good News for Internationally-Trained Doctors?

Traditionally, for a foreign-trained physician to be able to practice in Canada, they have to go through a licencing process. This process includes:

• Completing parts 1 and 2 of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE)

And

• Obtaining certification from the CPS of the desired province the physician intends to practice in.

This licensure process is, therefore, very complex and usually takes several years to complete.

With this program, however, physicians can receive credentials in a 12-week period and be able to work in Canada. This also solves the shortage of healthcare workers that Ontario and other provinces are experiencing. Many of Canada’s healthcare workers are immigrants or from immigrant families. So, providing a faster way for new immigrants to work as physicians in the country is also beneficial to the country’s infrastructure.

How mana immigration Can Help

At mana immigration, we have a team of experienced Canadian Immigration Regulated consultants who are highly qualified in the requirements and processes of various applications for helping skilled workers such as doctors immigrate to Canada. Take our Free Assessment to see which of our many pathways to permanent residency fit your situation best.