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Governing bodies

College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC or the College); Registration (Licensing)

The College is the licensing body and regulator for family/general practitioners in B.C.

Visit the CPSBC

Medical Council of Canada (MCC)

The national organization responsible for overseeing standard examinations, supporting physician credential verification, and issuing the Canadian licensing qualification known as the LMCC.

Visit the MCC

College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)

The national organization of physicians that establishes standards for family medicine education and practice in Canada and assesses candidates against them.

Visit the CFPC

Canadian medical graduates

Family physicians who have obtained their postgraduate training in family medicine in Canada, may be eligible for registration with the CPSBC in the full – family class. 

Physicians who qualify for full licensure may submit an Application for Medical Registration (AMR) in Canada directly to the College via physiciansapply.ca. 

Details of the requirements for registration and licensure in the full – family class, can be found on the CPSBC site. 

View job postings in family medicine

International medical graduates

Approved jurisdictions 

IMG Family Physicians who obtained their Family Medicine postgraduate training in one of the jurisdictions listed below, may be eligible to apply for licensure with the CPSBC in the provisional – family class. 

Certification in the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP) may be granted without examination for physicians trained in CFPC approved jurisdictions. 

The CFPC recognizes training from the following approved jurisdictions: 

  • Australia (FRACGP or FACRRM) 
  • Ireland (MICGP)
  • United Kingdom (MRCGP) 
  • United States (ABFM)

Please note: Those who obtained one of the accepted designations through a practice eligible route are not eligible to apply for CCFP certification without examination. 

Provisional licensure/registration for international medical graduates

Family Physicians who meet the requirements of the CPSBC may be eligible for a provisional licence to practise medicine in B.C.. A provisional license allows for independent practice but requires a named supervisor and sponsor, usually a B.C. health authority.    

Applicants must have: 

  • a medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools;, 
  • successfully completed a minimum of two years of accredited postgraduate training in a foreign jurisdiction recognized by the CFPC for the award of certification without examination, and 
  • successfully completed Part I of the MCC Qualifying Examination and be a Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) or have successfully completed medical licensing examinations in the United States of America, acceptable to the College. 
Register for supports at Health Match BC

Requirements to pursue provisional licensure/registration

To pursue licensure in the provisional – family class, you may need to provide evidence of meeting the established requirements as listed below. Health Match BC Navigators can help by reviewing your qualifications and offering personalized guidance with the professional licensing process. 

All applicants (except newly graduating residents) must have practised clinically in their field for a minimum of 960 hours over the preceding three-year period (24 weeks full-time) to be considered current in clinical practice. 

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The College requires that physicians provide evidence of English proficiency. Physicians are considered to have met the English proficiency requirements if: 

  • the primary language of medical education was English, and 
  • the primary language of patient care was English. 

The College may require physicians who do not meet the requirements above to take one of the following examinations: 

  • IELTS Academic examination: Minimum score of 7 in each component. 
  • OET Medicine examination: Minimum grade of B in each component. 
  • CELPIP General examination: Minimum score of 9 in each component. The test results are valid for a period of two years from the date taken. 
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The  Medical Council of Canada maintains a website, physiciansapply.ca, as a centralized electronic repository of a physician’s core medical credentials and offers a national standardized approach to source verification of credentials. Source verification is the process by which the Medical Council of Canada  sends your credential to the issuing institution (the source) and requests that they confirm that they issued the credential and that it is authentic, accurate, and valid (verification). 

The College requires physicians who have completed medical education outside of Canada, and are seeking registration/licensure in B.C., to submit copies of certain credentials to physiciansapply.ca for source verification. An applicant’s Medical Degree and Passport must be verified as “Passed” before licensure can be approved by the College. 

The College utilizes the AMR; a centralized online portal through physiciansapply.ca for submitting applications for registration. 

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants are encouraged to first register with Health Match BC for an initial review of their application before submitting an application through physiciansapply.ca. 

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The Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) is the qualification you apply for after the successful completion of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part 1 (MCCQE-1). 

Please note: Successful completion of the MCC examinations does not mean a physician will meet the licensing requirements of the College. 

MCCQE – Part 1 must be completed prior to registration. 

The College recognizes the following examinations in lieu of the LMCC: 

  1. United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLEs) – Steps 1, 2, and 3 
  1. Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) components 1 and 2 
  1. National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) parts I, II, and III 
  1. Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) levels 1, 2, and 3 

Any of the above exams completed in their entirety will be recognized by the College for candidates who have trained outside of Canada and the United States.

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Other jurisdictions

  • Practice Ready Assessment – British Columbia (PRA-BC) is an assessment program for internationally trained family physicians who have completed residencies in family medicine outside of Canada. This program provides qualified family physicians with an alternative pathway to licensure in B.C.

Note: Physicians who have completed training and certification in one of the approved jurisdictions above do not need to apply for the PRA-BC program. 

  • PRA-BC is a collaborative venture between the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues comprised of representatives from the provincial government and Doctors of BC, the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine’s Division of Continuing Professional Development, BC health authorities, and Health Match BC. 

Detailed information about PRA-BC, including eligibility requirements and application processes can be found at prabc.ca or by contacting info@prabc.ca