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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 specialist physicians 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

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)

The national organization responsible for setting standards for non-family medicine specialties in Canada.

Visit the RCPSC

Canadian medical graduates:
specialist physicians

Specialist Physicians who have obtained their postgraduate training in Canada, may be eligible for registration with the CPSBC in the full – specialty class. 

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

Details of the requirements for registration and licensure in the full – specialty class. 

View job postings in all specialties

International medical graduates

There are a variety of pathways to licensure in B.C. for specialist physicians who completed their medical training internationally, and Health Match BC Navigators are here to guide you as you explore your options. 

Please Note: Regardless of the pathway you pursue, 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. 

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 practiced 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 
  2. Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) components 1 and 2 
  3. National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) parts I, II, and III 
  4. 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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Approved jurisdictions

International Medical Graduate (IMG) specialist physicians who obtained their postgraduate training in one of the 29 approved jurisdictions of the RCPSC and meet the requirements of the CPSBC, may be eligible to apply for licensure with the CPSBC in the provisional – specialty class to practice medicine in B.C.. 

For most specialties, five years of postgraduate training in an accredited university school of medicine is recognized by the RCPSC. 

Applicants must have: 

  • a medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools; 
  • completed postgraduate training, obtained certification in their specialty from an RCPSC-accredited body, and hold a current ruling of eligibility to access RCPSC primary specialty certification through examinations, acceptable to the registration committee; 
  • 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. 

Please note: Completion of specialty training and certification acceptable to the CPSBC is a requirement for CPSBC licensure. 

IMG specialist physicians should apply to the RCPSC for a ruling of eligibility to access the RCPSC examinations in their primary specialty, and where applicable in their subspecialty, before licensure is approved by the College. With a positive RCPSC ruling, the RCPSC may grant IMG specialist physicians five years to sit their RCPSC primary specialty examinations with the expectation that the examinations are taken at the first available opportunity. 

Additional pathways to licensure 

Practice Eligibility Route (PER) 

The RCPSC Practice Eligibility Route (PER) is a new path available for specialist physicians who completed their primary specialty training in a jurisdiction that is not considered an “approved jurisdiction” of the RCPSC. The RCPSC PER path is designed for RCPSC recognized primary specialties only. 

RCPSC PER Eligibility Criteria 

  • Primary specialty training must be completed outside of Canada, the United States of America and RCPSC approved jurisdictions, or in a program not accredited by the RCPSC 
  • Time and content in the specialty training must be substantially equivalent to the RCPSC training requirements and training experiences 

Applicants must have: 

  • a medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools; 
  • completed postgraduate training and obtained a completion of training certificate and certification in their specialty from a foreign jurisdiction where such training meets the criteria for RCPSC certification through examinations, and; 
  • have passed the RCPSC examination in their primary specialty via the RCPSC Practice Eligibility Route 

Practice Eligibility Route (PER) 

Application to RCPSC for credentials review

If positive: RCPSC PER Ruling Eligibility Letter granted

RCPSC Exam Pass: RCPSC Letter issued

Application to CPSBC for eligibility for
provisional registration and licensure

If found eligible for registration and licensure,
practice in Canada for two years in area of specialty

Application to RCPSC for assessment of time in practice

If positive results: apply for RCPSC certification

USA certified

The USA certified class of licensure is a new and unique registration pathway in B.C., available to United States trained physicians who hold an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) certification in: 

  • General Pediatrics 
  • Internal Medicine 
  • Emergency Medicine 
  • Psychiatry 

Physicians must also meet all other registration and licensure requirements of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC). 

Eligibility requirements: 

  • Medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools; 
  • Have completed three years of accredited postgraduate training in emergency medicine, internal medicine, or pediatrics, or four years accredited postgraduate training in psychiatry from a training program accredited by the ACGME and achieved ABMS certification. 
  • Successfully completed medical licensing examinations in the United States of America, acceptable to the Registration Committee or be a licentiate of the MCC. The College recognizes the following examinations in lieu of the LMCC: 
    1. United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLEs) – Steps 1, 2, and 3 
    2. Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) components 1 and 2 
    3. National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) parts I, II, and III 
    4. Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) levels 1, 2, and 3 

Note: Applicants to the USA Certified class must not be otherwise eligible for registration in the full – specialty or provisional – specialty class