Licensing and Registration

Provisional Licensure/Registration

International medical graduates (IMGs) who meet the requirements of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (the College) may be eligible for a provisional licence to practise medicine in BC.

Applicants must:

• have a medical degree, and
• have successfully completed a minimum of two years of accredited postgraduate training in a foreign jurisdiction recognized by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) for the award of certification without examination, and
• be a licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (MCC)

English Language Proficiency (ELP) Requirement

The College requires that physicians provide evidence of English proficiency. Results must be within the last two years. Physicians are considered to have met the English proficiency requirements if:

1. the primary language of medical education was English, and

2. the primary language of patient care was English.

Physicians will be required to complete a CPSBC questionnaire in order for the College to assess whether or not an applicant has demonstrated English language proficiency.

The College may require physicians who do not meet the above requirements 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.

PLEASE NOTE: Successful completion of the MCC examinations does not mean a physician will meet the licensing requirements of the College
 

Source Verification of Qualifications

The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) 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. It is designed to gather, verify, and permanently store credentials in its centralized repository called the MCC Physician Credentials Repository (formerly known as the Physicians Credential Registry of Canada or PCRC).

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

The College utilizes the Application for Medical Registration in Canada (AMRC); a centralized online
portal through physiciansapply.ca for submitting an application for registration.

Candidates who may qualify for full registration and licensure may submit an application to the College via the AMRC portal.

Examinations

The Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) is the qualification granted after successful completion of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifiying Exam - Part 1 (MCCQE Part 1).  

The CPSBC communicates that obtaining the LMCC is a mandatory requirement prior to registration and licensure.  This applies to both the Provisional Family Class, as well as the Full Family Class, effective Nov 28, 2022.  

For information on MCCQE Part 1, and how to apply to become a Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada, please visit: https://mcc.ca/examinations/mccqe-part-i/  

Information on the examination fees can be found here: https://physiciansapply.ca/services/examination-and-service-fees/  

PLEASE NOTE - The CPSBC recognizes the following licensing examination in lieu of the LMCC:

• USMLEs Steps 1-3, 
• NBME,
• FLEX, or 
• COMLEX. 

Recognized Training and Certification Outside Canada

The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) recognizes training from the following approved jurisdictions:

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

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

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

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 BC.
 
Medical Council of Canada (MCC) – The national organization responsible for establishing and promoting the Canadian licensing qualification known as the LMCC.
 
College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) – The national organization of physicians that provides CCFP certification in Family Medicine.
 

Provisional Licensure/Registration

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who meet the requirements of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (the College) may be eligible for a provisional licence to practise medicine in BC. For most specialties, five years of postgraduate training in an accredited university school of medicine is recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

Applicants must:

• have a medical degree, and

• have completed postgraduate training and obtained certification in the specialty where such training meets the criteria of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), and

• be a licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (MCC)

English Language Proficiency (ELP) Requirement

The College requires that physicians provide evidence of English proficiency. Results must be within the last two years. Physicians are considered to have met the English proficiency requirements if:

1. the primary language of medical education was English, and

2. the primary language of patient care was English.

Physicians will be required to complete a CPSBC questionnaire in order for the College to assess
whether or not an applicant has demonstrated English language proficiency.

The College may require physicians who do not meet the above requirements 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.
 

Source Verification of Qualifications

The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) 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. It is designed to gather, verify, and permanently store credentials in its centralized repository called the MCC Physician Credentials Repository (formerly known as the Physicians Credential Registry of Canada or PCRC).

The College requires physicians who have completed medical education outside of Canada, and are seeking registration and licensure in BC, to submit copies of certain credentials to physiciansapply.ca for source verification. The College also utilizes physicianapply.ca for the Application for Medical Registration in Canada (AMRC).

PLEASE NOTE: These candidates must first register with Health Match BC for an initial assessment and should NOT submit an AMRC application until instructed to proceed.

Candidates who may qualify for full registration and licensure may submit an AMRC application directly to the College via physiciansapply.ca.

Examinations

The Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) is the qualification granted after successful completion of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifiying Exam - Part 1 (MCCQE Part 1).  

The CPSBC communicates that obtaining the LMCC is a mandatory requirement prior to registration and licensure.  This applies to both the Provisional Specialist Class, as well as the Full Specialist Class, effective Nov 28, 2022.  

For information on MCCQE Part 1, and how to apply to become a Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada, please visit: https://mcc.ca/examinations/mccqe-part-i/  

Information on the examination fees can be found here: https://physiciansapply.ca/services/examination-and-service-fees/  

PLEASE NOTE - The CPSBC recognizes the following licensing examination in lieu of the LMCC:

• USMLEs Steps 1-3, 
• NBME,
• FLEX, or 
• COMLEX. 

Routes to the Royal College (RCPSC) Certification

Applicants should apply to the RCPSC for a ruling of eligibility to access the RCPSC examinations in their primary specialty before licensure is approved by the College. On a positive ruling, they have five years in which to sit their primary specialty examinations with the expectation that examinations are done at the first available opportunity.