Home - Resources - International Medical Graduates

Canada's health-care system is world-renowned for its high level of care and accessibility to all Canadians as a part of our social health care system.

Canada is experiencing a real shortage of doctors. PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, Colette Peters, is researching the process that foreign-trained physicians must complete in order to become licenced to practice medicine in Canada. We are lucky enough to have her offer to share her research, and tips to success for foreign-trained physicians looking to practice in Canada. Keep your eyes on this page, as Colette will be updating and adding information regularly.

Here are a few of the key links that may be of interest to International Medical Doctors (IMD), or International Medical Graduates (IMGs), as they are often called:

1) http://www.img-canada.ca/en/index.html

The Canadian Information Centre for International Medical Graduates has an overview of the Canadian licensing process, as well as specifics about each province and territory. Support groups for IMGs are also listed for each province and territory, if available. Relevant reports are also available in pdf format.

2) http://icarus.med.utoronto.ca/ccc/about.html

NO COST: The Communication and Cultural Competence Program is a self-study online course that is free to access. It includes a language assessment to allow the potential participant to see if his or her English proficiency is adequate to benefit from the content. The content of this course is drawn from the Medical Council of Canada's C2LEO objectives, which refer to: "Culture, Communication and the Legal, Ethical and Organizational aspects of Canadian practice."

3) http://www.iehpcanada.utoronto.ca/

$100 MATERIALS COST: The Orientation to the Canadian Health Care Systems, Culture, and Context is a 30-hour course that is available in online format, as well as face-to-face in certain cities in Canada. This course is currently only being offered, however, to those individuals who are already in Canada. International Doctors participating must also have written the first exam in the licensing process, the Evaluating Exam, and have passed it. There is interest in offering this course internationally eventually, as well.

4) http://www.imgexamprep.ca/

NO COST: Self Assessment Tool and Study Plan for International Medical Graduates: The government of Saskatchewan has created this website, which allows for international doctors to learn more about the Medical Council of Canada's examinations, set study goals, make a study plan, and test their knowledge compared to the exam objectives. This site has not been endorsed by the Medical Council of Canada.

5) http://www.healthforceontario.ca/Jobs/AccessCentre/IMG.aspx

As many new immigrants to come to Toronto to settle initially, the Health Force Ontario is a good resource to be aware of. Its office in Toronto houses an Access Centre for Internationally Education Health Professionals. There are three streams open to international doctors: 1. Licensing, 2. Career Options - Employment and Coaching and 3. Career Options - Education.

6) http://www.aipso.ca/

The Association of International Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario website has its own links, as well as resources and research documents. This is a good resource for those interested in connecting with other mainly Toronto area International Medical Doctors.

7) http://testunix.mediaforce1.com/itp/resources.htm

Career Transitions for International Medical Doctors offers this Resource Page that includes links to an Employment Readiness Self Assessment, as well as other institutions that offer alternative career training for IMDs. There is also a link to a Health Care Labour Market review that is worth reading.

8) http://testunix.mediaforce1.com/itp/Ottawa/MLBP.htm

The Medical Licensing Bridging Program for International Medical Doctors offers varied support for IMDs undertaking licensing through workshops and a clinical observership of 10 days. This is only offered in Eastern Ontario.