Specialist Physicians
Governing Bodies
College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC or the College) – The College is the licensing body and regulator for physicians in BC.
Medical Council of Canada (MCC) – The MCC ensures a standard of safe care for patients across Canada through the assessment of physicians and validation of credentials.
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) – The national organization responsible for setting standards and certification for specialties in Canada and granting designation as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC) or Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC).
Canadian Medical Graduates
– Specialty Practice
Specialist Physicians who have obtained their postgraduate training in Canada, may be eligible for licensure 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 licensure in the full – specialty class, can be found here.
International Medical Graduates (IMG)
– Specialty Practice
There are a variety of pathways to licensure in BC for Specialty Practice physicians who completed their medical training internationally:
- Approved Jurisdictions Pathway
- RCPSC Practice Eligibility Route (PER Route)
Health Match BC Navigators can help by reviewing your qualifications and offering personalized guidance with the professional licensing process. Please Note: Regardless of the pathway you pursue, you may
need to provide evidence of meeting the established requirements as listed below.
Approved Jurisdictions
IMG Specialty Practice physicians who completed their postgraduate training in a RCPSC approved jurisdiction, and meet the requirements of the CPSBC, may be eligible to apply for licensure in the full – specialty class.
The RCPSC recognizes training from the following jurisdictions:
- Australia
- Hong Kong
- Ireland
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States
Not all specialties or training dates are approved in every jurisdiction. 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, and
- completed postgraduate training and obtained certification in their specialty outside of Canada which meets the criteria for an RCPSC ruling to access RCPSC certification through examinations, acceptable to the Licence Committee, or
- have completed accredited postgraduate training in a training program accredited by the ACGME and obtained certification with an American Board of Medical Specialties.
If the CPSBC cannot determine if an applicant is eligible under the RCPSC approved jurisdiction, the applicant may be required to provide an exam eligibility letter under the appropriate route from the RCPSC.
RCPSC Practice Eligibility Route (PER Route)
The RCPSC PER Route is available for specialist practice physicians who completed their primary specialty training in a jurisdiction that is not considered an “approved jurisdiction” of the RCPSC. The RCPSC PER Route is designed for RCPSC recognized primary specialties only.
