Licensure

Overview

IMGs who are looking to begin the process of obtaining license to practice in Alberta should become familiar with both the general information about the route to licensure in Canada provided by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC), and the specific requirements for registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA). The MCC is the national examination body, and the CPSA is the regulatory body for medical practice licensure in Alberta.

Depending on the particular qualifications and circumstances of any foreign trained physician, there may be different pathways to licensure in Alberta that one may explore and consider. Nevertheless, to be ready for taking either of these pathways, an IMG needs to satisfy the eligibility criteria within each body, and meet the common standards of the application process.

Core Steps

Below are the core steps that any IMG seeking licensure in Alberta needs to take when starting the process:

1. Visit the MCC website and get insight about the Canadian standard for International Medical Graduates.
2. Visit the World Directory of Medical Schools website and verify if your medical degree is from a school listed there.
3. Open an account with the physiciansapply.ca and submit your documents to the MCC Physician Credentials Repository.
4. Take the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part 1 (MCCQE1), which is currently the first step of the licensure process.

Note: The above steps may be completed either prior to or after one’s arrival in Canada. Choosing to go through the steps before arriving may accelerate the process is possible since the MCCQE1 may be taken in 80 countries outside of Canada and since that choice may accelerate the process.

Additional Information

The other pages in this section provide information on the steps needed for full medical licensing in Alberta:

• Visit the Diagram page to view the steps in diagram form.
• Visit the Practice Readiness Assessment page to view the steps required if you believe you meet the CPSA’s requirements for direct entry into practice.
• Visit the Residency page to view the steps required if you do not meet the CPSA requirements for direct entry into practice, but would like to learn more about getting your license through the Alberta residency process.
• Visit the ACSAP page to view information about the Alberta Clinical and Surgical Assistant Program.