Residency

Overview

All IMGs who reside in Alberta and who have obtained their medical degree from a recognized medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools are eligible to apply for a residency position through the Alberta International Medical Graduate Program (AIMGP). Residency is generally the only pathway to licensure for IMGs who:

• have newly graduated, or
• don’t have at least 12 months of Post-Graduate Training acquired outside of Canada, or
• have gap of 3 years or more in clinical practice.

Note that fellowships are not a credential considered for licensure.

Step by Step

The steps below outline the pathway to the post-graduate residency training in the province of Alberta:

1. Visit the Alberta International Medical Graduate Program (AIMGP) website and get information about the program and the specifics of the application process.
2. Pass the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part 1 (MCCQE1) no later than May / June-July in the year of application.
3. Pass the National Assessment Collaboration-Objective Structured Clinical Exam (NAC-OSCE) by March, or register with the MCC for the September examination session in the year of application and be able to provide proof and be able to provide proof at the time of your residency application deadline.
4. Pass the required Language Proficiency Exam no earlier than 12 months before May in the year of application.
   Note: Currently, the only valid test for proof of English language proficiency in the province of Alberta is IELTS/Academic. Therefore, if you intend to apply in another province, you have to check the language proficiency criteria in that province.
5. Meet the specific program eligibility criteria and be able to provide proof of Status in Canada, Residence in Alberta, and Medical Education as required by the AIMGP deadline for the submission of all supporting documents.
6. Apply to the program through the online AIMGP application portal by completing an online program application, submitting the required program application document package and paying the application fees in a manner specified by the program before the application deadline.
   Note: Do not apply to the AIMGP provided that you don’t satisfy all of the program eligibility criteria, or you are not able to provide proof of all supporting documents and exam results/registration confirmations in a manner required by the program before the specified submission deadline.
7. Pass the Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) in the fall (October) of the application year having been considered an eligible AIMGP applicant and invited by the program to take the exam.
8. Apply through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) for the AIMGP residency positions upon receiving valid NAC-OSCE and MMI results between September and November of the application year (CaRMS cycle)