National Assessment Collaboration (NAC)
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

The National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) is an alliance of Canadian organizations seeking to streamline the evaluation process through which an international medical graduate (IMG) navigates on the path to obtaining a licence to practise medicine in Canada.

The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) has been asked by the NAC to prepare a national objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) that can be used to assist the Canadian medical school clinical program directors in selecting IMG applicants that will best fit with their individual programs. This NAC OSCE will be managed centrally by the MCC, but administered in the different regional centres within Canada.

The NAC OSCE is designed to evaluate an IMG’s clinical skill at the level of a Canadian medical graduate entering postgraduate training. The examination consists of 16 stations, 12 of which are encounters with patients. The remaining four stations are written (short-answer) therapeutic questions. The examination will measure a physician’s skill in history-taking, performing a physical examination, communicating with a patient and diagnosing and managing a patient’s complaint or presentation.

This is an examination that is intended to be used to help rank IMGs who apply to individual Canadian medical school graduate programs. Passing this examination does not guarantee a training position in Canada, but rather provides feedback to the program directors who are selecting trainees on the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals who take this examination. By taking the NAC OSCE, postgraduate applicants are being assessed on a common national examination. All NAC OSCE candidates are at a minimum required to have passed the MCC Evaluating Examination (MCCEE) before being eligible to take the NAC OSCE. Some jurisdictions may add region-specific criteria.

In 2010, it is anticipated that the NAC OSCE will be administered in British Columbia in March and in Quebec in June. It is expected that Manitoba and Alberta administrations will take place in the fall.

For further information on the BC NAC administration, visit www.imgbc.med.ubc.ca/home.htm.

The Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ) and the MCC are coordinating the administration of an NAC OSCE in the province of Quebec. This bilingual (French and English) examination will be held on Saturday, June 19, 2010 in Montreal. Individuals wishing to take this examination must register through the CMQ. For further information on the Quebec NAC administration, visit the Collège des médecins du Québec website at: www.cmq.org/en/ObtenirPermis/DiplomesInternationaux/Permis/1Reconnaissance
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There will be a bilingual NAC OSCE orientation session Friday, April 23, 2010 from 5 to 9 p.m. hosted by the CMQ, NAC and the MCC at the Amphithéâtre Jeanne-Mance – Hôtel-Dieu CHUM (3840 Saint-Urbain Street, Montreal). Representatives from these organizations will answer any questions examinees may have on the examination. Please be advised that this is not a practice session, but rather an information session highlighting topics such as where to go and what to expect on the day of the examination.

The MCC has also prepared additional information for candidates who have already registered or who are considering registering for the Quebec NAC OSCE administration in June 2010.

We will post information on the Manitoba and Alberta administrations as soon as it becomes available.

IMGs are encouraged to contact the IMG program in the province in which they would like to train to inquire about specific requirements. IMGs are also encouraged to contact the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) for further information on how an IMG can enter the Canadian postgraduate match.