Exemption from the MCC Evaluating Examination

An international medical graduate (IMG) or a graduate from an AOA-accredited U.S. School of Osteopathic Medicine (U.S. osteopath) who is a specialist certified in Canada or the U.S. may be eligible for an exemption from the requirement of a pass standing on the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE). Once an exemption is granted, an IMG is eligible to apply directly to the MCC Qualifying Examination Part I.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for an exemption from the requirement of a pass standing on the MCCEE, you must be an IMG with an acceptable medical degree, or a U.S. osteopath, who is a specialist certified by:

  • a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)

    • or
  • the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)

    • or
  • the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)

The ABMS, RCPSC or CFPC specialty certification must be valid at the time of applying for the exemption and at the time of applying for the MCCQE Part I.

Steps for requesting an exemption

Select and click on the statement that applies to you:

If you never previously applied for the MCCEE:

  1. Submit a source verification request (SVR) with the PCRC. To do so, please visit www.pcrc.org and create an online account. You will be required to pay the applicable fees online by credit card.

  2. Send all documents associated with your SVR to PCRC, including your medical degree diploma, identity document(s), photograph, Certified Identity Confirmation form, etc., ensuring all documents are copied, certified, translated and submitted according to PCRC requirements.  (IMGs: Click here for more information on the medical degree diploma.)

  3. Await review and approval of your documents by PCRC (allow 10-15 days depending on volume). Before requesting an exemption from the MCCEE, your documents must have a “positive” PCRC Review Status and a “positive” Source Verification Status (where applicable). Click here for details regarding required PCRC document statuses.

  4. When all required documents have reached the required “positive” statuses at PCRC, print a copy of your PCRC Report (from your PCRC account, click on “View Report”) and submit it with your MCCEE exemption request (see 5 below).

  5. Go to “Submit an MCCEE exemption request”.

If you previously applied for the MCCEE and your first application was submitted after the launch of PCRC on July 9, 2007:

  1. You should have already submitted a Source Verification Request (SVR) and your documents to PCRC.

  2. Ensure that your documents have a “positive” PCRC Review Status and a “positive” Source Verification Status (where applicable) (see required PCRC document statuses).

  3. When all required documents have reached the required “positive” statuses at PCRC, print a copy of your PCRC Report (from your PCRC account, click on “View Report”) and submit it with your MCC exemption request (see 4 below).

  4. Go to “Submit an MCCEE exemption request.”

If you previously applied for the MCCEE and your first application was submitted before the launch of PCRC on July 9, 2007:

  1. You must submit, with your MCC exemption request (see 3 below), a certified copy of your final (medical) diploma if you previously applied for the MCCEE as a student or your diploma had previously not been issued for administrative reasons, or if your diploma was previously submitted to the MCC more than five (5) years ago (i.e., for an MCCEE session prior to 2003).

    2. If this applies to you, the diploma must be copied, certified, translated and submitted according to the MCC’s diploma requirements and certification and translation procedures*. If your current legal name is different from the name on your diploma, please also be aware of the name requirements.

  2. You must submit a certified copy of your current, valid passport in order to confirm your current legal name, date of birth and identity. The photocopy should include the pages on which appear your full name in the Latin alphabet, photograph, signature, date of birth and the passport’s expiry date. If you do not have a valid passport, click here for other acceptable identification documents.

    3. The passport or other identification documents must be certified and translated according to the MCC’s certification and translation procedures*.

  3. Go to “Submit an MCCEE exemption request.”

    4. * Certification procedures and acceptable certifying officials
       Translation procedures and acceptable translators

Submit an MCCEE exemption request

In addition to the documentation described above (according to whether you previously applied for the MCCEE or not, etc.), the following must also be submitted in order to request an exemption from the MCCEE:

  1. A duly-completed MCCEE Exemption Request Form.

  2. A signed MCCEE Exemption Agreement to Terms and Conditions.

    3. (Click here for more information on MINC#NIMC and CAPER, as indicated in the Agreement to the Terms and Conditions.)

  3. A copy of your ABMS, RCPSC or CFPC certificate, certified according to the MCC’s certification procedures*.

  4. The Certified Identity Confirmation form on which you will have attached two identical passport size and quality photographs. The form must be completed in the presence of an MCC-recognized certifying official, according to the MCC’s certification procedures*.

    5. Certification of the form includes certification of the first (top) photograph on the form. The seal of office, stamp or signature of the certifying official must appear partly on the photograph and partly on the form.

  5. Credit card payment of the applicable C$95 administration fee. (Note: The fee is non-refundable regardless of whether or not the exemption is approved).

* Certification procedures and acceptable certifying officials

Await approval of your exemption request

Please allow two to three weeks for the processing of your exemption request.

Once your request has been processed, you will receive an e-mail message to confirm whether or not the exemption has been approved. If the exemption is approved, you will be eligible to apply for the MCCQE Part I as long as your ABMS, RCPSC or CFPC certification is still valid at the time of application to the MCCQE Part I. You will also be issued an official letter, on MCC letterhead, to confirm your exemption from the requirement of a pass standing on the MCCEE.