NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release:
Sept. 1, 2010
Canada to launch application process for medical licences
Ottawa – Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada (FMRAC) and the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) announced that they are launching a Canadian process for foreign-trained physicians to apply for a medical licence. Once completed, this process will allow physicians to apply for a medical licence electronically to anywhere in Canada, and support their application by providing access to credentials stored in a national repository. The ultimate goal is to make the application process available to all physicians in Canada.
“This investment is part of the federal government’s overall action plan to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that licensing bodies put in place better programs to recognize foreign credentials,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
Currently, physicians must complete a separate application for each province or territory. Once the new process launches, they will be able to apply through a simplified, electronic system to multiple regulatory authorities.
“FMRAC and its members have been working diligently to streamline requirements across the country for physician licensing by developing national standards,” said Dr. Bill Lowe, President of FMRAC. “The new national standards will enable regulators to better facilitate physician mobility in accordance with provisions set out in the Agreement on Internal Trade.”
Dr. Rocco Gerace, Chair of FMRAC’s Steering Committee on the Agreement on Internal Trade said that “this will ultimately result in the most significant improvement to the licensure process for Canadian doctors and marks a critical step forward towards the Application for Medical Registration in Canada.”
The application process will build on the MCC’s Physician Credentials Repository. This repository gathers, verifies and permanently stores electronic copies of physicians’ credentials.
“Once the application for medical registration launches in 2012, the process to apply for a medical licence will become much easier,” said Dr. Trevor Theman, Vice-President of the MCC. “Physicians will only have to submit a pre-populated electronic application and provide access to authenticated credentials.”
HRSDC is providing funding for this initiative through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program.
FMRAC is a member-based organization comprising the 10 provincial and three territorial medical regulatory authorities. As such, FMRAC is the national organization and the privileged voice, both nationally and internationally, of medical regulation in Canada.
The MCC conducts over 11,500 assessments of medical students and graduates every year through its three examinations, offered in both official languages in sites across Canada, and in the case of its Evaluating Examination, in over 500 locations in 73 countries. Physicians who successfully complete its examinations are awarded the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada. The Licentiate is one of the requirements for full licensure in Canada.
-30-
For more information:
Jessica Hertzog
Communications Co-ordinator
Medical Council of Canada
613-521-6012, ext. 2277
jhertzog@mcc.ca