If you're an American doctor considering practicing in Ontario, you might be eligible for alternative pathways to registration set by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). This guide aims to break down these alternative pathways in more clear terms to help you navigate the process.
More information on this all can be found at the CPSO website on Pathways to practice.
1. Recognized Training and Certification
American doctors can be eligible for registration if they have completed postgraduate training and obtained certification that is recognized by the CPSO. This includes training and certification from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).
2. Reciprocity Agreements
The CPSO has reciprocity agreements with certain American medical regulatory authorities. If you are licensed to practice in a jurisdiction with which the CPSO has a reciprocity agreement, you may be eligible for registration in Ontario.
3. Restricted Certificates
In some cases, American doctors may be eligible for a restricted certificate of registration. This allows you to practice under certain conditions and limitations (such as you may be restricted to practice within scope, but only in one location and under the chart-review supervision of a doctor who has been in Ontario practice 5+ years). You must have an offer of employment from a healthcare facility in Ontario and the facility must demonstrate that there is a need for your services... we have customers and clients who are happy to help with this.
4. Academic Practice
If you are an internationally trained specialist and you have been offered a faculty position by a medical school in Ontario, you may be eligible for an academic certificate of registration. This allows you to practice in a defined academic practice.
5. Public Health and Preventive Medicine
If you are a specialist in public health and preventive medicine and you have been offered a position by a public health unit in Ontario, you may be eligible for a public health and preventive medicine certificate of registration.
6. Clinical Fellowships
If you have been offered a clinical fellowship by a medical school in Ontario, you may be eligible for a certificate of registration authorizing postgraduate education. This allows you to practice as a clinical fellow under supervision, and your practice locations may be limited to the academic facility and their partner sites.
Navigating the CPSO registration requirements and exploring alternative pathways can be a complex process, but with the right guidance, it can be made more manageable and may also inspire your further accreditation beyond the minimums needed. Our modular course aims to help give you a starting point, and hopefully it helps to make the process more approachable and easy. We’re on a mission to help at least 1,000 doctors come and practice across Canada, providing support and guidance throughout the registration process, and practice + financial solutions along your practice journey so you can make the very most of your practice and life experience. If you're an American doctor considering practicing in Ontario, we'd love to help make coming up a bit easier, help ensure you’re finding a great practice you know you can trust, and of course we’re here to put you and medical practices first.