Reducing Barriers to Practice

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The College is committed to finding new and creative ways to evaluate the competence and performance of individuals who wish to practise medicine in Ontario.

Council approved a position statement that will act as a guiding document to ground new programs and policies considered by Council and committees involved in the practical aspects of physician registration.

The College will:

  • set and maintain registration standards for candidates who wish to practise medicine in Ontario which will not be compromised in response to physician human resource needs;
  • govern and administer the registration process in accordance with all applicable legislation, regulations, by-laws, and policies;
  • exempt individuals from the registration requirements only as allowed for in the regulation (O.Reg. 856/93, made under the Medicine Act, 1991) and as long as there are safeguards in place for patient care;
  • proactively seek ways to reduce barriers to registration for qualified candidates by facilitating the development of pathways to registration that are fair, objective and consistent;
  • collaborate and cooperate with our provincial and national partners in government, medical education and training, specialty certification and qualifying examinations to ensure a system-wide approach to physician registration;
  • use valid and reliable practice-based assessment tools to evaluate the clinical knowledge, skill, judgement and performance of physicians who have extensive and independent clinical experience in another jurisdiction;
  • facilitate practice monitoring and supervision for eligible physicians who are issued a restricted certificate of registration, in order to assure patient safety as each physician works towards achieving a certificate of registration to practise independently in Ontario;
  • evaluate each physician's understanding and application in their practice of the ethical, legal and health care system aspects of medicine that prevail in Canada and Ontario.

Pathways to registration

  • Pathway A
    Physicians with U.S. Postgraduate Training and Certification
  • Pathway B
    Physicians with Canadian or International Medical Degree with Canadian Postgraduate Training without RCPSC or CFPC Certification