Navigating the New Physician Register

Where do I find a physician’s current status with CPSO?

You can find this under Member Status. This is found in multiple areas.

• In the Search Results, you will see their status under Member Status column.
• Once you click on the physician you want to review on the search results page, the Member Status is in the banner, top right corner, of the page that displays.
• You can find additional Registration information in the Registration History tab.

How do I download the physician’s information?

Click on DOWNLOAD PDF link, located in the top right corner of the banner at the top of the physician’s profile.

This will provide you with all the information within each tab.

NOTE: It will contain information current to and including the date you download the PDF.

Can I search for Ontario physicians who are accepting new patients?

No. However, you may click on the link “Resources to find a family physician” on the landing page. There, you will find several options and resources to help you with your search.

Can I search for active and inactive physicians?

Yes. Check the box on the Physician Register Quick Search page that says, “Include all inactive Physicians."

You can also check the boxes In the Advanced Search page, at the top of the Refine Search panel located above the CPSO# field to include all active physicians in Ontario, and inactive for two years or longer.

Do I need to fill every search field to find a physician? For instance, Last Name, First/Middle Name, Phone Number, Address, etc.?

No. You can enter a physician’s CPSO # or one of their names (first, middle, or last) or phone number. You only need to enter information into one of the fields, with a minimum of 3 characters, to get a search result back.

The more information you enter, the more refined the search results will be, especially in cases where the physician’s name is common.

How do I search for a physician that speaks a language other than English?

The default language search is English. To find a physician who speaks another language, remove the “English” option from the field and select the desired language spoken. This will help to narrow your results.

What is the browser compatibility of the physician register?

The Physician Register is accessible on both your desktop and mobile devices; however, to optimize your experience you will need to ensure your browser version is up to date. While each individual's browser's preferences and versions may vary, we generally recommend using a browser that is using the latest version or three versions prior to the current version.

If you are still experiencing browser issues, we recommend using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

What does the number next to the physician’s listed specialty mean?

This number means that the physician has more than one specialty. The number that is present shows the number of additional specialties the physician has.

I see the address of the physician’s practice, but not the phone number. Where can I see that?

If you hover your mouse over the physician’s name in the Search Result list, the phone and fax numbers will appear to the right.

You can also see this information by clicking on the Physician in the search result.

There are too many search results. How do I narrow down my search?

You may enter any additional information related to your physician in the Refine Search panel on the right side of the search results list. The more information you enter, the more refined your search results will be.

If your search is too narrow, you may need to change or remove some of the information entered in the search.

What is the maximum number of search results that will appear?

Search will pull up a maximum of 100 results. You will need to refine your search to narrow the results.

Where can I find information related to practice conditions?

Click on the Practice Conditions tab to review any practice conditions or restrictions, if applicable.

Where can I find information related to investigation outcomes?

Those investigation outcomes that are public can be found in the Public Notification section.

Where can I find information related to any Discipline Tribunal or other disciplinary action against the physician?

Click on the Public Notifications tab to view any current or past Discipline Tribunal proceedings or other public notifications.

Where can I see the physician’s educational history?

Click on the Training tab to view where the physician went to medical school.

Please note: Physicians with a current post-graduate education certificate will have their Ontario post-graduate training information listed here. Post-graduate training will not be displayed for other physicians. For further information please see the March 2024 CPSO Dialogue article, Post-Graduate Training Reflected on Public Register.

Why am I unable to see a physician’s post-graduate training history?
In the past, information was included on the Register about post-graduate training completed in Ontario for physicians holding an independent practice license. This information was limited to post-graduate training in Ontario because only information from the Ontario medical schools was systematically received about post-graduate training. The information therefore did not appear consistently on the Register, potentially leading to misunderstandings or ambiguity about what post-graduate training physicians are required to have. As a result of recent by-law changes, this information has been removed for physicians holding an independent practice license, although the Register does continue to indicate it for physicians who hold a post-graduate certificate of registration.