Ontario

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES

An International Medical Graduate (IMG) is an individual who received their medical degree from a medical school that is listed with the World Directory of Medical Schools (World Directory) published by the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) and the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). In Ontario, an International Medical Graduate (IMG) is an individual who received their medical degree from a medical school not accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) or the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

A U.S. Osteopathic Medical Graduate (USMG- Osteo) is an individual who received their medical degree from an accredited Osteopathic medical school.

• Document validity (not expired) by: Must be valid up to the Assignment of applications and documents deadline
• Minimum score: 93 with a minimum score of 24 on the speaking section

Language assessment document accepted: IELTS Academic

• Document validity (not expired) by: Must be valid up to the Assignment of applications and documents deadline
• Minimum score: 7 in each component

Language assessment document accepted: Letter of language proficiency*

*Alternatively, candidates can submit a printout from the World Directory of Medical Schools which clearly states that the language of instruction is English or French.

Language Requirements

Applicants must be able to communicate in the language of instruction and patient care of the matching school. Please review specific program descriptions for more information.

Please note, for the 2022 R-1 Match cycle, the IELTS Indicator will be accepted as a substitute for the Academic Version of the IELTS.

Please note, for the 2022 R-1 Match cycle, the TOEFL iBT Home Edition will be accepted as a substitute for the TOEFL iBT.

• Date/milestone assessment submission required: File review opening
• Requirement: Mandatory

Examination: NAC Examination

• Date/milestone assessment submission required: File review opening
• Requirement: Mandatory with exceptions*

* MCCQE part II can be used to apply instead of the NAC

For more information on the MCCQE Part 1 click on the following link https://www.mcc.ca/examinations/mccqe-part-i/

For more information on the NAC OSCE click on the following link National Assessment Collaboration | Medical Council of Canada

The Ministry requests all ROS agreements before June 1 of the year they were matched. All agreements should be returned to the Ministry prior to the start of residency training. It is the responsibility of the applicant to confirm eligibility with respect to ROS requirements of other provinces.

More information for IMG ROS can be found here: Return of Service Program

Information about the Ministry’s ROS programs is available at Return of Service Program 

All IMGs need to have their documents verified through physiciansapply.ca. This process can take several months to complete. Individuals are advised to visit physiciansapply.ca at the point of application.

Documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a notarized/certified translation. Students applying in the last year of medical school will need to submit their most recent marks/transcripts and will need to provide proof of their MD to CPSO prior to the start of residency training.

All IMG candidates accepted to all residency programs will be required to complete either the Pre-Residency Program (PRP) or the Pre-Residency Program for Family Medicine (PRPFM) prior to entering into a residency program. Matched IMGs will be expected to attend these programs in Toronto, several weeks in advance of the start of their residency program. In some cases, this may result in a delay of the start date of the residency. Additional information on the PRP and PRP FM programs can be found at the following link: Touchstone Institute.

Assessment Verification Period

All IMG candidates accepted to residency training programs will be required to undergo an Assessment Verification Period (AVP). This assessment period is normally 12 weeks in length and is required by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to obtain an educational license to enter a residency program. CPSO – International Medical Graduates (IMGs).

IMGs that have failed an AVP and are reapplying through CaRMS are ineligible to apply for training in the same specialty in Ontario but may apply to a different specialty in the first and/or second iteration. IMGs who have withdrawn from a program prior to completion of an AVP must declare so upon application.

Additional Ontario Information:

1. Permanent Residents: Successful applicants who hold Permanent Resident status in Canada will be required to disclose their Country of Citizenship to the postgraduate medical education office in order to comply with the current reporting requirements of the Ontario Ministry.
2. Matched applicants: CaRMS will provide their electronic data file to the matched university’s postgraduate education office. The postgraduate office will share the information as needed, but not limited to the Ontario Physician Human Resource Data Centre, Canadian Post-MD Education Registry, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario, teaching hospitals and other training sites, Touchstone Institute and the Ontario Ministry of Health.
3. Changes: The Ontario Faculties of Medicine and Ontario Ministry of Health reserve the right to make changes to the information published on the CaRMS website pertaining to Ontario postgraduate training without prior notice.
4. Failure to meet or provide proof of any of the stated requirements may result in the applicant file not being reviewed and removed.