Some info about returning to practice medicine in Canada:
A note about me: I am a Canadian citizen who is currently studying medicine in the Caribbean. I plan to return to Canada to practice (rural family medicine), and will be applying to residencies in Canada and the US. My focus, therefore, is on students currently studying medicine who wish to practice in Canada when they are finished. My perspective is not that of an already qualified doctor who wants to move to Canada and set up a practice there. That being said, some of the info below will be applicable. Disclaimer: What I write below is my opinion, and should not be assumed to be true. Always check the relevant websites, and speak with relevant officials for your official answers to questions!
Becoming liscensed in Canada as an IMG is difficult, but can be done. It is probably a little easier than it has been, but it still requires a lot of hoop jumping. There are a few basic requirements:
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Write the Canadian licensing exams, administered by the Medical Council of Canada. There are three exams that IMG's have to write:
1. MCCEE (Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam), which is a test of your medical knowledge to determine whether you are ready to write the qualifying exam. This is required of all IMGs, with a few exceptions*.
2. MCCQE1 (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam part 1), which is written by all Canadian medical students at the end of their 4th year, and by IMGs wanting to practice in Canada.
3. MCCQE2 (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam part 2), written by Canadian medical students in their first year of residency, and by IMGs wanting to return to practice in Canada.
Your first place to start is the Medical Council of Canada; the organisation the administers the exam. In its pages, you will discover a description of the exam (and the similarities/differences from the USMLE), and a 436 page study guide that is a free download. There is a LOT of information on this website, and some of it can be hard to find, so search around!
Medical Council of Canada / Le Conseil médical du Canada
The study guide is here:
http://www.mcc.ca/pdf/Complete_Objectives-e.pdf
(This is a large file, so will take a while to download.)
There is also a large amount of cultural info on this site that will be tested on the exam.
And while the MCC doesn't endorse it, most Canadian med students use
the Toronto Notes, a study guide produced by med students at UofT for the MCCQE.
Toronto Notes 2007 Official Website
And study guides for the USMLE step 2 CK, while having a slightly different focus than ones for the MCCQE, might be helpful as well. Look for the First Aid series.
And always check out the Canadian Information Centre for International Medical Graduates.
Canadian Information Centre for International Medical Graduates
Remember, Google is your friend!
I will add to this post in a bit, so do check back. There is way more info out there.
*see the MCC website