American board-certified physicians now eligible for licence in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is the first province to offer full licensure to physicians certified by the American Board of Specialties without requiring them to first obtain certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (CPSNS) announced the decision on March 6. “These are challenging times for Nova Scotians seeking access to care in the face of physician shortages. We are making every effort to open the door wider to welcome physicians seeking licensure who are competent to deliver safe care to Nova Scotians,” Dr. Gus Grant, CEO and registrar of CPSNS said in a press release. The change may be attractive to doctors from Nova Scotia, who trained—and stayed—in the U.S., Dr. Grant told CBC News. “I can’t think of many of my med school classmates who would fancy the task of challenging the certification exams in the middle of their career,” Dr. Grant said. “Because they're unattracted by the notion of getting a provisional licence when they enjoy a full one in their own jurisdiction.” As well as offering licensure to American board-certified specialists, the CPSNS will also accept the physician’s continued certification status as proof that they are participating in adequate continuing professional development. This means the physicians will not have to go through the Royal College’s Maintenance of Certification program or the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Mainpro+ program. Read: Alberta pilot project aims to get IMGs into practice sooner Applicants must still be licenced by the Medical Council of Canada, or have one of the seven alternatives accepted by the CPSNS, such as United States Medical Licensing Exam. Those wanting to obtain full licensure in Nova Scotia must have completed their postgraduate training in the United States or Canada, although if they were trained elsewhere, the decision on their licensure is at the discretion of the CPSNS registrar. Dr. Grant said that CPSNS and other medical regulators are looking into what other international specialist certification programs might be considered equivalent. “I think we have to take measured steps in doing that,” Dr. Grant told CBC News. “Medical training varies greatly around the world but we're certainly open to the idea of examining which jurisdictions are substantially similar to Canada.” More provincial and territorial medical regulators could also start to offer licensure to American board-certified physicians, Dr. Grant told CBC News. “I think we can anticipate that there [will be] other colleges who will be doing the same thing.” The CPSNS is also offering full licensure to international subspecialists who had their post-graduate training exclusively in their sub-specialty and obtained the Royal College’s subspecialist affiliate status. A specialist can obtain this status by successfully completing a special exam set by the Royal College. It doesn’t make them a Royal College fellow. Read: Nova Scotia program setting IMGs up with a soft landing instead of a thud

American board-certified physicians now eligible for licence in Nova Scotia

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