Requirements for Practice

All physicians working in Alberta are required to obtain a practice license from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.

Canadian-trained Graduates

Apply to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) for licensure.

International Medical Graduates

There are four steps that you can start simultaneously:

1. If you have not written the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam (MCCEE), register to do so. This is the only exam you require to practice in Alberta, Canada.

2. At the same time, you can register with the Physician Credential Registry of Canada(PCRC) for credential verification. This is a one time process and applicable to all Canadian provinces and territories.

3. Check the requirements to demonstrate evidence of English Language proficiency through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA).

4. Review the general eligibility information for a license in Alberta. Check out the CPSA Registration Process Tutorial If you appear to meet the eligibility requirements for General Practice or Specialty Practice, then complete the on-line eligibility review. It will take approximately twenty minutes to complete. As an International Medcial Graduate (IMG), the license you may obtain is the Provisional Register Conditional Practice.

Once you have received a positive Eligibility Letter from the CPSA, you can then apply for physician jobs in Alberta.

If you require a Sponsor or Sponsorship - this refers to an employer that is willing to hire you based on a successful 3-month assessment, as will be stated in your Eligibility Letter from the CPSA.  Sponsors can include Alberta Health Services or Covenant Health facilities, individual physicians or clinics willing to hire. All employers advertising on this website can be sponsors if they provide you with you an offer of employment. They would then write a letter to the CPSA indicating that they will "sponsor your 3-month assessment", a condition that must be completed if it is part of your Eligibility requirements to qualify for a license to practice in Alberta. The Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan (RPAP) cannot sponsor physicians.

At anytime, you can contact a Community Physician Recruitment Consultant consultants@rpap.ab.ca to help you answer questions with the process for licensure and for assistance with matching your interest, community lifestyle and practice opportunity once you receive your license from the CPSA.