CPSO has approved a new pathway to licensure for internationally trained specialists registered in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s (RCPSC) Practice Eligibility Route (PER).

The PER offers specialist physicians trained outside Canada, the United States, or other approved jurisdictions a pathway to certification. Under PER, physicians trained in a recognized primary speciality can receive RCPSC certification after successfully completing the specialty examination and a minimum of two years of practice in Canada.

Under the new pathway, physicians who have passed the specialty written examination through PER can be granted a restricted certificate of registration so that they can complete the two-year practice requirement. Physicians will be required to practise during this time under supervision, and the certificate will expire within three years from the date it is issued.

Once physicians have completed the PER requirements and gained certification from the RCPSC, they will be eligible for independent practice.

Concurrently, CPSO’s Specialist Recognition Criteria in Ontario policy has been revised to allow physicians registered under the new pathway to use the specialist designation.