Family practice
Family practice
The full – family licence permits a physician to practise family medicine within the scope of their education, qualifications and experience. A licensee in the full class is responsible and accountable for their medical practice.
Requirements
To be eligible for a full – family licence, an applicant must:
- have a medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools which includes a Canadian sponsor note
- meet CPSBC's English language proficiency requirements
- have Canadian citizenship, be a permanent resident, or be legally able to live and work in British Columbia
- meet at least one of the following requirements:
- have obtained certification with the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)
- be a graduate of a Canadian medical school before July 1, 2010 and have successfully completed a one-year internship or accredited training, satisfactory to the Licence Committee,
- have completed accredited postgraduate training in a training program accredited by the ACGME and achieved certification with the American Board of Family Medicine or the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians, satisfactory to the Licence Committee,
- have completed accredited postgraduate training in a training program accredited by the American Osteopathic Association and achieved certification with the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians, satisfactory to the Licence Committee,
- if accredited postgraduate training was completed in Canada, applicants are required to have obtained certification with the CFPC and have obtained the LMCC
- have completed five years of family practice in British Columbia, and successfully completed an assessment of competency satisfactory to the Licence Committee if a licensee was
- registered on the temporary register under the former enactment on May 31, 2009 and registered in the provisional class effective June 1, 2009, or
- approved for such registration before June 1, 2009
How to apply
Application timelines
Licensure is a multi-step process that takes an average of six to eight weeks.
CPSBC addresses applications based on the order they are received and the intended start date.
Applicants who meet the requirements for the full-family licence must complete an Application for Medical Registration (AMR) through physiciansapply.ca.
Application timing is based on the applicant’s residency or work status:
Residency or work status | When to apply |
|---|---|
Canadian citizenship, permanent residency, valid work permit | Apply no more than three months before intended start date |
No work permit, residency or citizenship | Apply no more than six months before intended start date |
AMR and eligibility review
The AMR (mentioned in step 1) is downloaded directly to CPSBC’s database on the next business day. CPSBC emails the applicant to acknowledge receipt of their application and may request a CV.
CPSBC reviews the AMR to confirm that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements.
Secondary application package
If the applicant meets the eligibility requirements, CPSBC assigns the applicant a file manager no more than three months in advance to the applicant's start date.
The file manager will email the secondary application package to the applicant.
Fast-tracked secondary application
Applicants who hold an active full unrestricted licence in another Canadian jurisdiction may be eligible for a fast-tracked secondary application package.
The applicant must submit to CPSBC the completed secondary application along with required documentation.
This step can take up to six weeks. The file manager will review the completed application to ensure that no additional follow-up is required. Processing time is dependent on the submission of required documentation to CPSBC.
Common causes of delay in this step are:
- receipt of work permit – CPSBC cannot issue a licence before the applicant provides proof of legal ability to work in British Columbia
- certificates of professional conduct
- an identified fit to practice or ethical practice issue
If no additional follow-up is required, the file manager will submit the applicant file for a final review and approval. The review process can take up to one week.
Once the application is reviewed and approved, the applicant will be directed to pay licence fees. Following the payment of fees, a licence will be issued within three business days.
Maintaining the licence
Ongoing licensure in the full – family class is maintained by
- satisfactory completion of the annual licence renewal form,
- payment of the annual licence renewal fee as detailed in schedule B of the CPSBC Bylaws,
- payment of any other outstanding fine, fee, penalty fee, debt, levy or costs owed to CPSBC,
- ongoing compliance with continuing competency requirements,
- ongoing professional liability coverage or protection, and
- provision of certificates of professional conduct, where applicable.
Renew the licence by March 1 each year
If a licensee does not renew their CPSBC licence, they incur escalating late penalties starting March 1 and their licence is suspended on April 1, after which they are no longer permitted to practise, prescribe, or bill for medical services until all fees, penalties, and required renewal forms are completed.
Penalty fees for late renewal are outlined in schedule B of CPSBC Bylaws.
The annual licence renewal process is accessed by logging in to the CPSBC website. Licensees are notified by email of the licence renewal process in late December or early January each year.
How to answer the Annual Renewal Licence Form (ALRF)
Renewal fees and penalties
ALRF FAQs
For more information about the licence requirements, refer to:
- part 3 of the Health Professions and Occupations Act
- part 6 of the CPSBC Bylaws
- CPSBC licensing policies