Specialty practice

Specialty practice

The full – specialty licence permits a physician to practise specialty 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 the full – specialty 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 one of the following:
    • have obtained Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification, or
    • have completed accredited postgraduate training in a training program accredited by the ACGME and achieved certification with an American Board of Medical Specialties, or
    • have obtained certification with the RCPSC and have obtained the LMCC if accredited postgraduate training was completed in Canada.

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-specialty 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

Apply through physiciansapply.ca

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 – specialty 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.

Penalty fees for late renewal are outlined in schedule B of CPSBC Bylaws.

For more information about the licence requirements, refer to: