USA certified
USA certified
Specialists who are not eligible for full or provisional licensure in BC may be eligible to apply for licensure in the USA certified class.
USA certified class permits a registrant to practise medicine in British Columbia within the limits and conditions granted by the Registration Committee. To be eligible, the registrant must be:
- trained in the United States
- hold an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) certification in
- emergency medicine,
- internal medicine,
- pediatrics, or
- psychiatry.
Requirements
To be eligible for registration and licensure in the USA certified class, an applicant must:
- have a medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools
- meet the College’s English language proficiency requirements
- have Canadian citizenship, be a permanent resident status, or be legally able to live and work in British Columbia
- hold ABMS certification in emergency medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, or psychiatry
- have successfully completed medical licensing examinations in the United States of America, acceptable to the Registration Committee or be a licentiate of the MCC
- must not be otherwise eligible for registration in the full – specialty or provisional – specialty class as determined by the Registration Committee
Other requirements
The applicant must fulfill all other requirements satisfactory to the College, including:
- payment of a $665 registration fee
- completion of the USA certified class application form
- completion of the acknowledgement form
- clearing a criminal records check
- confirmation of a business address and provide appropriate identity documents
- provide CPCs from all previous jurisdictions
- provide references
How to apply
Applicants who meet the above requirements can email registration@cpsbc.ca to request an application form.
Maintaining the licence
Ongoing registration and licensure in the USA certified class is maintained by
- satisfactory completion of the annual licence renewal form,
- payment of the annual licence renewal fee as detailed in Schedule A of the College Bylaws,
- payment of any other outstanding fine, fee, penalty fee, debt, levy or costs owed to the College,
- ongoing compliance with continuing competency requirements,
- ongoing professional liability coverage or protection, and
- provision of CPCs, where applicable.
The annual licence renewal process is accessed through the registrant portal. Registrants will be notified by email of the licence renewal process in late December or early January each year.
Penalties and fines
Registrants must complete the annual licensure process by March 1 to avoid a $500 penalty. The penalty increases by $100 increments each month until the process is completed.
Failure to complete the annual licensure process will also result in the suspension of a registrant’s licence on April 1. The licence will be reinstated when the annual licence renewal form is completed to the satisfaction of the College, and online payment of all outstanding fees and penalties are made.
Renew the licence by March 1 each year
Registrants cannot practise medicine, prescribe or charge for services rendered without being registered with the College.
More information
For more information about the requirements for registration and licensure, refer to:
- section 20 of the Health Professions Act
- section 2 of the College Bylaws
- College registration policies