Are you an international medical graduate or an international medical student?
You need to know the difference before you send a source verification request.
What is an international medical graduate?
International medical graduate (IMG) is a term used to describe a physician who has graduated from a medical school outside of Canada. An international medical graduate must:
a. Be a graduate from an international school/college listed in the International Medical Education Directory. The medical school/college granting the degree (as well as the name of the medical degree and year of graduation) must be listed in the International Medical Education Directory.
b. Have completed all requirements to obtain the final qualification of Doctor of Medicine or equivalent qualification, including any postgraduate clinical training or internship required to obtain the degree.
Most international medical graduates have obtained their final medical diploma. The final medical diploma is the document that allows the applicant, with appropriate postgraduate training, to be licensed to practice as a physician in the country of graduation.
In certain cases, the Physician Credentials Registry of Canada (PCRC) receives applications from individuals who have not yet obtained their final medical diploma but would still be considered international medical graduates as they have completed all the requirements, including any required postgraduate clinical training or internship, to obtain their degree. These individuals, for example, have not yet received their final medical diploma because their convocation has been delayed or due to other administrative reasons.
What do I need to send to PCRC if I am an international medical graduate who has not yet received a final medical diploma?
If you completed all the requirements for graduation including postgraduate training, but did not yet receive the final medical diploma due to administrative reasons, additional documents will be required from you including:
- A graduation certificate
- A transcript (that must confirm the completion of the degree requirements)
- A letter from your university stating the date that you will receive your medical diploma
What is an international medical student?
International medical student (IMS) is a term used to describe an individual who has not yet completed all the academic requirements for the medical degree. An international medical student:
a. Must attend an International school / college listed in the International Medical Education Directory. The medical school/college granting the degree (as well as the name of the medical degree and year of graduation) must be listed in the International Medical Education Directory.
b. Has not completed the final clinical year of his or her medical degree program; or has not completed the compulsory internship/residency.
What do I need to send to PCRC if I am an international medical student?
To register as a student, you must be in the final clinical year of your medical school program. The following documents are required from a student:
- Certified Identity Confirmation form
- A certified copy of your Identity document (i.e., passport), translated if required.
- Release form
What if I am a Canadian citizen studying outside of Canada? Under what category do I fall?
A Canadian citizen or Canadian permanent resident who studied medicine outside of Canada is also considered an international medical graduate or an international medical student.
All above statements are only a guide to our source verification request process and other circumstances may require further action from the applicant.
