Font Size small font large font

Recognized Training and Certification outside Canada

The CCFP designation may be granted without examination by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) to those physicians who have met all of the following:

  • Successfully graduated from accredited postgraduate training in family medicine in a jurisdiction where the standards for accreditation of postgraduate family medicine training and the criteria for certification are judged comparable and acceptable to the CFPC.
  • Hold certification in family medicine in that jurisdiction.
  • Met all other requirements for Certification in the CFPC.
  • Met all other requirements for licensure and have been granted registration to practice in a Canadian province or territory.
  • Those who have obtained one of the accepted designations through a practice eligible route are not eligible to apply for CCFP without examination at this point in time.

Approved jurisdictions include:

  • United States of America: Graduates of family medicine residency training programs that have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and who are also Diplomats of the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM)
  • Australia: Graduates of Australian General Practice Vocational Training programs that have been accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and meet the standards of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and who also hold Fellowship in the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP)
  • Ireland: Graduates of general practice vocational training schemes that have been accredited by the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) and who also hold membership in the Irish College of General practitioners (MICGP)
  • United Kingdom: Graduates of general practice vocational training programmes that have been accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC) and who meet the standards of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and who also hold membership in the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP)

Note: These programs vary from Canadian programs in that training in intrapartum care is not compulsory.

Application process for recognition of training and certification from approved jurisdictions

  1. Contact the CFPC. Submit a letter expressing your intent to pursue certification without examination and enclose a copy of your curriculum vitae and a completed application form to ccfp_aeg@cfpc.ca. CFPC will review and advise, in writing, whether or not your credentials appear to meet the criteria for certification without examination.
    If you are not already registered and practicing medicine in Canada, contact the medical regulatory authority (MRA) in the province where you intend to apply for registration to practice. Request an application package for registration. Be sure to inform the MRA that you intend to pursue certification without examination with the CFPC based on recognition of your training and certification.
    If you are registered and practicing in a province or territory of Canada, request a letter of standing from your medical regulatory authority to be sent to CFPC.
  2. Become an active member of the CFPC.
  3. Register your credentials with the Physician Credentials Registry of Canada (PCRC) and ensure that you share your documents with CFPC. The CFPC requires source verification of only the following three documents:
  • medical degree (MD) or doctorate of osteopathy (DO)
  • postgraduate family medicine training

    ABFM candidates must submit a postgraduate training certificate issued by the ACGME accredited family medicine training program confirming completion of training

    RACGP candidates must submit a document/certificate issued by the Regional Training Provider (RTP) which confirms the following:
    • that you have successfully completed all aspects of Australian General Practice Training as provided by (name of RTP)
    • dates when you started and completed and completed training with the RTP
    • Australian General Practice training meets the standards of the RACGP, which is accredited by the Australian Medical Council for education and training leading to Fellowship of the RACGP (FRACGP)

          MICGP candidates must submit a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of Training 
         (CSCT) issued by the ICGP accredited training program confirming completion of training.

          MRCGP candidates must submit a Certificate of Prescribed Experience from the JCPTGP
          OR Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT)

    • certification in family medicine
      (DABFM, FRACGP, MICGP or MRCGP) 

4. Provide evidence from a medical regulatory authority in Canada that you are in all ways eligible for licensure or registration (except for certification in the College of Family Physicians of Canada) and that you have been granted a provisional licence to practice.

Note: Medical practice registration is regulated by each province/territory. Canada has 13 medical regulatory authorities. All physicians wishing to practice medicine in Canada must be registered with the MRA in the province in which they intend to practice. Please contact the appropriate MRA for application guidelines for registration or licensure, and to determine the category of registration for which you may be eligible.

Processing fee: $520

All applications are subject to review by the Board of Examiners of the College of Family Physicians of Canada who will make final rulings on all questions of eligibility for certification.

For information on the International Accreditation process, visit our International Accreditation page.

Copyright © 1996-2012 The College of Family Physicians of Canada