Fast-track licensing for U.S. doctors and nurses expected soon: BC Ministry of Health

Four months after the province said it was working to fast-track licensing processes to allow American doctors who want to move here to start working faster, the B.C. Ministry of Health says this is just around the corner.

A bylaw passed May 30 by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC to allow U.S. doctors with certain certifications to become fully licensed in B.C. is set to come into effect July 7.

“This change will remove barriers faced by U.S. trained and certified doctors on their path to becoming licensed and begin practising medicine in the province, following similar changes recently adopted by Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick,” it told 1130 NewsRadio in a statement.

Doctors with certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Board of Family Medicine, or the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians qualify under this change.

For registered nurses trained in the U.S., the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) made changes in April to streamline the application process.

“Nursing education and practice in Canada and the United States share many similarities,” the Ministry of Health said.

“BCCNM is leveraging common systems and exams to make the process as efficient as possible.”

The ministry says that with a complete application — which considers education, exam results, employment, and registration history — U.S. RNs could become registered within days, depending on their circumstances.

Meanwhile, both the province and private recruiting agencies report a significant increase in interest from doctors in the United States looking to relocate here.

Rohini Patel with CanAm Physician Recruiters says about 85 per cent of her clients right now are American, but their biggest impediment to moving here isn’t the provincial licensing process, it’s getting their work permit and going through immigration.

“From starting your application with the Medical Council of Canada, getting your work permit, anywhere from, I would say, six months to a year, the doctor makes the move to Canada,” she says.

“I don’t think it’s putting them off at all. They are open to kind of waiting for the timeline.”

Patel says some applicants need to get a labour market impact assessment while some are going through provincial nominee programs.

But Patel adds there are slowdowns throughout the entire process, including finding a job once everything is approved. She says, in some cases, doctors wanting to work in B.C. hospitals end up in family care instead because it’s quicker to get hired there.