To remove barriers in the medical residency access to enable Canadians who have studied abroad British Columbians cannot find family doctors. To bring B.C.
Society of Canadians Studying Medicine Abroad (SOCASMA)
Societal Issue:
British Columbia, like most Canadian provinces, has a significant shortage of doctors. British Columbians must endure long waiting periods to see specialists, many times to the detriment of their health. Political agendas seem to get in the way of capitalizing on readily accessible doctors who have graduated from medical schools overseas. Increasing the number of residency positions in British Columbia and giving qualified British Columbians and other Canadians who have studied medicine overseas access to these residency positions would go a long way to reducing the doctor shortage and improving the quality of medical care in the province. Values: SOCASMA believes in the fundamental value of equal opportunity to all Canadians. Allowing entry into a profession based
on one’s ethnic heritage, what university he or she attended, or some
other criteria irrelevant to the characteristics and knowledge required or that profession, will inevitably reduce the quality of care. SOCASMA strives to make the parties involved accountable to ensure the following values:
1. That all medical graduates who are permanent residents or citizens of Canada who have passed the national examinations have the right to compete on an equal footing on the basis of merit for the residency positions presently reserved for graduates of Canadian and American medical schools;
2. Fair competition requires that admission criteria and process be transparent and open to public scrutiny;
and
3. Successful applicants should be selected by those best able to identify the best qualified candidate. Goals :
SOCASMA has the following goals:
1. To work towards the development of a system of selection for medical residents in British Columbia that
a. is based on merit with no preferential treatment; and
b.is accessible to Canadians studying abroad in the year that they graduate from medical school;
2. To improve the quality of medical care by putting selection of residents in the hands of program directors and other working
doctors who are most experienced, knowledgeable, and best able
to select for characteristics and skills most suited to the area of practice the medical graduate is applying for;
and
3. medical graduates who have just graduated from medical school overseas home to help fill the doctor shortage that is negatively affecting British Columbia’s quality of life. Facilitating Goals:
1. Increase the number of residency positions in British Columbia;
2. Make available qualifying exams that allow Canadians studying abroad to take these exams in time to be eligible to compete in the CaRMS match in the year that they graduate;
3. Provide all British Columbians, who are first time trainees and have passed the qualifying exams equal and unfettered access to the first iteration of CaRMS;
4. Mandate that the selection of residents is to be determined on the basis of merit with no preferential treatment to any group;
5. Mandate that the selection of residents is to be determined by the program directors and other supervising medical practitioners who are most knowledgeable, experienced, and best suited to identify the characteristics that are necessary to determine the best candidate for the particular areas of practice that is being applied for;
and
6. Establish an oversight mechanism to ensure that these recommendations are carried out consistently, fairly, and transparently within British Columbia.
12/08/2025
Deadline Reminder❗️ 🗓️ Applications for the PACE Hospitalist Pathway close December 8th 2025 If you haven’t already started, here’s your reminder to apply to the PACE hospitalist program in Nova Scotia! This is an opportunity for ITPs with some practice experience interested in practici...
12/08/2025
Pathways to licensure continue to evolve in Canada. There are variations in the requirements across the provinces and territories.
12/08/2025
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) welcomes Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Minister Lena Diab’s announcement today on new measures to help clear the path for doctors who want to move to Canada.
We’re introducing a new Express Entry category that will remove barriers and allow doctors with Canadian work experience to practice in Canada sooner: https://bit.ly/4iJG6X3
12/08/2025
Nous introduisons une nouvelle catégorie Entrée express qui réduira les obstacles et permettra aux médecins internationaux ayant une expérience de travail canadienne de pratiquer plus rapidement au Canada : https://bit.ly/4oCsfD5
12/05/2025
Here’s a sneak peek of what’s waiting for you at the AGM 👇
On October 8, 2025, the Ontario Ministry of Health implemented a new eligibility policy affecting the 2025-26 CaRMS R-1 residency match cycle across all Ontario programs. Introduced mid-cycle, this policy excludes all Internationally Trained Physicians (ITPs) who did not complete at least two years of Ontario high school. This abrupt change immediately raised serious concerns about fairness, equity, and most importantly, access to care for Ontarians.
Today’s court decision to halt this policy is a critical and necessary intervention. We are thankful that qualified, hard working and deserving ITPs have had their rights upheld. However, it is deeply concerning that such a discriminatory rule had to be challenged in court to protect the basic rights of physicians who already call Ontario home and serve its communities.
ITPs are a vital part of Ontario’s healthcare workforce. They support hospitals, walk-in clinics, long-term care, and underserved communities across the province. At a time of historic physician shortages, exclusionary policies harm both doctors and patients.
While today’s outcome offers temporary relief, it does not resolve the deeper systemic issues including residency selection criteria that do not capture ITP strengths, dysfunctional and fragmented licensure pathways, and persistent bias against immigrant internationally trained physicians. The need for fair, transparent, and evidence-based processes remains urgent. The work continues.
"La Cour ordonne au ministère de la Santé d’émettre une nouvelle directive aux agences et aux organisations, selon le besoin, d’ouvrir à nouveau le processus de soumission des candidatures lié au jumelage R-1 de 2026 afin que les candidats qui ont été exclus en raison de l’exigence qu’ils aient complété deux années d’études secondaires en Ontario aient jusqu’au 8 décembre 2025 à 17 h (HE) pour soumettre des candidatures au Service canadien de jumelage des résidents pour des postes de résidence en Ontario."
"The court directs the Minister of Health to issue a fresh directive to such agencies and organizations as may be necessary to re-open the applications process relating to the 2026 R-1 match so that Residency candidates who were excluded by the requirement that they have attended high school in Ontario for two years shall have until December 8, 2025 at 5 PM to submit applications to the Canadian Resident Matching Service for Residencies in Ontario."
Ontario forced to slow new medical school plans after ignoring warnings: AG
By Isaac Callan & Colin D'Mello Global News
Posted December 2, 2025 11:02 am
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We all hear that most Canadian provinces have a significant shortage of doctors and that many Canadians cannot find family doctors and often endure long waiting periods to see specialists, too often to the detriment of their health. What most Canadians don’t know is the extent that our public universities, elected governments and supporting professional agencies go to sustain current systems that favour and protect graduates of Canadian universities. Their lack of transparency is not aligned with Canadian values for inclusion, diversity and fairness. Canadians deserve new, transparent oversight mechanisms to ensure that system changes like those recommended below are carried out consistently, fairly, and transparently within each province, and nationally.
GOOD NEWS - We have enough doctors: There is a readily available pool of qualified Canadian and Permanent Resident doctors who have graduated from medical schools overseas (IMGs). They are more than eager to serve as evidenced by the number who apply each year to limited numbers of medical residency positions.
BAD NEWS - many are blocked from obtaining Canadian medical licences: The many layers of entrenched bureaucracy and politics, combined with unclear accountabilities, prevents these qualified doctors from serving Canadians as licensed physicians. The key reason is a system of exclusion comprised of barrier after barrier that, collectively, prevent fair and equal access by IMGs to Canadian post-graduate medical residency positions and thus access to the primary pathway to medical licensing in Canada. Government support this system, perhaps because it supports their over-simplified belief that controlling physician numbers and limiting access to residency positions will reduce health care costs. These policies drives poor patient outcomes and is therefore a false economy.
SOCASMA is working to Change the System - Focus on Fair and Equal Access
SOCASMA formed to advocate for fair and equal opportunity to all Canadians and Permanent Resident qualified medical graduates to access to compete for the same residency positions on the same terms, regardless of the place of graduation. This will ensure the most qualified doctors obtain a license to practice medicine in Canada, and will motivate Canadian graduates and medical schools to compete successfully for their residency positions, instead of advocating for a non-competitive entitlement to residency positions.
FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES to the status quo system are required:
1) Equal Opportunity to Compete for Residency Positions
Allow all Canadian and Permanent Resident medical graduates, who have passed the national examinations, to compete on an equal footing on the basis of merit for the residency positions presently reserved for graduates of Canadian and American medical schools;
2) Uniform examination / evaluation and timing of evaluation for all qualified candidates. Nope - this is not currently the case!
This including CMGs, IMGs and USMGs (as well as Visa trainees). Today CMGs write their qualifying exams after starting their residency, whereas IMGs must write them a year before finishing medical school!
3) Ensure Consistency and Fairness in Return of Service (ROS) Contracts for all Canadians and Permanent Residents. Nope - also not currently the case!
The use of ROS contracts must be applied fairly and equally to CMGs, IMGs and USMGs by offering identical program-based ROS contracts for all candidates &/OR offer optional ROS contracts, available to all, that could be used to prioritize entry to certain programs. ROS contracts should not prevent doctors from moving forward with Fellowship or specialty training (e.g. further training should not be considered a breach of contract).
SUPPORTING ENABLERS will improve the overall fairness of an overhauled post-graduate medical training system:
4) Equal access to Medical Elective experiences
Electives are important for all Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents regardless of location of medical school attended. Ministries of Health can direct medical schools, as public educators, to ensure both a blinded University sponsored elective assignment lottery and to permit privately arranged electives. Medical schools can still provide electives for their students.
5) Increase the number of Residency positions for Canadians and Permanent Residents. Three key funding sources for residency
a) Ministries of Health fund residencies and targeted specialties focused on public future need;
b) Department of National Defense - want to increase funded residencies to support future military need;
c) **NEW** allow community or privately funded residency positions - e.g. municipalities, corporations, and community groups with particular needs
6) Prioritize training resources for Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents.
It would help Enabler #5 if we simultaneously reduce or suspend foreign visa trainee positions to ensure adequate training resources are available.
7) Establish a formally recognized and designated role of “Supportive Physician” within hospitals & community settings for unmatched CaRMS qualified candidates.
