U.S.-licensed doctors can now practise in Nova Scotia without extra certification

U.S.-trained doctors who want to practise in Nova Scotia no longer have to prove their skills through additional certifications to be fully licensed in the province. 

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia has agreed to accept U.S. board-certified physicians without the need for them to write Royal College exams first.

Dr. Gus Grant, CEO of the college, said the change will remove a barrier for doctors who trained in the United States but would like to practise in the province.

"If you were a professor at Harvard in cardiology and you wanted to come to Nova Scotia to get in touch with your Celtic roots, can you imagine how insulted you'd be if I said you have to challenge the Royal College exams before you get a full licence?" said Grant, who is in Vancouver for national meetings.

Grant said the change might be particularly attractive to Nova Scotians who may have studied in the province, but did their residencies south of the border and have been practising in the U.S. for years. 

"I can't think of many of my med school classmates who would fancy the task of challenging the certification exams in the middle of their career," said Grant. "Because they're unattracted by the notion of getting a provisional licence when they enjoy a full one in their own jurisdiction."

Colleges across the country have been grappling with the issue of recognizing medical credentials for years. The shortage of doctors and other medical professionals has increased pressure on licensing bodies to make it easier for those who are competent to practise in Canada.

Grant said the decision to recognize the competency of U.S.-trained doctors does meet one of the priorities of the college "to address the access to care."

"Our challenge is to address access to care in a way that is in a public interest, that ensures safety," said Grant. "We are very much aware of the context we're in right now.

"Many people can't access the care that they need but that doesn't change our mandate — that our responsibility is to license competent physicians and not to license incompetent physicians."

Doctors trained elsewhere than Canada or the United States will continue to be issued provisional licences and have to write Royal College exams in order to be fully licensed to practise in Nova Scotia but Grant said his organization and others like it are looking at what other countries might be appropriate for accommodation.

"I think we have to take measured steps in doing that," said Grant. "Medical training varies greatly around the world but we're certainly open to the idea of examining which jurisdictions are substantially similar to Canada."

Although Nova Scotia is the first province to extend this recognition to U.S. doctors, Grant predicted others might soon follow suit. 

"I'm at national meetings right now. I think we can anticipate that there [will be] other colleges who will be doing the same thing."