The comparison table
| Province |
Exams
required |
Currency of practice required |
PGT |
Independent practice experience (IPE) required |
| British Columbia – associate physician |
None |
960 hours
in the last 3 years |
1 year |
None |
| Alberta |
MCCQE* |
6 months
in the last 3 years |
1 year |
None |
| Saskatchewan |
MCCQE* |
5 months
in the last 5 years |
None |
None |
| Manitoba |
MCCQE*
or NAC Examination |
None |
None |
None |
| Nova Scotia |
MCCQE* |
450 hours
in the last 5 years |
1 to 2 years |
If 1 year of PGT →
2 years of IPE
If 2 years of PGT →
1 year of IPE |
| New Brunswick |
MCCQE* |
450 hours
in the last 5 years |
1 to 2 years |
If 1 year of PGT →
2 years of IPE
If 2 years of PGT →
1 year of IPE |
| Newfoundland & Labrador |
MCCQE* |
6 months
in the last 4 years |
1 to 2 years |
If < 2 years of PGT →
2 years of IPE
If 2 years of PGT →
no IPE required |
| Prince Edward Island – associate physician |
None |
450 hours
in the last 5 years |
Must have completed internship or other PGT |
None |
Prince Edward Island –
clinical assistant |
MCCQE* |
450 hours
in the last 5 years |
At least 1 training program completed or equivalent qualification |
If 2 years of PGT →
1 year of IPE
If 1 year of PGT →
2 years of IPE |
* NOTE: Although the MCCQE is listed as the required exam, you may also be required to have the designation of a Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC). Refer to each provincial medical regulatory authority for details. Additionally, each province has a list of what is considered an “acceptable alternative to the LMCC” and this varies across provinces.
Abbreviations: AP: Associate Physician; IPE: independent practice experience; MCCQE: Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination; PGT: postgraduate training.
Source. This page is adapted, with attribution, from the e-book "Physician Licensing in Canada", written by Dr. Filipe Santos and published by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC). You can read the original at mcc.ca. Copyright in the source e-book belongs to the MCC. This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the MCC.
Please read. This page is for educational purposes only. Rules, fees, and requirements change, sometimes without notice. The final decision on eligibility, registration, and licensure always rests with the provincial or territorial medical regulatory authority and the program, and other factors may be considered in individual cases. Dr. Santos does not make licensing decisions. Always confirm requirements directly with the regulator or program before acting.
Common questions
Which provinces do not require the MCCQE for these roles?
British Columbia and Prince Edward Island (for its associate physician class) are the only provinces that issue a limited-role licence without the MCCQE, the NAC Examination, or an accepted alternative.
Which province has the lightest requirements?
Manitoba lists no postgraduate training, independent practice, or currency requirement in the comparison table, and accepts the NAC Examination or the LMCC.
Which province has no licence at all?
Ontario. The clinical assistant role there is unregulated employment under delegation of controlled acts, and the hours are not recognized by regulators or PRA programs.
Can any of these licences lead to independent practice?
These are supervised roles and are not themselves a route to independent practice. Some provinces count the experience toward other pathways: SIPPA counts licensed clinical assistant work toward currency, and Nova Scotia may consider associate physician experience at its discretion.
See where you stand, province by province
The free interactive guide screens your training, practice, and exams against every Practice-Ready
Assessment program and every clinical assistant and associate physician licence in Canada.
Open the interactive guide
