Obstetrics & Gynecology: the Practice Eligibility Route

How training is structured

The Royal College sets out the training for Obstetrics & Gynecology in the blocks below. An internationally trained specialist is assessed on whether their own training and practice record is comparable in structure and content.

Required experiences

Specific experiences the Royal College names for this discipline.

• 1.1 A minimum of sixteen (16) and maximum of eighteen (18) blocks in Obstetrics and Gynecology
• 1.2 One (1) block in critical care
• 1.3 A minimum of one (1) block on a service that provides initial trauma management (such as Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, trauma team, Orthopedic Surgery, or Plastic Surgery)
• 1.4 Two (2) blocks in Internal Medicine
• 1.5 A minimum of one (1) and maximum of two (2) blocks in General Surgery
• 2.1 A minimum of three (3) blocks in each of: 2.1.1 maternal-fetal medicine; 2.1.2 gynecologic oncology; 2.1.3 gynecological reproductive endocrinology and infertility
• 2.2 Two (2) blocks of urogynecology
• 2.3 One (1) block of community-based obstetrics and gynecology
• 2.4 One (1) block of obstetrics and gynecology ultrasound, if not already completed in years PGY1-2
• 2.7 A minimum of six (6) blocks of chief residency experience (PGY4 or 5) in Obstetrics and Gynecology, consolidating skills for independent practice under supervision

Flexible or selective components

Where the requirements allow a choice.

• 1.6 Two (2) to three (3) blocks of selectives, chosen from a minimum of two (2) of: 1.6.1 adolescent medicine; 1.6.2 anesthesia; 1.6.3 critical care medicine; 1.6.4 diagnostic imaging; 1.6.5 emergency medicine; 1.6.6 integrated medicine/alternative medicine; 1.6.7 internal medicine (or subspecialty); 1.6.8 medical genetics; 1.6.9 neonatal medicine; 1.6.10 obstetrics and gynecology ultrasound; 1.6.11 palliative medicine; 1.6.12 pathology; 1.6.13 psychiatry; 1.6.14 urology; 1.6.15 scholarly activity
• 2.5 Seventeen (17) blocks of selective rotations, which must include at least four (4) of: 2.5.1 ambulatory obstetrics and gynecology; 2.5.2 colposcopy; 2.5.3 community-based obstetrics and gynecology; 2.5.4 critical care medicine; 2.5.5 endoscopic surgery; 2.5.6 gynecologic oncology; 2.5.7 gynecologic pathology; 2.5.8 gynecologic reproductive endocrinology and infertility; 2.5.9 maternal-fetal medicine; 2.5.10 obstetrics and gynecology ultrasound; 2.5.11 pediatric and adolescent gynecology; 2.5.12 pelvic pain investigations and management; 2.5.13 research in obstetrics and gynecology; 2.5.14 sexual medicine; 2.5.15 urogynecology
• 2.6 Three (3) blocks of elective rotations chosen by the resident and approved by the program director (may be in an area from the selectives list above)

Common questions

What is the Practice Eligibility Route in Obstetrics & Gynecology?

The Practice Eligibility Route (PER) is the Royal College process by which an internationally trained specialist can be assessed for eligibility to sit the certification examination in Obstetrics & Gynecology without repeating a Canadian residency. The Royal College reads your postgraduate training and practice record against the published Specialty Training Requirements for the discipline.

What training does the Royal College expect in Obstetrics & Gynecology?

The Specialty Training Requirements describe five (5) years of approved residency. The full block-by-block structure is set out on this page, taken from the Royal College document for this discipline.

Does meeting the training requirements guarantee eligibility?

No. Eligibility is a committee decision made on your individual file, and other factors are considered. This page reproduces the published requirements so you can see how your own training compares before you apply; it is not an eligibility ruling.

Where do I start?

Read the six steps in the PER guide, then have your training mapped against the Specialty Training Requirements before you pay any fees. The free PDF for this specialty carries the steps, the document checklist, and the Obstetrics & Gynecology requirements in one file.

More on the route itself: the full PER guide covers the six steps and the document checklist. Royal College examination dates for every discipline are on the Deadline Radar, and Canadian clinical fellowships in Obstetrics & Gynecology are in the Fellowship Finder.