• What is IMG Ontario (IMGO)?
• How does the IMGO operate?
• All together, how many positions will IMGO offer?
• Can the government guarantee that all 200 positions will be filled each year?
• How, specifically, do these initiatives reduce the steps that foreign-trained physicians require to practice in Ontario?
• Can I still apply to the APIMG or OIMGP?
• Why was the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) Registration through Practice Assessment introduced?
• How do these initiatives impact underserviced communities?
• What are the main reasons these IMGs have been unable to practice medicine in Ontario?

What is IMG Ontario (IMGO)?

IMG Ontario (IMGO) is the name of Ontario's new IMG system. The IMGO integrates Ontario's current IMG programs while creating many new opportunities for qualified IMGs to become licensed in Ontario. The system is administered through the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine (COFM) and is a co-operative endeavour of COFM, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC). General information and applications for interested candidates are available through IMG Ontario's website at www.oimgc.utoronto.ca

How does IMGO operate?

IMG Ontario is designed to serve a wide range of IMGs, all with unique medical experience and diverse assessment and training needs. Each year, applications will be open from Spring until Autumn for all 200 positions commencing the following year. Applicants will be screened in the Winter and Spring, and will be required to undertake written and clinical exams. Successful applicants will be offered positions by late Spring of each year.

All together, how many positions will IMG Ontario offer?

IMG Ontario will offer up to 200 assessment and training positions annually.

Can the government guarantee that all 200 positions will be filled each year?

As only qualified IMGs are selected into an assessment or training program we cannot guarantee that all positions will fill each year. We will not risk the safety of a single Ontarian with an IMG whose training does not meet our standard of care. The medical schools and IMG Ontario work aggressively to fill all 200 opportunities each year, but we cannot guarantee that there will always be enough qualified IMG candidates for the number of positions available.

How, specifically, do these initiatives reduce the steps that foreign-trained physicians require to practice in Ontario?

IMG Ontario offers physicians an integrated, co-ordinated system for information, support, assessment, and training. IMG physicians now only need to apply to one office to access all of Ontario's IMG opportunities, thereby reducing duplication of the application process to various programs.

Additionally, when OIMG is operating at full capacity, it will provide information about access to registration in Ontario, individual case management services, exam preparation, career counselling, and information about the Canadian medical system that will help guide physicians through the necessary steps and expedite the process for many.

For the first time in Ontario, IMG physicians who do not need full postgraduate training are able to access advanced-level training positions, bringing them to practice in the shortest time possible.

Can I still apply to the APIMG or OIMGP?

No- all of the positions available in these programs are being integrated into the new IMG Ontario system. IMG Ontario is now the only route into IMG assessment and training positions.

The only exception to this rule is a program known as the Registration through Practice Assessment (RPA) operated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). This program is a route to assessment for experienced physicians currently practising outside of Ontario.

Why was the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) Registration through Practice Assessment introduced?

The government is attempting to address a wide variety of divergent IMG needs. There are many new opportunities for IMGs living in the province through IMG Ontario, but there are also many physicians practising in other jurisdictions who may not have access to the same opportunities. The RPA will give these physicians an opportunity to practice here and provide further support to our undersevriced communities.

How do these initiatives impact underserviced communities?

IMGO will continue to have a very positive impact on physician services across the province, and particularly in underserviced communities. Several positions available through IMGO will require physicians to sign a Return-of-Service (ROS) agreement, which will commit them to practising in an underserviced community for a five-year period. IMG physicians on ROS agreements are provided with an opportunity to establish deep foundations and relationships with their ROS community, and in turn, it is hoped that many will remain in the communities long after they have fulfilled their ROS agreements.

Initiatives such as the CPSO's Registration through Practice Assessment will also bring up to 40 physicians a year to areas of need.

What are the main reasons these IMGs have been unable to practice medicine in Ontario?

Medicine in Ontario is regulated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). If a physician is not registered by the CPSO, he or she may not practice in Ontario. The CPSO requires certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) as the primary route to an independent certificate of registration. This requirement, and others such as the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination, ensures that all physicians practising in Ontario meet the same professional standards, regardless of place of education and training.

For International Medical Graduates (IMGs) interested in pursuing licensure in Canada, it is also a requirement to pass the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam. This exam is offered at several locations outside Canada.

All of these requirements are necessary to ensure Ontario's quality of healthcare and safety, however, these requirements are also deterrents to some IMGs, and are the prime reason why many are unable to become licensed.

IMG Ontario is designed to offer an abundance of training and assessment programs, to positively impact the widest array of IMGs possible. These opportunities provide the required support to eligible IMGs so that they can successfully navigate and complete all the necessary registration requirements, including certification.

August, 2004