Public Information Release – November 2, 2023

Recently, there have been questions raised as to what the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Prince Edward Island (CPSPEI) is doing in response to the Health Care Human Resource problem. The below information is some of the strides our office is taking to allow for more physicians to come practice in PEI.

In November 2021, CPSPEI came under the Regulated Health Professions Act and supported by the Medical Practitioners Regulations. Further updates to legislation were approved in June 2023. It is through the changes to legislation that we were able to implement new policies, allowing for expansion of eligibility criteria and several new processes.

➢ Extra-provincial Pathway – The requirements for registration are drastically reduced for physicians who actively hold General licensure and are in good standing in another Canadian jurisdiction. Leading to a faster processing timeframe.

➢ Physicians from the USA – Both Family Medicine physicians and Specialist physicians, who hold active American Board certification and who have an Acceptable Alternative to the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), are no longer required to have eligibility to obtain Canadian certification. Successful applicants can obtain General registration with no conditions or restrictions.

➢ Family Physicians from UK, Ireland, and Australia – Family Medicine physicians who hold active certification in Family Medicine from the UK, Ireland, or Australia and have an Acceptable Alternative to the LMCC, are no longer required to have eligibility to obtain Canadian certification. Successful applicants can obtain General registration with no conditions or restrictions.

➢ Internationally trained Specialists – Specialists who have training from the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada approved jurisdiction list (29 jurisdictions in 7 countries) and have an Acceptable Alternative to the LMCC, may be eligible to receive registration prior to holding eligibility to obtain Canadian certification.

➢ Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Subspecialty Examination Affiliate Program (SEAP) – Successful applicants who hold SEAP designation from the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada and have an Acceptable Alternative to the LMCC, may be eligible to obtain General registration with no conditions or restrictions.

➢ Atlantic Registry – An Agreement between the four Atlantic Provinces to allow physicians, who successfully opt-in, to practice in all four provinces via the Atlantic Registry. Physicians who join via New Brunswick (CPSNB), Newfoundland & Labrador (CPSNL), or Nova Scotia (CPSNS) do not have to provide CPSPEI any registration documents, all required information is shared between CPSPEI, CPSNB, CPSNL, and CPSNS.

➢ Alternatives to the LMCC – This Policy was implemented in June 2023, listing 5 acceptable alternatives for internationally trained physicians.

➢ Alternatives to Canadian Certification – Policies were implemented in June 2023, listing acceptable alternatives to Canadian certification. The Acceptable Alternatives to Certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada policy and the Acceptable Alternative to Certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada policy are available on our website.

➢ Comprehensive Clinical Assessment (CCA) – A guideline for completing CCA’s was developed for physicians who have not fulfilled their requirement to obtain Canadian certification. This Program assesses the physician from a clinical point of view and, upon successful completion, allows them to continue working in PEI and potentially move to General registration.

➢ Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) – Most other Provinces have a PRA, where a physician who does not meet legislated requirements for registration may complete an assessment, including an intensive period of supervision. Successful completion of a PRA allows them to work under supervision in that province. Physicians who have successfully completed a PRA, within Canada, may be eligible for registration in PEI.

➢ Virtual Care – Our legislation requires any physician who provides care to Islanders to hold registration with CPSPEI. We created a Policy allowing 7 exceptions to this requirement. Allowing those physicians, who meet an exception, to practice without holding registration.

➢ Associate Physicians and Physician Assistants – Legislation changes in June 2023 allowed these new categories of registration to be created. We are actively working with Health PEI and the Department of Health and Wellness in developing job descriptions, supervising agreements, and processes for these new healthcare providers to enable them to work in PEI.

All relevant policies are located on our “Policies & Guidelines” page.

Upon receiving all requirements from the physician, marking a completed application, our office typically issues the physicians’ registration within 2 business days.

CPSPEI continues to collaborate with its partners within the healthcare system. Having monthly meetings with Health PEI and regular meetings with the Department of Health and Wellness, the PEI Recruitment and Retention teams, and the Medical Society of PEI.

Additionally, we meet with the other Atlantic Colleges monthly to discuss registration and licensure changes, ensuring we are as aligned as possible under our individual legislations. Nationally, we are in discussions with the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada, the Medical Council of Canada, the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, on an ongoing basis, to stay up to date on the national trends.

Statistics from the period of January 1, 2023 to October 30, 2023:
➢ We received 307 applications so far this year, 188 of which were through the Atlantic Registry; 276 completed, 6 withdrew their application/expired, and 25 are currently incomplete. Of the 276 complete applications, we approved and issued registration to 275 physicians, which allows them to practice in PEI (99.6%).

➢ 41% of the applications are from Family Medicine physicians.

➢ The 307 applications for 2023 is a significant increase compared to the 133 applications received in 2022 and 118 applications received in 2021.

➢ As of October 30, 2023 there are 693 physicians who hold active registration to practice in PEI. This is a 35% increase from last year.

Sincerely,
George Carruthers MD CCFP FCFP
Registrar, College of Physicians and Surgeons PEI