CPSO has approved a new registration policy that enables specialist physicians who were trained and certified by an acceptable certifying body in an approved international jurisdiction to be issued a provisional practice certificate without certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 

The policy incorporates a list of international jurisdictions maintained by the Royal College, in which medical training in certain specialties has been deemed substantially equivalent to RCPSC’s specialty training requirements. The jurisdictions include Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. 

Not all specialties or programs in each jurisdiction are recognized by Royal College, and the dates of acceptable training vary for the approved specialties or programs in each jurisdiction. The full list of approved specialities and programs in each jurisdiction is set out in the policy. The policy specifies that the organization that recognized the applicant as a medical specialist did so using standards similar to those of Royal College.