Category C of the competent authority pathway

23 May 2019

The Board has updated its description of Category C in the Competent authority pathway. There has been no change in policy and no change in the length of practice required, but we have explained more clearly what is involved in the experience component of this pathway.

The Competent Authority pathway is for international medical graduates who have completed:

1. a qualification or assessment through an approved competent authority where that qualification or assessment has been approved by the Board, and
2. a prescribed experience component in a competent authority country.

Category C is the Licentiate examinations of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC). The competent authority for Category C is the Medical Council of Canada and applicants must have successfully completed the LMCC, which consists of two exam parts and a period of supervised practice.

The change makes it clearer where and when the necessary 12 months supervised practice can be undertaken - the Board will only accept practice which has been undertaken in Canada or another competent authority country (the United Kingdom, United States of America, New Zealand or Ireland). The period of supervised practice can be done as part of the LMCC or before or after it.

The Board has changed the wording because we have received applications for the competent authority pathway from doctors with the LMCC who have not actually practised in Canada or another competent authority country.

The revised category wording is published on the Competent Authority pathway webpage.