In your journey to become a doctor in Canada, there are two paths that can lead you to your final destination, the “common” or the “alternative pathway”. The “common pathway” is traveled by Canadian citizens who attend medical school within the Canadian border.

These students have to meet the following Canadian medical schools requirements to become a practicing physician:

• Obtain a university degree
• Graduate medical school
• Pass the MCCQE1 exam (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination)
• Apply for and complete residency

The “alternative pathway” is for students who attend medical school outside of the Canadian border, for example, Avalon University School of Medicine in Curaçao. After attending Avalon University, the requirements for an international medical graduate (IMG) to practice medicine in Canada are slightly different than that of a Canadian medical graduate.

These requirements are as follows:

1. Meet Avalon’s medical school prerequisites requirements
2. Obtain your Medical degree from Avalon University.
3. Check their degree’s eligibility for a Canadian residency position
4. Register on physiciansapply.ca and verify their degree
5. Pass the MCCQE1 exams
6. Apply for and complete residency

After students meet these Canadian medical schools requirements they join a Physician Return of Service Program, where these graduates practice in a qualifying community for up to 5 years.

While these paths are very similar, one requires a few extra steps to be eligible to practice medicine in Canada.

The question is, will you take the path less traveled by?

“Would you like to join the students who took a non-traditional alternative route?”