Have your say about the College’s proposed changes for US-trained physicians
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC is proposing bylaw amendments that would enable U.S.-trained doctors to become fully licensed in B.C. without the need for further assessment, examination or training. Together with the BC government’s recruitment efforts in the United States, this represents a tremendous opportunity for a “brain gain” of physicians to work in BC.
BC Family Doctors supports a thoughtful process to enable BC to provide safe harbour to our American colleagues, expand the physician workforce, ensure quality patient care and clarify billing.
Take Action
Email the College and Ministry of Health by May 7, 2025 with your thoughts about the proposed bylaw changes about USA-trained physicians.
Email: bylaw29@cpsbc.ca and proregadmin@gov.bc.ca
We ask that you include the following recommendations in your feedback to the College and the Ministry of Health:
- Create a multi-stakeholder working group to ensure that US-trained physicians are supported to work in BC with appropriate licensing, billing opportunities, and representation.
- BC Family Doctors must be involved in these conversations to represent family physicians’ interests.
- Ensure that USA-trained physicians who intend to provide primary care have the necessary training and experience to do so, if they are not family physicians.
- A number of specialties in the United States provide primary care, including internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics & gynecology.
- Improve the alignment of College registration categories and MSP billing to differentiate between family physicians and other specialties.
- Currently, only Royal College specialists can bill specialty codes, leaving other specialist physicians to bill family medicine codes.
- Currently, all specialties can bill family medicine codes.
We must work together across organizations to support US-trained physicians who are uprooting their lives and their families to move to British Columbia. At the same time, it is critical to ensure that all physicians practicing in B.C. have the necessary skills to provide safe, quality patient care.
Let’s ensure that BC patients benefit from well-trained and supported US physicians.