Statements of Need for Postgraduate Training in the United States - Final year medical students currently enrolled in a medical school in British Columbia, Ontario or Quebec [Category A FYMS]

Table of Contents

• Who is eligible?
• Which training programs are eligible?
• When do I submit my application?
• How long will my application take to process?
• What documents do I need to submit?
• Where do I submit my application?
• I already have a Statement of Need - what do I do if I wish to change my specialty, change my location or undertake additional training?

Who is eligible?

Candidates in this category are final year medical students currently enrolled in a medical school in British Columbia, Ontario or Quebec who wish to pursue medical specialty training in the United States in order to:

• meet the RCPSC's Objectives of Training and Specialty Training Requirements in order to obtain RCPSC certification, and
• achieve full specialty licensure in the province or territory where they will practice medicine upon completion of postgraduate training in the United States.

To be eligible the candidate must be:

• a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident in Canada; and
• currently enrolled in their final year of medical school in British Columbia, Ontario or Quebec.

Which training programs are eligible?

Eligible residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The training must be in a specialty recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

Some residency training programs in the United States are shorter in length by one or two years than the Canadian residency training program, and therefore they do not fully meet the objectives of training and specialty training requirements of the RCPSC. It is important that applicants be aware of this difference and plan their training accordingly.

A Note on RCPSC Certification and Independent Specialty Licensure

Physicians' eligibility to practice in a province or territory will be subject to obtaining certification from the RCPSC and specialty licensure from the provincial or territorial licensing body according to the requirements in place at the time of application for a medical licence. As part of the requirements for obtaining a Statement of Need, final-year medical students who wish to pursue medical specialty training in the United States must submit to Health Canada an Action Plan (see item #8 in What documents do I need to submit? below) that will outline how they intend to:

• ensure they obtain RCPSC or CFPC certification and full / independent licensure so they can practice medicine in Canada. RCPSC or CFPC certification is a standard requirement for licensure in Canada.
• ensure they obtain the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), issued upon completion of all MCC examinations. The LMCC is a standard requirement for licensure in Canada.

Action Plan - Standard Canadian Medical License

The Action Plan should clearly lay out a time table for all medical examinations that are required for licensure in the province or territory to which they will be returning for medical practice. For additional information about the above certification and licensure requirements, applicants should contact the RCPSC and the licensing authority. In particular, physicians who intend to practice in Ontario only must contact the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) for complete information on registration.

Notes:

Applicants who are residents of Ontario or British Columbia, who plan to seek registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, may use one of several alternate pathways or registration policies in their action plans. 

Information on physician registration in British Columbia can be found at the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and in Ontario at the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. 

Applicants from Ontario and British Columbia must register with HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency or HealthMatchBC before accessing help with their Action Plans.

• Additional information and direction on preparing an Action Plan
• Essential Resources on Medical Licensure and Specialty Certification in Canada
• Information and links to Provincial and Territorial Government Websites

When do I submit my application?

Residencies:

Applications for Statements of Need for residency programs that commence in July will be processed after the results of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) in March and the San Francisco Matching Program (SFMatch) in January become available or once the physician has received an out-of-match letter of offer or a contract from a U.S. medical training program.

Extensions:

Requests for extensions of Statements of Need should be submitted no less than two months before expiry of the Statement of Need. See the I already have a Statement of Need section for more information.

How long will my application take to process?

Please allow 30 working days to process an application and issue the Statement of Need. The Statement of Need, bearing the seal of the Canadian Federal Department of Health, is delivered directly to the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). A copy of the signed Statement of Need is sent by Canada Post to the applicant.

What documents do I need to submit?

Below is the list of documents that final year Canadian medical school applicants must submit in order to apply for a Statement of Need:

1. Application Form

Provide a signed application form.

Application Form for a Statement of Need (Category A FYMS: Final Year Medical Student)

Print the pdf form and fill it in, then submit it by mail, email, courier or fax to the Program Administrator (Health Canada).

2. Proof of Canadian Citizenship/Permanent Residency

Provide proof^{Footnote 1} of Canadian citizenship or permanent residency by submitting a certified copy of one of the following documents:

• Canadian citizenship card
• Canadian Passport
• Record of birth
• Permanent Resident Card

3. Dean's Letter of Support

Provide a letter of support from a Dean (or Assistant/Associate Dean) of undergraduate medical education of a College of Medicine in British Columbia, Ontario or Quebec.

To obtain the letter of support by email, contact the Medical School Dean's Office and request a letter in support of the proposed training, signed by the Dean or Associate Dean and addressed to the Provincial Health Ministry/Department. Send your request by e-mail with "Your Name, Statement of Need and J1 Visa Request" in the subject line, and include the following information:

• your name, address, phone number, e-mail
• the location and type of the proposed U.S. medical specialty training program
• proof of acceptance into a U.S. medical specialty training program, such as a copy of your contract or letter of offer
• the start and end dates of the medical specialty training

Upon approval of your request, the Dean's Office will send an e-mail to the Provincial Health Ministry / Department with the Dean's letter as an attachment (and a copy of your request, as decided by Dean's Office).

4. Provincial Letter of Endorsement

Provide a letter of endorsement from the British Columbia Ministry of Health Services, or the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, or the Québec Ministère des services de santé et sociaux stating that there is a need for qualified practitioners in the proposed medical specialty training, and that the training is consistent with the province's physician resource plan.

To obtain the letter of provincial endorsement by email, contact the British Columbia Ministry of Health Services or the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care or the Québec Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux to request provincial support of the proposed training.  Please refer to the provincial ministry contact persons.

Note: Final year medical students at McGill University who have maintained their status as an Ontario resident shall obtain the Dean's letter from McGill University and the provincial letter from Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

Send your request by e-mail with "Your Name, Statement of Need and J1 Visa Request" in the subject line noting that you have already requested a letter from the Dean, and include the following information:

• reasons for pursuing specialty training in the United States
• proof of acceptance into a United States specialty training program, such as a copy of your contract or letter of offer
• proof of permanent residence in the province, if required by your province

Upon approval of your request, the Provincial Health Ministry/Department will send an e-mail to Health Canada with two documents, namely the provincial letter of endorsement and the Dean's letter of support, as attachments (and a copy of your request, as decided by Dean's Office).

5. Letter of Offer/Training Contract/U.S. Match Webpage

Provide a copy of one of the following:

• A letter of offer for a residency from the clinical training program in the United States. The letter must be on the institution's letterhead and should be accompanied by your signature of acceptance of the offer.
  
  or
• A training contract for a residency from the clinical training program in the United States. The training contract should bear your signature indicating you have accepted the offer.
  
  or
• The secure web page confirming you have matched to a clinical residency program in the United States.

6. Curriculum Vitae

Provide your curriculum vitae in electronic format. Send by electronic mail to j1visa@hc-sc.gc.ca with "Your Name, CV" in the subject line.

7. Registration with HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency (HFO MRA) or Health Match BC (HMBC)

Ontario residents must complete the HFO MRA registration form and submit the form directly to HFO MRA before a Statement of Need will be issued.

 HFO MRA Registration Form (PDF)

BC residents must register with  Health Match BC.

New: Ontario and British Columbia residents are also required to provide a yearly update on their contact information at the end of each residency year. Yearly updates with HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency (HFO MRA) or Health Match BC (HMBC) will be important factors considered when physicians apply for future extensions of their Statements of Need.

Notes:

1. If you do not yet have a U.S. home address, please provide the training program address.
2. HFO MRA notifies the Program Administrator at Health Canada directly by email when the registration and update process is complete.

8. Action Plan

Provide a practicable Action Plan that outlines how you intend to:

• ensure you obtain RCPSC certification and full / independent licensure so you can practice medicine in Canada. RCPSC certification is a standard requirement for licensure in Canada.
• ensure you obtain the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), issued upon completion of all MCC examinations. The LMCC is a standard requirement for licensure in Canada.

Notes:

Applicants who are residents of Ontario or British Columbia, who plan to seek registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, may use one of several alternate pathways or registration policies in their action plans. 

Information on physician registration in British Columbia can be found at the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and in Ontario at the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. 

Applicants from Ontario and British Columbia must register with HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency or HealthMatchBC before accessing help with their Action Plans.

• Additional information and direction on preparing an Action Plan
• Essential Resources on Medical Licensure and Specialty Certification in Canada
• Information and links to Provincial and Territorial Government Websites

9. Optional: RCPSC Letter of Recognition of U.S. Training (for medical specialty training programs of two years or more)

For medical specialty training programs of two years or more in duration, applicants need to provide a letter from the RCPSC indicating that the clinical training program in the United States would be recognized in full or in part to the extent that the content of training satisfies the College's training requirements.

Requests to the RCPSC must include a copy of the residency training contract with the U.S. Program and the name of the program director and may be submitted by email or facsimile. The RCPSC charges a fee of $135 CDN for the letter of recognition; this fee is subject to change without notice.

Email: credentials@rcpsc.edu (include "J-1 Visa Letter" in the subject line)

Fax: (613) 730-3707 (include "J-1 Visa Letter with your request)

Note: The RCPSC letter of recognition of US training is always delivered by email to both you and the Program Administrator at Health Canada in approximately five working days.

10. Optional: Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information form

Provide a signed original of the Consent to the Disclosure of Personal Information to Provincial and Territorial Governments for Recruitment Purposes (the Consent Form). By signing the Consent Form, the individual permits Canadian provincial and territorial health authorities to initiate the process of recruitment of an individual for employment in Canada after completion of their medical training in the United States.

The individual can sign the Consent Form at the time of application for a Statement of Need or at any time during their training in the United States. Physicians will be subject to any physician resource management policies in existence at the time of their return to Canada.

Where do I submit my application?

All the required documents listed above must be sent to the Program Administrator, Statement of Need Program, Health Human Resources Policy Division, Health Canada. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure all required documents are submitted.

With the exception of certified and notarized documents, all the required documents listed above can be submitted to Health Canada by fax, email, mail or courier.

Certified and notarized documents must be sent by mail or courier.

See below for electronic mail, regular mail, facsimile and courier addresses:

• Regular Mail
  Program Administrator
  Statement of Need / J-1 Visa Program
  Health Human Resources Policy Division
  Health Canada
  Jeanne Mance Building, Address Locator 1918C
  200 Eglantine Driveway
  Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0K9
• By Courier
  Program Administrator
  Statement of Need / J-1 Visa Program
  Health Canada
  200 Eglantine Driveway
  Jeanne Mance Building, Address Locator 1918C
  Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9
  Telephone: (613) 952 1912
• By Facsimile
  Program Administrator
  Statement of Need Program
  Health Human Resources Policy Division
  Facsimile: 613-948-8081
• By Electronic Mail
  j1visa@hc-sc.gc.ca
  Subject: Application for Statement of Need, "Your Name"

If you have a question about the administration of your application, please contact the Program Administrator using the following email address: j1visa@hc-sc.gc.ca.

I already have a Statement of Need - what do I do if I wish to change specialty, change my location or undertake additional training?

Change of Specialty

If you wish to make a change of specialty you must submit a new Statement of Need application with all the required documentation. See the What documents do I need to submit? section above.

Change of Location

Application requirements if you wish to change the location of your training program.

Additional Training (Extension)

Application requirements if you wish to extend your Statement of Need in order to pursue additional training.