Statements of Need for Postgraduate Training in the United States - Final-year medical student currently enrolled in a medical school in Ontario, British Columbia or Quebec who wishes to pursue family medicine training in the U.S. [Category A - FYMS]

Table of Contents

• Who is eligible?
• Which training programs are eligible?
• What is an action plan for Certification and Licensure?
• 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?
• Notes

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 family medicine training in the United States and have a sincere intent to return to their province or territory of residence to practice Family Medicine upon completion of their training.

Applicants must be:

• Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada, and
• achieve full specialty licensure in the province or territory where they will practice medicine upon completion of postgraduate training in the United States.

Which training programs are eligible?

Accreditation and CFPC Recognition

The training program in Family Medicine in the United States must be accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and must be recognized by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) for the purposes of certification in Family Medicine.

What is an Action Plan for Certification and Licensure?

A practicable action plan details the steps applicants will take in order to meet Canadian certification and licensure requirements in Family Medicine in the province or territory where they intend to practice medicine. It is important that applicants be fully informed about certification in Family Medicine and about medical licensure in the province or territory where they intend to practice medicine.

As part of the requirements for obtaining a Statement of Need, applicants who wish to pursue Family Medicine 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:

• obtain certification in Family Medicine, and
• obtain the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) by the end of their third postgraduate year, and
• be practice-ready at the end of their final postgraduate year in the United States.

Applicants may also choose to use one of several alternate pathways or registration policies in their action plans.

When do I submit my application?

Residencies: Applications for Statements of Need in support of Family Medicine residency training programs that commence in July will be processed after the results of the National Resident Matching Program (NMRP) in March or once the physician has received an out-of-match letter of offer or a contract from a U.S. medical training program.

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 applicants who wish to pursue Family Medicine training in the United States must submit in order to obtain 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^{Footnote 2} of one of the following documents:

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

3. Evidence of current provincial residence

Applicants must provide two documents.

1. A photocopy of your current provincial Driver's Licence, and
2. A photocopy of a government-issued document that bears your name and principal and permanent address

Please note the following important additional instructions.

The Ontario or British Columbia Driver's Licence must have been issued at least three months before the date of application for a Statement of Need. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care reserves the right to request additional information for verification of Ontario residence, if necessary.

The second item must be chosen from the following list of acceptable documents that display your name and current principal and permanent address in Ontario or British Columbia. If you do not operate any type of vehicle, you must provide two documents from this list of acceptable documents.

If you do not operate any type of vehicle, you must submit two documents that display your name and current principal permanent residence, but the documents are not limited to the list of documents mentioned above.

4. Dean's Letter of Support

Final year medical students attending medical schools in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec must provide a Dean's letter of support.

Provide a letter of support from a Dean (or Assistant/Associate Dean) of undergraduate medical education of a medical school located 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 in family medicine, 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 of the proposed U.S. training program in family medicine
• proof of acceptance into a U.S. training program in family medicine, such as a copy of your contract or letter of offer
• the start and end dates of the U.S. training program in family medicine

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).

5. Provincial Letter of Endorsement

Provide a letter of endorsement from the British Columbia Ministry of Health Services or 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 Family Medicine and that the training is consistent with the province's physician resource plan.

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.

List of contacts within Provincial and Territorial Ministries / Departments of Health.

6. Confirmation of ACGME-Accreditation

Provide confirmation that the training program in Family Medicine is ACGME-accredited. Suggested documents are: a copy of the most recent letter to the training program from the ACGME; a copy of program information from the ACGME website; a letter from the program director's office to Health Canada confirming ACGME accreditation; a copy of the training contract if it specifically states the program is ACGME accredited.

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 Version - 40 K)

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 for Medical Licensure in Canada

Provide a practicable Action Plan that outlines how you intend to obtain CFPC certification, the LMCC and an independent medical licence so you can practice family medicine in Canada.

Applicants may also choose to use one of several alternate pathways or registration policies in their action plans.

• Additional information and direction on preparing an Action Plan
• Resources on Medical Licensure and Certification in Canada
• Physician Recruitment in Canadian provinces and territories

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

Provide a copy of one of the following:

• A letter of offer for the Family Medicine 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 the Family Medicine 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 training program in the United States.

10. Curriculum Vitae

Provide your curriculum vitae in electronic format. Send by electronic mail with "Your Name, CV" in the subject line.

11. 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.

Notes