Can a Caribbean MD Sit the MCCQE and Practise Medicine in Canada?

The short answer

A graduate of St. George's University, Ross University, the American University of the Caribbean, or a similar accredited offshore school can write the MCCQE and pursue Canadian licensure. Canadian accreditation of the medical school itself is not the requirement. What matters is that the school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools and holds accreditation recognized internationally, according to the Medical Council of Canada . From there you follow the standard international medical graduate (IMG) pathway, the same one any doctor trained outside Canada or the US follows.

Why CACMS accreditation does not apply to you

The Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) accredits MD programs delivered inside Canada, at Canadian medical schools, so that graduates and regulators can trust the program meets Canadian standards, according to CACMS . It does not accredit or rate offshore schools in the Caribbean or anywhere else. If a school claims a form of Canadian recognition tied to CACMS, verify that claim directly with CACMS or MCC rather than taking the school's word for it.

The exams you need to clear

The MCCQE was restructured into a single examination, dropping the old Part I and Part II split. It is a one day, 230 question test of medical knowledge and clinical decision making at the level expected of a Canadian medical school graduate, and it is mandatory for international medical graduates seeking the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), the credential most provinces and territories require for licensure, according to MCC . Alongside the MCCQE, IMGs typically also sit the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination, a clinical skills assessment used specifically to evaluate IMGs before they enter Canadian residency training.

Before any of that: MCC source verification

Before you can enter the CaRMS IMG stream, MCC must verify your medical degree through a Source Verification Request (SVR) submitted via physiciansapply.ca, confirming your school's listing in the World Directory of Medical Schools. This is a Canadian verification step, separate from (and not the same as) US ECFMG certification, which applies to the US Match, not CaRMS.

Matching into a Canadian residency spot

Once your exams and certification are in order, you apply to Canadian residency programs through CaRMS , the body that runs the national R-1 main residency match. IMGs, including Canadian citizens trained at Caribbean schools, apply through a separate IMG stream rather than the stream used by graduates of Canadian medical schools. A Canadian residency spot is not guaranteed, competition in the IMG stream is real, and specialty availability varies year to year, so confirm current match statistics directly with CaRMS before you build a plan around a specific specialty.

Alongside the main CaRMS residency match, several provinces run their own practice ready assessment style programs aimed specifically at experienced IMGs, offering a supervised route into practice outside the standard residency match. Eligibility, capacity, and structure differ by province and change over time, so treat this as a route worth researching directly with the province you plan to settle in rather than assuming it applies the same way everywhere.

Provincial licensing is the final step, and it is provincial

Medicine is regulated provincially in Canada. After you complete Canadian residency training, you apply for a licence through the College of Physicians and Surgeons (or equivalent regulator) in the specific province where you intend to practise, not through a single national body. Requirements and processing can differ by province, so once you know where you plan to work, confirm the exact requirements with that province's regulatory college directly. A licence in one province does not automatically transfer to another without going through that province's own registration process, so factor this into any long term plan to relocate within Canada later in your career.

How long the whole process realistically takes

Count the years honestly before you commit to this route. A Caribbean MD typically runs four to six years depending on the school and track. After graduation you still need to pass your certification exams, secure and complete a Canadian residency, which itself runs two to five years depending on specialty, before you are eligible for full provincial licensure. Someone starting a Caribbean MD in their early twenties is often into their thirties before they hold an unrestricted licence to practise in Canada. That timeline is not unique to Caribbean trained doctors, Canadian medical graduates face a similar residency length, but it is worth mapping out end to end before you commit rather than focusing only on the medical school years.

Practical order of operations

1. Confirm your target school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools before you enrol, not after

2. Plan your MCCQE and NAC exam timing around your clinical rotation schedule, since both typically come after your core clinical training

3. Submit the MCC Source Verification Request via physiciansapply.ca as early as possible, since it is a prerequisite for the CaRMS IMG stream, not a step you can skip

4. Research CaRMS IMG match statistics and specialty competitiveness directly on carms.ca before you commit to a specialty plan

5. Identify the province where you eventually want to practise early, and check that province's licensing college for any requirements specific to IMGs