--- title: "BC's new doctor licensing rules help some internationally trained physicians, but many still face barriers" description: "BC changed its physician licensing rules in July 2026 to let some internationally trained doctors apply directly for full licences, but the reforms do not cover physicians trained in most countries." canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/bc-physician-licensing-reforms-limited-impact-november-2026" last_updated: "2026-11-14T19:19:15.427Z" --- BC changed its physician licensing rules in July 2026, allowing some internationally trained doctors to apply directly for a full medical licence. Four months later, physicians trained in most countries say the change has not helped them. The BC College of Physicians and Surgeons amended its bylaws on July 6, 2026. Under the new rules, internationally trained physicians with recognized postgraduate qualifications from Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States can apply directly for a full licence instead of going through a provisional licence first. The stated goal was to reduce paperwork and let eligible doctors start independent practice sooner, CHEK News reported on November 14. ## Who is left out Physicians trained in Syria, Iraq and most other countries are not covered by the direct pathway. They must still go through further assessment, additional training or supervised employment. Dr. Hassan Moustafa, a general surgeon who practiced independently in Iraq for seven years before moving to Vancouver in 2017, told CHEK News he has been unable to secure a paying supervised position in Canada that matches his experience. "I am not asking to enter independent surgical practice without assessment or supervision," he said. Without a pathway into practice, he travels between Canada and Iraq to keep his surgical licence active in the Kurdistan region. Mervat Bazary, a Syrian ear, nose and throat specialist with 10 years of experience, is now studying for a hearing instrument practitioner diploma at Douglas College, CHEK News reported. Rosemary Pawliuk, president of SOCASMA, an organization representing internationally trained physicians in BC, told CHEK News that licensing should depend on individual competence, not on the country where a physician trained. ## Numbers behind the shortage Health Match BC put the number of associate physicians working in BC at 106 in 2024-25, according to CHEK News. Moustafa said that in several cases when there was clinical interest in adding associate physician positions, "funding for additional associate physician positions was limited, paused or unavailable." The number of people going through UBC's Clinical Assessment Program, one pathway for internationally trained doctors, has not grown: 360 in 2023, 358 in 2024 and 352 in 2025. UBC's dedicated residency spots for international medical graduates grew from 18 to 58 since 2010, with all spots filled each year. In September 2026, BC ran a US recruitment campaign that brought in 171 physicians, 445 nurses, 78 nurse practitioners and 44 allied health professionals, CHEK News reported. ## What comes next The BC College of Physicians and Surgeons sets licensing rules for the province. The new Conservative government has not announced any changes to the college's bylaws. A physician trained outside the four approved countries can contact the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons at cpsbc.ca to review the pathways that apply to their training background. ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.