Internationally trained physicians

If you studied medicine outside of Canada, you are considered an International Medical Graduate

If you studied medicine outside of Canada, you are considered an International Medical Graduate (IMG). This includes Canadians who studied medicine abroad.

You need a licence from the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia to practise medicine in Nova Scotia. We are committed to licensing qualified physicians, no matter where you went to medical school.

When you apply for a medical licence in Nova Scotia, we will review your:

  • credentials
  • training
  • certifications
  • certificates of professional conduct
  • practice history

Licensing self-assessment tool

This self‑assessment tool helps you find the licensure pathway that best fits your background. It asks simple questions about your training, experience, and where you currently practise.

Choose the answer that best describes you. Based on your answers, the tool will suggest a licensure pathway and show you what to do next.

This tool is for guidance only. It does not replace an application or a formal review by the College, and it does not guarantee approval. If you need help at any time, the registration team can support you.

    The College acknowledges that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship. We also acknowledge that people of African descent have been in Nova Scotia for over 400 years, and we honour and offer gratitude to those ancestors.