Clinical assistant licence

About

A Clinical Assistant licence is a conditional form of licensure which may be issued to physicians who meet the qualifications and who have obtained a letter of offer in a physician extender program.

Associate physicians with a Clinical Assistant licence do not act as the most responsible physician (MRP). They may help with certain designated medical tasks in the role of a physician extender.

Before you apply

  1. Ensure you meet all licensing requirements listed in the credentials section below.

  2. Verify your medical degree, postgraduate training, and specialty certificates using one of the following:

  3. Connect with Nova Scotia Health or the IWK to explore practice opportunities:

Credentials

Recognized medical degree

Training and independent practice

  • a minimum of 1 year of postgraduate training and 2 years of independent practice; or
  • 2 years of postgraduate training and 1 year of independent practice

Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada or an acceptable alternative

  • Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC)
  • United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Steps 1, 2 and 3
  • Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) Components 1 and 2
  • National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Parts I, II, and III
  • Comprehensive Osteopathic Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) Levels 1, 2 and 3
  • A minimum of 5 years of recent postgraduate training and/or practice experience 

Currency of practice

Complete at least 450 hours of clinical practice in the scope you intend to practice in Nova Scotia within the five years preceding your start date in Nova Scotia.

Exceptions: the Registrar may consider experience as an Associate Physician in another Canadian jurisdiction, or verifiable postgraduate training, in lieu of independent practice for determination of currency.

English language proficiency

You will be exempt from language testing if you have one of the following:

  • you successfully completed one of the following technical examinations in English:
    • Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part I
    • College of Family Physicians of Canada certification examinations (written and oral)
    • Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certification examinations (written and oral)
  • a letter from your postgraduate training program confirming that your training was conducted in English and that the primary language for patient care was also in English
    • please note this only applies if you completed your postgraduate training within the last 5 years

Otherwise, the College will require one of the following:

  • IELTS* – Academic taken within the 24 months prior to applying, with a minimum score of 7 on each component
  • OET – Medicine taken within the 24 months prior to applying, with a minimum score of B on each component
  • CELPIP* – General taken within the 24 months prior to applying, with a minimum score of 9 on each component

* The College will only accept the IELTS-Academic and CELPIP-General until January 1, 2027. Any test results dated before January 1, 2027, will be considered when determining an applicant’s ELP.

Review of qualifications

The licensure application is comprised of a two-part process: a Review of Qualifications and the balance of the application.

The purpose of a Review of Qualifications is to review and verify your credentials to confirm your eligibility for licensure.

You start this review by submitting an ‘application for medical registration’ through physiciansapply.ca. This is separate from verifying your documents through the same portal.

Before initiating a Review of Qualifications, please ensure you have completed the following:

  • A review of the credentials checklist to ensure you meet all qualifications.
  • When applicable, have your English language test reports ready for submission.

What to expect after submitting the Review of Qualifications:

  • A Registration Agent will be assigned to your file and will be in touch to provide a list of documents to complete your review.
  • Upon receipt of all required documents and confirmation of requirements for licensure eligibility, you will receive a letter confirming your eligibility for licensure. This can be presented when securing a letter of offer.

Letter of offer

In order to complete your application for licensure, a letter of offer in an approved physician extender program in Nova Scotia is required.

If you are a successful candidate for a position, Nova Scotia Health will notify the College and your Registration Agent will connect with you on how to complete your application.

Completing your application

Your Registration Agent will provide instructions on how to complete your application once they have received confirmation of your offer. At this stage, you will need to provide documents to show your character, competence, and ability to practise medicine in Nova Scotia.

Follow these steps to complete your application:

  1. Complete your application on physiciansapply.ca.
  2. A Registration Agent will be assigned to your file and will send you a list of required documents.
  3. Work on submitting required documents.
  4. Once all required documents are received, your file can be approved and your licence issued within 1–3 business days. Plan to get your licence at least 2 weeks before your first shift to allow time for credentialing/privileging, obtaining a billing number, and IT setup.

After licensure

Here are some resources to help you settle into your new life and your new practice in our province:

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.