Licensing route

Practice Ready Ontario (PRO) — internationally trained family physician assessment

Touchstone Institute; Ontario licensure decisions by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)

Competitive assessment of experienced family physicians for an Ontario practice route, with a clinical field assessment and subsequent service commitment.

Good for: I worked independently as a family doctor abroad. Is there a route that recognizes that experience?

Where do I start? ↓

Checked October 20, 2026 How we check information

At a glance

Delivery: In person
Cost: No program fee
Who can access it: Canadian citizen or permanent resident when applying; awaiting permanent residency does not qualify.
Intake: Applications advertised — confirm places

A medical degree without the required family-practice training and experience is insufficient.

01 / Start here

Your first steps

Compare your training, rotations and recent hours with the full requirements before paying for exams.
Prepare verified documents and select the appropriate language portal; use the English criteria here only for English PRO.
Before accepting a place, review the service location, contract, remaining costs and CPSO certificate conditions.

Provider explicitly invites applications. No guaranteed cohort, assessment date or place; selection is competitive.

Visit provider ↗

02 / Check the fit

Requirements and limits

Medical degree from a World Directory of Medical Schools institution; LMCC, or LMCC requirements completed and certification applied for.
48 months combined experience: 12 months qualifying postgraduate training plus 36 months independent family practice, or 24 months training plus 24 months independent practice.
960 clinical family/general-practice hours within the preceding three years, including 720 in person.
Seven postgraduate rotations: family/general practice at least eight weeks; emergency, surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynaecology, paediatrics and psychiatry four weeks each. Documented equivalencies may cover up to three gaps.
English proof: accepted education/practice evidence or IELTS Academic 7 in each skill, OET Medicine B in each, or CELPIP-General 9 in each; standard test validity two years, with specified exceptions.
NAC (March 2013 onward) or pre-2021 MCCQE Part 2, plus TDM pass, are needed for verification, not necessarily initial application. Interview and CPSO approval follow.
MINC, MCC candidate code and valid Canadian/international driver’s licence required; prior unsuccessful assessments or Canadian residency need individual review.

Canadian citizen or permanent resident when applying; awaiting permanent residency does not qualify.

Important limits and details to confirm

A medical degree without the required family-practice training and experience is insufficient.
A three-year Ontario Ministry of Health return-of-service agreement is required. The post-assessment certificate initially permits supervised practice in the assigned community.
CPSO, not Touchstone, issues registration. Independent registration also depends on CFPC certification and other CPSO requirements; completing the assessment alone is not unrestricted licensure.

Location

Clinical assessment and return-of-service communities in Ontario; allocation is program dependent.

03 / Understand the commitment

Costs and possible funding

Application has no fee. TDM is listed at $2,910 from June 2026; other exams, credential services, CPSO charges, travel and housing can add substantially. Provider examples are not a complete individual quotation.

PRO-funded assessment components and clinical assessment stipend (subsidized training, provider published): PRO covers application, interview, orientation and Clinical Field Assessment fees and provides an assessment-period stipend; amount not published here. Exams, licensing, travel and relocation remain applicant costs.

04 / Check with the provider

Sources and where to get help

Use the provider’s official starting page to ask about your situation. Published information was checked on October 20, 2026; the provider must confirm current availability and personal eligibility.