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ITPC ADVOCACY ROUND-UP NEWSLETTER


Reporting Period: January – December 2025

Date of Publication: December 30th, 2025


Prepared by: Dr. Victor Gbenro and Dr. Tajammal Hussain

ITPC Policy, Advocacy, Research (PAR) committee volunteers








Executive Summary


From January to December 2025, Internationally Trained Physicians of Canada (ITPC) advanced sustained, coordinated advocacy at municipal, provincial, and national levels to address systemic barriers faced by internationally trained physicians (ITPs).

Advocacy efforts spanned research, policy engagement, public education, legal action, and grassroots mobilization, with a focus on:


Throughout the year, ITPC engaged Health Canada, medical regulators, residency stakeholders, provincial and federal policymakers, academic institutions, national media and more. Following Ontario CaRMS eligibility changes, ITPC mobilized a rapid and highly visible advocacy response to ensure ITP voices were represented in policy discussions and public discourse.


These efforts strengthened ITPC’s position as a national advocacy voice, contributed to a successful legal injunction, and helped shift policy conversations toward equitable, evidence-informed pathways to practice.


Although it is impossible to capture all of ITPC’s advocacy efforts succinctly, the following reflects highlights and major engagements. We want to express profound gratitude toward ITPC PAR volunteers for their direct and steadfast involvement, ITPC Recruitment & Engagement (R&E) committee volunteers for the tireless work to continuously publicise our advocacy and all ITPC members that continue to contribute to the collective voice of ITPs. 


Special thanks to ITPC PAR committee co-managers Dr. Lucy Nakibuuka and Dr. Ishrat Saberin for their tireless work ethic. We appreciate you!#itpcstrong #fortissimiuna #strongertogether


The ITPC Belief


Many internationally trained physicians are already contributing to Canada’s health system in interim roles while navigating exams and licensing. What we need are clear, structured pathways that recognize our skills and allow us to serve patients safely and effectively. Advocacy this year reinforced that ITPs are not asking for shortcuts, but for fairness and opportunity.


Ontario CaRMS Eligibility Changes & Advocacy Response (Ontario)


Due to our established connections with the provincial Ministry of Health Policy Branch in Ontario, ITPC was informed of changes to Ontario CaRMS eligibility shortly before the public announcement. The changes had exclusionary impacts on internationally trained physicians’ access to residency positions, reducing opportunities and increasing uncertainty.


In response, ITPC launched the #ReverseTheChange and #OpenTheSpots advocacy campaigns, engaging municipal and provincial policymakers, medical organizations, residency stakeholders, and national and regional media.


Through close collaboration with BPC and BPAO, and the sustained efforts of ITPC’s PAR Committee members and broader membership, advocacy culminated in a successful legal injunction. This outcome was driven by the collective voice and active participation of ITPC members, including those who:

  • Participated in media appearances

  • Attended the press conference

  • Wrote letters and engaged elected officials

  • Amplified advocacy messaging across platforms


This milestone underscores the power of member-led, coordinated advocacy and reflects ITPC’s commitment to ensuring that policy decisions affecting ITPs are informed by lived experience, evidence, and equity. A huge and special thank you to two of our ITPC members that acted as plaintiffs in the case.


Advocacy related to Ontario CaRMS eligibility remains ongoing.


Specialist Jurisdictional Recognition (National)


ITPC participated in consultations with FMRAC (Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada) and provincial regulatory partners to expand the list of recognised jurisdictions for specialist ITPs. We were then invited by the FMRAC Executive Director to a 2-day workshop that aimed to create a prototype for adding new approved jurisdictions. Our advocacy addressed:

  • Rigid curriculum-matching requirements

  • Misalignment of current approved jurisdictions with the countries that ITPs that are already in Canada come from

  • Recency-of-practice barriers

  • Misalignment between workforce need and licensure pathways


ITPC continues to use our Specialist ITP research report to do evidence-based advocacy and has requested participation in the next phase of prototype development.

The strength of this advocacy was bolstered greatly by the Specialist ITPs that participated in interviews during the research project and the PAR research team that spent countless hours conducting the research and completing the report. Thank you!


Federal & National Stakeholder Engagements (select highlights)


Health Canada and Committees

In 2025, ITPC engaged directly with Jocelyne Voisin, Federal Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch and the Health Human Resources (HHR) Task Force at Health Canada to advance discussions on internationally trained physician (ITP) workforce integration and system-level solutions to Canada’s health human resource shortages.

Following this engagement, Health Canada officials connected ITPC with the Internationally Educated Health Professionals (IEHP) unit, leading to a follow-up meeting held on September 9, 2025. This discussion focused on policy alignment, federal-provincial collaboration, and strategies to improve the integration of internationally educated physicians into Canada’s healthcare workforce.

Medical Council of Canada

Earlier in the year, on May 20, 2025, ITPC also engaged with the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) to discuss the preliminary findings of the #laddertolicensure research project. We posed questions as to how they could contribute toward the institution of a National Licenced Clinical Assistant/Associate Physician program that ladders into an independent licensure pathway.


Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC)

The AFMC included ITPC in their consultation regarding the CaRMS match process. We also took the opportunity to advocate for residency selection criteria reform and the importance of the ITP perspective at governance tables, offering ITPC as the voice of ITPs.


Federal Shadow Minister of Health, MP Dan Mazier & HESA

ITPC leadership and members engaged across Nova Scotia and Ontario, virtually and in person, with MP Dan Mazier and his team, highlighting on a national and provincial level, all of the barriers ITPs face. Following this, we had the opportunity to give a witness statement at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health (HESA). ITPC Director Dr. Therese Bichay spoke on the disconnect between immigration and licensure, and the importance of focusing on ITPs already here and fixing the current system, rather than bringing in more ITPs to lose their way in the broken system. 


Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)

The RCPSC reached out to ITPC for a consultation for a new affiliate subcategory for ITPs under consideration. ITPC Directors emphasized the importance of the Medical Regulatory Authorities being on board to accept the affiliation status for licensure; otherwise, it isn't helpful to ITPs.


Chronological Overview: ITPC 2025 PAR Committee Activity Highlights


January 2025

  • Specialist ITP Research: Ongoing data analysis and report writing to identify systemic barriers affecting internationally trained specialists and inform workforce planning; report published in December 2025.

  • COFM Engagement: Meeting with the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine to advocate for fairer residency selection criteria that appropriately value prior clinical experience, among other things.


February 2025

  • MCC Advocacy Response: ITPC publicly challenged a misleading MCC post suggesting licensing exam scores correlate with future physician performance, highlighting methodological flaws and reinforcing evidence that exam scores alone are not predictive of clinical effectiveness.

  • ITP-PGT Project continues: Continuation of the Internationally Trained Physician – Postgraduate Training (ITP-PGT) project, focused on representing the rigorous training that ITPs receive around the world. Countries done in 2025: Colombia, Sudan, Egypt, and Turkey. This project strengthens our advocacy with stakeholders. This project is ongoing, look out for when your country comes around!


March 2025

  • Wellington County Economic Development Meeting (March 4, 2025)ITPC engaged Wellington County Economic Development to discuss the structured placement of internationally trained physicians (ITPs) into Clinical Assistant (CA) roles as a practical strategy for workforce integration. The discussion focused on aligning regional health system needs with interim practice opportunities that support safe patient care while ITPs progress toward full licensure.


This national policy dialogue brought together policymakers, researchers, and physician advocates to examine how internationally trained physicians (ITPs) can help address Canada’s severe primary care shortage. 

The event was co-convened by Dr. Zhixi Zhuang and the Honourable Ratna Omidvar.

Key areas of discussion included:

  • Systemic and regulatory barriers that keep qualified immigrant physicians out of practice

  • The need for expanded and modernized Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) programs

  • Increased and more equitable residency access for internationally trained physicians

  • Innovative, evidence-based licensure and workforce integration pathways

The session reinforced ITPC’s advocacy position that Canada’s healthcare crisis cannot be resolved without better leveraging the skills and experience of internationally trained medical professionals already living in the country.


April 2025

  • Toronto Metropolitan University Engagement: Meeting with TMU ahead of the opening of its new medical school to advocate for inclusion of ITP perspectives in admissions, program design and orientation and support. This meeting was requested by the PGME Dean and the assistant Dean of TMU after attending the January COFM meeting and hearing about our advocacy on residency selection criteria and resident support.


May – June 2025

  • COFM PG Deans Meeting (May 15): Advocacy for residency selection criteria recognizing prior clinical experience and interim practice roles.

  • CPSNL Consultant Meeting – Newfoundland and Labrador (June 12): Discussion of provincial licensing pathways, workforce needs, and opportunities for internationally trained physicians and the need for a comprehensive orientation that sets ITPs up for success.


August 2025

  • Primary Care Action Team of Ontario (August 13): Engagement with PCAT, who are mandated to ensure every Ontarian has access to a primary care physician, to highlight primary care gaps and the role that ITP can play.

  • Meeting with Jocelyne Voisin (August 20): Engaging with the Federal Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch, reinforcing ITP contributions and practical workforce integration solutions.


August – October 2025

  • Health Canada & its Committee on Health Workforce (CHW) Engagements: Presentation of preliminary findings of CA/AP laddering research and policy solutions at national tables, including the Internationally Educated Healthcare Professionals (IEHP) Subcommittee of the CHW.

October 2025

  • Witness statement by ITPC Director Dr. Therese Bichay at HESA on the disconnect between immigration and licensure.


October – November 2025

  • #ReverseTheChange Campaign: Extensive engagement with MPPs, municipal leaders, OMA, and national media following Ontario CaRMS changes.


December 2025

  • FMRAC Specialist Recognition Workshop (December 10): Contribution to national licensure reform discussions.

  • CMA–ITPC Workforce Discussion (December 16): Exploration of collaboration on workforce integration and laddering models based on the CMA’s Integrated Healthworkforce Plan.

  • ITPC Advocacy article and commentary on the disconnect between Health Canada’s Ethical Recruitment of IEHPs framework and the reality of the system and barriers ITPs face here in Canada. 


Wins and Milestones

  • Publishing another research report to aid in informing policy-makers with evidence from the ITP perspective.

  • Successful legal injunction demonstrating advocacy impact

  • National media coverage amplifying ITP concerns

  • Growing recognition of ITPC expertise, as demonstrated by invitations to national and provincial policy discussions

  • Early signals of residency programs adapting selection criteria in response to advocacy


What’s Next

Early 2026 priorities include:

  • Continued advocacy for residency selection criteria

  • Publication of #laddertolicensure research report and ensuing related advocacy

  • Advancing access to licensure for Specialist ITPs using our research report

  • Advocating for solutions to the Recency of Practice barrier


Internationally Trained Physicians of Canada (ITPC)


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