ITPC

ITPC Welcomes Court Intervention on Ontario MOH's Discriminatory Eligibility Policy re: CaRMS 2025-2026 R-1 Match First Iteration

An Ontario judge has given a temporary lifeline to international medical school graduates who would have been excluded from qualifying for the first round of matching for medical school residency placements under the province's controversial new rule.

The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) has announced significant updates to the process for obtaining the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), changes that aim to simplify, modernize, and accelerate one of the key steps in the licensure pathway for physicians.

A decade of global experience, top exam scores, and a Canadian citizenship — yet Ontario’s new medical residency rule now excludes Dr. Ashok Biswas from even applying in the first round. His story exposes how the system pushes internationally trained doctors to the margins while our communities face a worsening doctor shortage.

Leadership is measured at inflection points — and Canada is facing one right now. With the CaRMS residency application deadline just two weeks away, Ontario’s decision to restrict Internationally Trained Physicians (ITPs) from the match is not simply a policy adjustment. It is a tipping point. What happens in the coming days will determine the future of thousands of physicians — and the stability of Canada’s healthcare system.

ITPC Director Dr. Therese Bichay speaks at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health on the Impact of Immigration Policy on healthcare and Barriers to Integrating Internationally Trained Physicians.

When the Ontario Minister of Health, Hon. Sylvia Jones, stood in the Legislature on October 21 2025 and declared she was “proud” of the new CaRMS directive. She may have revealed more than she intended.  This directive promotes classism as it divides ITPs by level of “Canadian-ness”. It serves up leftovers to immigrant ITPs by only allowing them access to leftover residency spots. It reeks of discrimination. Therefore, we ask, sincerely: What exactly is the Minister proud o

ITPC Director Dr. Therese Bichay talks to CHCH News about the exclusionary criteria being used to separate ITPs in Ontario. “For sure, I will try other provinces,” said Dr. Therese Bichay, from the Internationally Trained Physicians of Canada.

ITPC Member Dr. Mohamed Iesa talks about the damage to his career and family plans caused by the discriminatory change against Internationally Trained Physicians, who are Canadian citizens, that excludes them from accessing residency as a path to licensure until the majority of residency spots are gone. <<Pour moi, c'est comme si j'avais vu passer ma chance sans pouvoir faire quoi que ce soit.>> Dr. Nathalia Silveira

Résidence médicale : des étudiants étrangers dénoncent une mesure de l’Ontario <<Pour moi, c'est comme si j'avais vu passer ma chance sans pouvoir faire quoi que ce soit.>> Dr. Nathalia Silveira

ITPC Member Dr. Nathalia Silveira, speaks to CTV Your Morning's Anne-Marie Mediwake about the discriminatory changes against Internationally Trained Physicians, who are Canadian citizens, that excludes them from accessing residency as a path to licensure until the majority of residency spots are gone.

ITPC Director Dr. Therese Bichay, speaks to CBC radio about the discriminatory changes against Internationally Trained Physicians, who are Canadian citizens, that excludes them from accessing residency as a path to licensure until the majority of residency spots are gone.

The Ministry’s reference to “Ontario-educated residents” ignores that many immigrant physicians already hold Ontario diplomas, master’s degrees, and PhDs — making “education geography” an unlawful stand-in for national origin.

Ontario’s latest residency-match directive is discriminatory and deeply un-Canadian; it excludes the very thing Ontario residents need the most: doctors!

Ontario’s latest residency-match directive is discriminatory and deeply un-Canadian; it excludes the very thing Ontario residents need the most: doctors!

Today, updates to the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CARMS) for the 2025-2026 cycle were announced. In the first iteration of CARMS, only Canadian ITPs who attended high school in Ontario will be eligible to participate.These changes will result in the exclusion of thousands of immigrant Internationally Trained Physicians (ITPs) from applying for CaRMS in the 1st iteration. This discrimination is unacceptable. Despite being legally Canadian, ITPs are being denied their l

Today, updates to the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CARMS) for the 2025-2026 cycle were announced. In the first iteration of CARMS, only Canadian ITPs who attended high school in Ontario will be eligible to participate.These changes will result in the exclusion of thousands of immigrant Internationally Trained Physicians (ITPs) from applying for CaRMS in the 1st iteration. This discrimination is unacceptable. Despite being legally Canadian, ITPs are being denied their l

📣 Research Highlight! We are proud to highlight our former director, Dr. André Coleman, who, together with Dr. Mahmood Beheshti, has just published an interesting clinical case in the Canadian Family Physician journal 🙌🏽 It explores chronic cough as a rare side effect of statins . Their work is a clear reflection of the clinical excellence and critical thinking that ITPs bring to the Canadian healthcare system.

ITPO members Dr. Mariana Jardim (Former Vice Chair and now PAR consultant) and Dr. Anjali Menezes have co-authored a powerful new article in the Canadian Family Physician journal that examines the systemic challenges faced by ITPs and calls for urgent reforms to support their integration into Canada's healthcare system.

Pathway to Conditional Licensure for Internationally Trained Physicians via a Practice Ready Assessment: Hospitalist Medicine As Canada’s...