The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons plans to provide more flexibility to internationally trained physicians wishing to practice in Canada in order to address the labor shortage affecting this sector, reported the "Globe and Email".

The regulatory body wants to speed up the certification of foreign professionals in fields such as surgery, cardiology and emergency medicine by increasing its ability to review applications and accessibility to exams.

The doctors concerned will then be able to apply to more general disciplines if they do not meet all the Canadian requirements to work in their specialty, explained to the media Glen Bandiera, director general of standards and evaluation of the College.

The 'Practice Assessment Route' program - which cuts the time it takes for a foreign doctor to work in their field by several years - will also be expanded to allow them to work after two years instead of seven.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for people who have this skill to demonstrate it, regardless of where they trained," Dr Bandiera told the Globe and Mail. We are very aware of the current health human resource constraints in the system.”

It should be remembered that in most provinces, medical specialists who have degrees from outside Canada or the United States can obtain their license to practice only after having completed five years of practice in their field, the last two of which years in Canada.