Statement on online claims regarding international medical graduate credentials

CPSA is aware of recent social media posts about the tragic death of a child, and subsequent claims about the training and credentials of international medical graduates (IMGs), specifically those from Nigeria and South Africa.

The loss of a child is a profound tragedy. Our thoughts are with the child’s family, loved ones and all those affected by this loss. We recognize that events like this raise difficult questions and strong emotions within a community.

While we cannot speak to certain aspects of this case due to privacy legislation, there is a significant amount of inaccurate information circulating on social media, and we would like to clarify CPSA’s processes with regards to IMG registration and credential verification.

As of 2025, over 40% of physicians registered in Alberta are internationally trained, and they play an important role in health care. CPSA is responsible for ensuring all physicians practising in Alberta, including IMGs, have the necessary skills and qualifications to provide safe patient care. We take this seriously and have a robust registration process all physicians must successfully complete before they are granted CPSA registration and a practice permit:

• Physicians are required to have their education and training credentials verified by the Medical Council of Canada.
• IMGs must meet English language requirements and pass a nationally recognized standardized exam, to assess medical knowledge and skills.
• A certificate of professional conduct, containing details about a physician’s professional history (including disciplinary history, if applicable) must be submitted from every jurisdiction in which the physician has trained or practised since obtaining their medical degree.
• Prior to 2023, all IMGs successfully completed a six-month practice readiness assessment (PRA), to ensure their skills and knowledge are at the level expected in Alberta.
  • The first three months of a PRA involves working under direct observation in the practice of a CPSA-approved assessor, who reviews the IMG’s clinical competence and professionalism.
  • During the last three months of a PRA, the IMG practises independently while being observed by a CPSA-approved supervisor. CPSA can end a PRA at any time if there are concerns about the IMG’s abilities.
• Since 2023, many IMGs still complete the full PRA, unless they are exempt under our Approved Jurisdiction Route to registration.

Despite suggestions on social media that CPSA has wrongly registered unqualified doctors via the Approved Jurisdiction Route to registration, this route maintains CPSA’s rigorous standards for competence while enabling some physicians to register without a PRA, as their competence has been confirmed prior to their arrival in Alberta.

We are committed to our mandate of protecting patients in Alberta, and once a physician successfully registers with CPSA, there continues to be checks and balances throughout their careers, through our competence programs and our complaints process.

CPSA assesses complaints about all physicians fairly, consistently and on the basis of evidence, regardless of where a physician trained or previously practised. The same standards of professional conduct, competence and patient safety apply to all physicians registered in Alberta.

We encourage anyone with questions about our registration process, or concerns about a physician practising in Alberta, to contact CPSA for information and resources.