358:
to standardize
Canadian medical education in the early 20th century played a key role in the development of the consistently high quality of education provided by Canadian medical schools today. However, the MCC examinations are no longer the only tool available to evaluate medical learners. Canadian medical schools now universally utilize comprehensive written and clinical exams to test students prior to graduation. In addition, residency programs across Canada are transitioning towards a Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum, based on a philosophy of longitudinal continuous assessment; years’ worth of regular assessments over the course of a resident physician’s training would arguably provide both a greater amount of and more accurate information about a resident physician’s clinical performance than a one-time examination like the MCCQE Part II. Even prior to the implementation of CBME, it has been demonstrated that rotation evaluation reports and residency program director ratings are “significant predictors of pass-fail performance on the MCCQE Part II.” Finally, resident physicians must pass rigorous written and clinical examinations organized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the College of Family Physicians of Canada prior to being authorized to practice medicine independently in their chosen specialties. It is evident that the MCCQE Part II is a vestige of an earlier, less evolved medical education system, and it is now widely regarded as an outdated artifact. Given that the MCCQE Part II no longer confers resident physicians the ability to practice independently during residency, nor is it used by residency programs to evaluate the readiness of resident physicians to progress to their next postgraduate year, the exam no longer has any objective utility.
387:, the other Canadian certifying bodies. Although basic respiratory etiquette was made mandatory during the examination, the MCC specified that it could not ensure the safety of all participants as physical distancing may not be possible in examination rooms. The MCC disregarded participants' concern for the risk of COVID-19 transmission during the examination and the implications for their communities. Following contact by resident physicians concerned by the significant public health risk posed by the upcoming MCCQE Part II examinations, local public health departments ordered site closures in several locations, including Kingston, Montreal, Toronto, and Quebec City. It was discovered that the MCC had registered participants requiring international and inter-provincial travel. Nearly a third of 90 candidates scheduled at the cancelled Kingston examination site originated not only from hot spots in Ontario but from the United States as well. Multiple Canadians studying medicine abroad were also forced to return to Canada amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in order to attend an in-person examination administered by the MCC. Public health and preventive medicine physicians indicate that the MCC's decisions are the least effective means of preventing exposures. In order to maximize prevention, examinations should be substituted or eliminated entirely. The MCC's lack of proactivity in planning a sound format for examinations to take place safely is strongly criticized.
367:
Part II that year was $ 6,871,458 (gross revenue $ 12,539,670; expenses $ 5,668,212). This significant profit margin is contrasts starkly with the average debt of $ 164,000 of
Canadian medical graduates,. Resident physicians work an average of 70 hours per week, and up to over 100 hours per week, providing essential medical care to patients across Canada, for a modest salary out of proportion with their level of education and responsibility. Many are still pondering why Canada's resident physicians are shouldering the costs of an exam that continues to exist mainly as a means to generate substantial revenues for the MCC.
1310:
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43:
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candidates experienced. The
Canadian Federation of Medical Students heard over 180 student complaints regarding MCCQE Part 1 examination difficulties. These included difficulties booking the online examination, frequent disconnections on the day of the examination, no remote proctor seemingly present, and having to conduct one's own security check to show one was not cheating. On May 31, 2021 the MCC abruptly cancelled the online version of the MCCQE Part II.
399:, the MCC decided to fully refund candidates who withdrew their application to the MCCQE Part 2. This is in stark contrast with the MCC's usual significant "non-refundable" administrative fee, which was announced at $ 1,390 for the 2020 examinations. It was later announced that the preregistration period for the May 2021 MCCQE Part 2 was postponed to a later date to allow even more time for the MCC to organize virtual OSCEs.
379:, leaving graduating physicians with provisional licenses, administrators decided to proceed with future upcoming examinations during the pandemic's second wave in October 2020 and beyond. The MCCQE Part II examination is to be held in-person only, with no online alternative yet available, an arrangement which stands in stark contrast to the format of national OSCEs administered by the
366:
The May 2020 exam cost each applicant $ 2,980 ($ 2,780 exam fee with an additional $ 200 account fee). According to publicly available financial information on the MCC website, the organization was audited by
Deloitte in 2019. These data reveal that the MCC's net revenue directly related to the MCCQE
390:
Less than 48 hours ahead of exam time, the MCC cancelled the
October 2020 MCCQE Part 2 across Canada. Secured communications were later sent to all those already registered for the upcoming February 2021 MCCQE Part 2, informing them that the examination was cancelled. With an ever-growing backlog of
329:
The
Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), currently awarded to resident physicians who pass MCCQE Part I and have completed 12 months of postgraduate medical training, was originally established in 1912. Historically, the LMCC played an important role in medical licensing, as those who
208:
Beginning April 1912, the MCC granted the right to practice throughout Canada and to be admitted to the
British Medical Register (BMR) to serve in the medical forces of the army and navy. The practice for registering physicians into the BMR eventually ceased, but those who wish to practice in the UK
357:
According to Dr. Maureen Topps, Executive
Director and CEO of the Medical Council of Canada (MCC), “MCC examinations were created to ensure that physicians across Canada meet common standards in order to provide safe and effective patient care.” This is an important objective, and the MCC’s efforts
184:
The MCC is governed by the
Council, composed of up to 12 Councillors, which provides oversight on the management of the activities and affairs of the Medical Council of Canada. There are annual meetings to discuss budgets, policies, and assets. Regular day-to-day operation is led by the Executive
407:
In order to deliver the MCCQE Part I, the MCC developed a remotely proctored version of the examination, allowing medical graduates to complete the examination in a safe location while being remotely supervised. The MCC has even issued a statement acknowledging the "unacceptable" experience some
465:
The MCC also maintains the
Canadian Medical Register, a list of physicians who have completed or have been exempted from the LMCC requirement. This is generally the first step for medical graduates who wish to obtain licence to practice prior to applying to their own provincial or territorial
353:
The Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part II has been criticized for nearly two decades for its relevance, validity, possible redundancy, and financial burden on resident physicians. As such, a number of physicians and resident physicians from across Canada have been
52:
321:
A pass standing is required on the MCCQE Part I in order to be awarded Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC). LMCC is recognized by medical licensing authorities in Canada, and is one of the requirements for the issuance of a licence to practice medicine in Canada. The
295:
International medical students or US osteopathic medical students within 12 months of graduation and international medical graduates (IMG) or graduates of US osteopathic medical schools and want to apply to a Canadian residency program
216:
From January 1979 to November 2018, the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE) was offered. A passing score on this examination used to be required for international medical graduates to attempt the
1082:
416:
The LMCC is not a licence to practice medicine, the issuance of such being a function of the medical regulatory authorities. Instead, being an LMCC is generally a requirement to gain a licence to practice
950:
345:
Examination costs, which represent the MCC's main source of income, are increased on a yearly basis. Registrants are also exposed to withdrawal policies and cancellation fees.
221:(MCCQE) Part I. As of 2019, all medical graduates, regardless of whether they graduate from a Canadian or international medical school, are eligible to write the MCCQE Part I.
181:, which is a requirement to independently practice medicine in Canada. The MCC's role in physician assessment has been repeatedly criticized as obsolete for several decades.
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Woloschuk, W; McLaughlin, K; Wright, B (2013). "Predicting performance on the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part II".
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advocating for its elimination as a requirement for full licensure to practice medicine independently in Canada.
70:
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were awarded this designation were provided with a provincial license to practice medicine independently as a
334:(GP). However, since the early 1990s, provincial licensing bodies began requiring certification through the
210:
17:
198:
127:
721:
451:
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202:
700:
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A physician who meets the following requirements is enrolled in the Canadian Medical Register as a
375:
While the MCC initially postponed in-person examinations taking place during the first wave of the
42:
1020:
951:"Resident doctors concerned upcoming in-person exam will increase COVID risks in Atlantic Canada"
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173:) is an organization charged with the partial assessment and evaluation of medical graduates and
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205:, who had been pursuing a standardized medical licensing scheme in Canada for over 18 years.
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166:
1195:"Med school final exam plagued with technical issues after moving online due to COVID-19"
1309:
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examination is accepted as a substitute for the MCCQE examinations in British Columbia.
148:
1007:
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602:
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1024:
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664:
1165:"The MCC responds to issues and recent media coverage related to MCCQE Part I"
980:
1106:"Canadians studying medicine abroad must fly home for exam despite COVID-19"
676:
174:
1016:
930:
826:
646:
611:
1221:"Canadian Medical Students Demand Change After 'Inhumane' Exam Conditions"
557:
513:
456:
Passed the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part I
391:
competent physicians, having passed their specialty examinations with the
285:
in over 80 countries at Prometric testing centres, up to 5 times per year
997:
855:
418:
912:
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84:
260:
Medical students within 15 months of graduation and medical graduates
422:
177:
through standardized examination. It grants the qualification called
80:
729:. College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. p. 11
488:"The Part II Examination: Political exercise or national standard?"
323:
51:
1259:
1136:
647:
A brief history of the Medical Council of Canada – 1912 to 2008
256:
Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part I
869:
301:
10 Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) stations
282:
4, the exam cannot be retaken if you have previously passed
897:"Resident duty hours in Canada: Past, present, and future"
780:"Why the MCC Qualifying Examination Part II still matters"
312:
3, the exam can be retaken if you have previously passed
981:"Increasing safety concerns over medical licensing exam"
342:
before permitting physicians to practice independently.
315:
at testing centres across Canada in March and September
1280:
The Process of Becoming a Licensed Medical Doctor in BC
1303:
139:
271:
3.5-hour 38-case clinical decision-making examination
1243:"The MCC suspends the delivery of the MCCQE Part II"
1085:. Metroland Media Group Ltd. The Hamilton Spectator
849:"Financial statements of Medical Council of Canada"
291:
National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination
134:
121:
111:
101:
91:
76:
66:
58:
397:Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
385:Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
336:Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
179:Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC)
665:Roddick Gates Honour Canada's Foremost Physician
219:Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination
525:
523:
268:4-hour 210-question multiple-choice examination
185:Director and CEO, currently Dr. Maureen Topps.
874:Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
628:Ray, J (1997). "Those MCC examination blues".
1260:"Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada"
1159:
1157:
8:
953:. The Chronicle Herald. The Chronicle Herald
870:"Q3c: What will it cost to become a doctor?"
623:
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30:
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571:
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430:Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada
18:Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada
1308:
677:"MCCQE Part I | Medical Council of Canada"
578:"Is it time to rethink the MCCQE Part II?"
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41:
29:
1245:. Medical Council of Canada. 31 May 2021.
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532:"The Part II examination: More thoughts"
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1062:. Canadian Medical Association Journal
452:clinical postgraduate medical training
393:College of Family Physicians of Canada
381:College of Family Physicians of Canada
362:Examination costs and financial status
340:College of Family Physicians of Canada
1056:"SHOULD THE MCCQE II EXAMS GO AHEAD?"
895:Pattani, R; Wu, P; Dhalla, I (2014).
7:
1336:Medical associations based in Canada
1083:"Medical exams risk spreading virus"
985:Canadian Medical Association Journal
949:MacDonald, David (14 October 2020).
901:Canadian Medical Association Journal
630:Canadian Medical Association Journal
536:Canadian Medical Association Journal
492:Canadian Medical Association Journal
1081:Guarna, Giuliana (8 October 2020).
309:1374 (scaled score from 1300-1500)
209:could register themselves with the
193:The MCC was founded in 1912 by the
446:World Directory of Medical Schools
349:Examination relevance and validity
25:
371:Response to the COVID-19 pandemic
1219:Harris, Sherina (29 June 2020).
1193:Kupfer, Matthew (22 June 2020).
1104:Keung, Nicholas (31 July 2020).
1054:Benusic, Mike (8 October 2020).
979:Vogel, Lauren (9 October 2020).
858:. 31 March 2019. pp. 17–18.
723:Orientation Guide for Applicants
450:Completed at least 12 months of
279:226 (scaled score from 100-400)
50:
403:Remotely proctored examinations
1326:1912 establishments in Ontario
171:Conseil médical du Canada, CMC
1:
1341:Medical and health regulators
1223:. HuffPost.com, Inc. HuffPost
701:"Application and Eligibility"
819:10.1080/10401334.2013.797351
703:. Medical Council of Canada
197:through the efforts of Sir
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1169:Medical Council of Canada
1141:Medical Council of Canada
778:Topps, M (October 2019).
758:Medical Council of Canada
461:Canadian Medical Register
159:Medical Council of Canada
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36:Conseil médical du Canada
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31:Medical Council of Canada
1137:"MCC update on COVID-19"
71:Professional association
211:General Medical Council
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128:Thomas George Roddick
27:Canadian organization
1331:Health law in Canada
998:10.1503/cmaj.1095902
576:Lougheed, T (2016).
332:general practitioner
203:Member of Parliament
991:(43): E1313–E1314.
913:10.1503/cmaj.131053
594:10.36834/cmej.36630
486:Kennedy, B (1995).
265:Computer-based test
238:Type of Assessment
32:
1285:2008-09-14 at the
652:2008-09-21 at the
530:Kenyon, A (1994).
201:, a physician and
195:Canada Medical Act
113:Executive Director
107:English and French
103:Official language
466:regulatory body.
421:independently in
377:COVID-19 pandemic
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247:Attempts Allowed
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235:Candidates
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686:2019-08-30
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