It took us a while to create this page and it isn't quite complete but hopefully it answers the majority of your questions. We are not claiming that everything here is 100% accurate. So if you need any further clarifications, please just give us a call @ 416-562-2501
How do I practice medicine in Canada?
In order for you (the MD or MBBS or MBBCh) to practice in Canada, you'll have to do the following (and probably in this order too):
1. Successfully pass the following exams:
3. Receive your license from the appropriate regulatory board (e.g. CPSO)
1. Successfully pass the following exams:
- MCCQE® Part 1 (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part One) - This exam is written by all IMG's & CMG's
- NAC-OSCE (National Assessment Collaboration - Objective Structured Clinical Examination) - Written by IMG's (FMG's & CSA's) only
- MCCQE® Part 2 (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part Two) - Written by all IMG's & CMG's
3. Receive your license from the appropriate regulatory board (e.g. CPSO)
What is the MCCEE® (aka EE)? THIS EXAM IS NO LONGER OFFERED
- Computer-based standardized examination
- Conducted by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC®)
- 180 multiple choice questions (MCQ)
- 4 hours
- Assessed the basic medical knowledge of the common subjects of medicine
- Topics covered include medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology paediatrics psychiatry, surgery and preventive medicine and community health
What is the MCCQE1® (aka QE1)?
- Computer-based standardized examination
- Conducted by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC)
- 210 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and 38 Clinical Decision Making (CDM) cases
- 4 hours in the morning for MCQs | 3.5 hours in the afternoon for CDMs
- tests the medical knowledge of medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery and population health, legal, ethical, and organizational aspects of Canadian medicine
- The 210 questions are offered in one block so candidates can go back and forth through the questions before submitting them.
- Each multiple-choice question has a stem and five options, of which only one is correct. Certain test items will have pictorial material presented in the form of photographs, diagrams, x-rays or electrocardiograms
- The Clinical Decision Making (CDM) component consists of cases that have both short and long answer formats
- Price of the exam - roughly $1,305 CAD
- To register, please visit the Medical Council of Canada
What is the MCCQE2® (aka QE2)?
- A practicum-based timed examination where you encounter patients and take a history, do a physical exam and then write a summary note of your findings. There is also a set of questions that you have to answer regarding the patients you will see
- There are two types of stations where you encounter patients: 4 - Couplet Stations and 8 - Ten-Minute Stations.
- Couplet Stations consist of a 5-Minute Clinical Encounter plus a5-Minute Post-Encounter Probe (PEP). The 5-Minute Clinical Encounter is where the examinee obtains a focused and relevant history & physical examination. During this time, there will be an Examiner (another physicians) in the room who uses a standardized checklist to assess each examinee's performance
- The 5-Minute Post-Encounter Probe is a written station where questions are in a short-answer, write-in format
- Candidates are requested to record their findings from the previous station, suggest a differential diagnosis, interpret labs and imaging and suggest an investigation or management plan
- The 10-Minute Stations assess the candidate's ability to obtain a history and/or conduct a physical examination to demonstrate interviewing and communication skills, or to apply management skills. These stations are structured for the examinee to interact with the patient for 10 minutes, or for 9 minutes, followed by a 1-minute period in which the Examiner asks the candidate one to three brief questions related to the case being presented.
- Price of the exam - roughly $2,780 CAD
- To register, please visit the Medical Council of Canada
What is the NAC-OSCE (aka OSCE)?
- A practicum-based timed examination where the examinee encounter patients and conduct either a history, a physical exam or interpretation of lab results/images. You examinee will also have to answer questions by the Physician Examiner, who is present in the room during the encounter
- This exam assesses the examinee's medical competency, communication skills and time management
- It is made of a series of mock clinical stations, with standardized patients (actors) playing the sick role and requesting the examinee to fulfill various 'calls-to-actions' as they rotate through
- After the encounter, the examinee will be asked a series of questions by the Physician Examiner, including questions on medical therapeutics,
- Each station is 11 minutes long
- It is important to, not only pass this exam, but also do very well, as it provides feedback to residency program directors about the examinees level of competency and interpersonal skills
- In order to writhe the NAC-OSCE exam, the examinee must, at minimum, have successfully completed the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam (MCCEE)
- Price of the exam - roughly $2,830 CAD
- To register, please visit the Medical Council of Canada
What exam review courses do you offer at MedSckool Reviews?
MedSckool Reviews offers comprehensive crash course exam-oriented live exam reviews for the QE1, QE2, the NAC & the USMLE® Step 1 & 2 CS (United States). We also offer an @home self-study program for the QE1 (launching summer 2020).
What materials do you use at MedSckool Reviews to teach during the reviews?
There are literally dozens of different online sources and publications available for free and to purchase that one can use to study for these exams, unfortunately there is no targeted or exam-specific material that meets the caliber and content of information needed to score high on the Canadian exams. At MedSckool Reviews, our team of physicians, residents, medical graduates and medical students came together and pooled our knowledge-base and used supplemental resources through our partnerships and affiliations (e.g. CanadaQBank, FTPLectures) to formulate our course notes. However, as medicine is always evolving, so is our notes and every successive version of notes gets better than the prior set. Our reviews comprise of notes, powerpoint presentations, questions, cases and live discussions. If you're doing the OSCE review, then you can add 'daily hands-on practice' to the review regimen.
Can I buy the MedSckool Review notes?
No. Sorry. The comprehensive nature of our review is made in part from the collaboration of our MedSckool notes, our in-class powerpoint presentations, our live discussions and our question banks. Furthermore, only students that are registered for our classroom reviews and have paid will have access to our notes. The notes themselves have been formulated and sourced by our growing team of Canadian Doctors and medical residents and are constantly under revision to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness!
What is the best way of studying for these exams?
After talking to many of our colleagues and other medical students, we have found that the best way to do well on any of these exams is to:
- Review the theory (concepts, notes, study guides)
- Attend a live lecture (the small class atmosphere and collaborative environment breeds active thinking and mindful exam preparation. Plus, you'll also be able to receive the much-needed guidance and direction as you prepare; something you won't find anywhere other than at MedSckool Reviews)
- Hit the question banks...over...and over...and over again (all while refortifying your theory with our MedSckool Notes)
Is MedSckool Reviews a degree-granting school or college?
No. We are purely an exam review and preparation company. We provide the resources, tools, materials and guidance needed to do well on the various Canadian & American medical licensing exams.
Who are your lecturers?
We have a great group of educators at MedSckool Reviews and it's always changing. Among the group, include practicing physicians (usually Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine or Internal Medicine physicians), active Canadian residents (many of whom were students taking our reviews not too long ago themselves), recent graduates and even a practicing attorney!
Why are your fees so expensive?
We have worked very hard to build our program and although our mandate is driven by the success of our physicians, we also have to make money. But we are the most affordable review of our kind in Canada. This is why we are very transparent in all of our financial dealings. But we do go out of our way to help bring down your costs. We offer discounts if you sign up for more than one review (e.g. NAC & QE1, QE2, Step 1/2 CS). Remember, we did not come into existence just so we could help you pass the exams. We came into existence to ensure that you score as high as possible on these exams so you can realize your dreams. That's why we also offer A PASS guarantee! We've also had to overcome a handful of hurdles and legal conundrums to be where we are today. There's a heavy price to be paid for the work our team did to ensure we continue operating to this day!
What is the TDM EXAM?
Coming soon
If I took a review, can I come back again for another session before my exam?
We don't just want our physicians to pass; we want them to CRUSH their exams. If you've attended a live review and feel like you'd like a 'double dose' you're more than welcome to return for another future class, providing spaces are available. There is a re-attendance fee that you'll be required to pay because we give up a spot for a NEW attendee in order for you to come back. This re-attendance fee also includes a fresh set of notes but does not include any Qbank subscription renewals. As much as we'd like to help everybody, we are still running a business. We hope you understand!
How often do you run your reviews?
Although our live classroom reviews are comprehensive, we have managed to perfect the teaching syllabus into a short amount of time so that we don't waste your time or ours. Our reviews are either 5 days (NAC, Step 2 CS) or 6 days (QE2, CCFP OSCE), 12 days (QE1) or 24 days (USMLE Step 1) in duration. What that means is this: essentially, we have the power to run all our reviews once a month, every month (12 times a year - sometimes even more, depending on demand). However, to launch every session, we have to cover our minimum operating costs.
So for the 5 or 6 day reviews (NAC, QE2, Step 2 CS, CCFP OSCE), we need a minimum of 6 students registered and paid for at least 1 month in advance from the starting date to effectively run the review. Likewise, for the 12 day reviews (EE,QE1), we need a minimum of 10 students registered and for the USMLE Step 1, a minimum of 10 students is required.
So for the 5 or 6 day reviews (NAC, QE2, Step 2 CS, CCFP OSCE), we need a minimum of 6 students registered and paid for at least 1 month in advance from the starting date to effectively run the review. Likewise, for the 12 day reviews (EE,QE1), we need a minimum of 10 students registered and for the USMLE Step 1, a minimum of 10 students is required.
What is your refund policy?
WHat is the CCFP EXAM?
Coming soon.
