New PEI-McMaster Program to Support Internationally-Trained Physicians in Canada

A new collaboration between Prince Edward Island (PEI) and McMaster University is opening up opportunities for internationally-trained doctors to work in Canada.

The PEI-McMaster Collaborative Hospitalist Fellowship is a one-year training program in internal medicine designed for international medical graduates (IMGs). After completing the program, participating physicians will become eligible to practice in PEI, with the expectation that they serve in the province for at least one year.

Who Is Eligible?

To apply for the fellowship, candidates must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Meet eligibility criteria set by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of PEI
• Preferably qualify to write the Royal College Internal Medicine (IM) exam under the Practice Eligibility Route (PER)
  
  

About the Program

This initiative is a joint effort between the Government of PEI, McMaster University (based in Hamilton, Ontario), and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of PEI. According to PEI’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Mark McLane, the program aims to help international physicians integrate into the Canadian healthcare system and strengthen PEI’s healthcare workforce.

Health PEI, the province’s health authority, will be responsible for selecting and funding the candidates. The goal is long-term retention of primary healthcare professionals in the province.

Most of the fellowship—12 out of 13 training blocks—will take place at McMaster University. The final block will be completed in PEI. The program takes inspiration from the successful pathway of Dr. Ali Abdullah, an IMG who completed the McMaster fellowship and started practicing in PEI in 2024.

The Licensing Challenge for IMGs

International medical graduates face major challenges when trying to get licensed in Canada. Typically, new medical graduates must complete a residency, which is a multi-year supervised training period.

However, most residency positions are allocated to graduates of Canadian medical schools, with only about 10% reserved for IMGs. This creates a significant barrier, limiting the ability of qualified foreign-trained doctors to practice in Canada.

In response, licensing bodies and governments across Canada are exploring alternative pathways to help integrate IMGs into the system.

Immigration and Healthcare: A Growing Connection

The new fellowship program is part of a broader effort by Canadian immigration and provincial governments to attract and retain healthcare professionals.

Here are some recent policy measures supporting this goal:

• Category-based Express Entry draws now prioritize healthcare professionals
• In 2025, the healthcare and social services category was expanded to include more occupations such as therapists and social workers
• A temporary public policy was introduced to allow physicians to count self-employment experience for Express Entry eligibility
• Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) updated its criteria to accept periods of self-employment for healthcare professionals
• Provinces such as British Columbia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Saskatchewan have introduced targeted immigration streams for in-demand occupations like healthcare
• Other provinces, including Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and PEI, have announced incentive programs for healthcare workers with foreign credentials
  
  

Final Thoughts

The PEI-McMaster Hospitalist Fellowship is a significant step forward in addressing both the healthcare labour shortage and the integration of internationally-trained physicians in Canada. By offering structured pathways and reducing licensing barriers, Canada is actively supporting skilled immigrants in making meaningful contributions to the healthcare system.