Medical Council of Canada (MCC): LMCC, MCCQE and IMG Guide

The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) is the national organisation behind the exams and credentials that every physician in Canada eventually meets. It does not license doctors itself. Instead it runs the MCC Qualifying Examination (MCCQE), verifies medical credentials and issues the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), which the provincial and territorial regulators use as part of their licensing decisions.

This page explains what the MCC does, how the LMCC and MCCQE fit together and what international medical graduates (IMGs) should do in which order. For the bigger picture, including residency and provincial rules, read our pillar guide Working as a Doctor in Canada.

Key facts

What the MCC does

The MCC's aim is to make sure physicians have the competencies to support safe, accessible health care in Canada. In practice its work falls into three groups:

• Examinations and assessments. The MCC lists the MCCQE, the NAC Examination, the Therapeutics Decision-Making (TDM) Examination, the Practice-Ready Assessment and workplace-based assessment among its programs.
• Credential services. These include verification of credentials, document sharing and file transfer, educational credential assessment and name change requests.
• Registers. The MCC maintains the Canadian Medical Register for LMCC holders and lists a National Registry of Physicians among its services.

What the MCC does not do is grant a licence. Each provincial or territorial medical regulatory authority (MRA) sets its own requirements for practising in its jurisdiction, and you apply to that MRA for registration and a licence.

The Canadian Standard

The MCC publishes the Canadian Standard, the common baseline that provincial and territorial licensing requirements are derived from. A physician meets it with:

1. A medical degree from an acceptable school that was listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools when the program was completed.
2. The LMCC.
3. Completion of a discipline-appropriate postgraduate training program, with an evaluation by a recognised authority.
4. Certification from the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the Collège des médecins du Québec.

The MCC is responsible for the first two pieces in practice: it checks your degree and issues the LMCC. Postgraduate training and specialty certification come from residency programs and the certifying colleges.

The LMCC

The LMCC is a key part of the Canadian Standard. Holders are included in the Canadian Medical Register. As of January 26, 2026, the MCC lists four requirements:

Two changes took effect on January 26, 2026:

• Digital LMCC. The LMCC is now issued digitally. The wallet-size Certificate of Registration and the framed Testamur are no longer sent automatically but can be bought on request.
• No separate fee for newer candidates. For applicants who applied for the MCCQE after January 26, 2026, the LMCC is issued automatically at no additional cost.

The MCC Qualifying Examination

The MCCQE is the exam most IMGs prepare for first.

Why it matters:

• Residency. A pass is required for IMGs applying to Canadian residency programs.
• LMCC. A pass is one of the LMCC requirements.
• Practice-ready routes. Some Practice-Ready Assessment programs use the MCCQE as an eligibility criterion.

Path for international medical graduates

The MCC groups licensure pathways into Canadian graduates, IMGs and internationally trained physicians, and US graduates and physicians. For an IMG, a typical sequence looks like this:

1. Check your school. Confirm that your school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools with a sponsor note marking it acceptable in Canada.
2. Verify your degree. Have your medical degree source-verified through the MCC. This is an LMCC requirement and is needed by regulators.
3. Pass the MCCQE. Book a session early, because seats are allocated first-come, first-served.
4. Choose a route. Either apply to residency (the MCCQE is required for IMGs), or, if you are already a trained specialist or family physician, look at Practice-Ready Assessment programs in the province you are targeting.
5. Apply to the MRA. Licensing happens at provincial or territorial level. Read your target regulator's requirements before you plan your timeline.

The exam is the step you control most directly. Strong preparation shortens the whole path. If you want daily practice questions on the go, the MediFlow app has question sets that help you build exam routine.

Typical mistakes

• Treating the MCC as the licensing body. The MCC issues the LMCC; the licence comes from the provincial or territorial MRA.
• Ignoring the school sponsor note. A World Directory listing alone is not enough for the LMCC; the sponsor note must mark the school acceptable in Canada.
• Starting credential verification late. Source verification can take time and is required for the LMCC.
• Using old terminology and requirements. The exam is now called the MCCQE, and LMCC rules changed on January 26, 2026.
• Booking last-minute. With four sessions a year and first-come seat allocation, late booking can cost you a full cycle.

Fees

For candidates who applied for the MCCQE after January 26, 2026, the LMCC itself is issued at no additional cost.

Contact and official links

• MCC website: mcc.ca
• MCC Qualifying Examination: mcc.ca/examinations-assessments/mccqe-part-i/
• Pathways to licensure: mcc.ca/credentials-and-services/pathways-to-licensure/
• LMCC: mcc.ca/credentials-and-services/pathways-to-licensure/lmcc/

Our next read: Working as a Doctor in Canada.