Practice Ready Ontario (PRO)
Practice Ready Ontario (PRO) evaluates internationally educated family physicians to ensure they are practice ready in Ontario. The program accelerates physician integration into the workforce.
Apply now
Have you read through the requirements to see if you are ready to apply? If yes, apply now.
About Practice Ready Ontario (PRO)
Practice Ready Ontario (PRO) evaluates internationally educated family physicians to ensure they are practice ready in Ontario. The program accelerates physician integration into the workforce.
Qualified candidates bypass full residency. They show their clinical skills through targeted assessments and a brief, supervised practice period to begin treating patients sooner.
Touchstone Institute administers PRO in partnership with the Government of Ontario, Ontario Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). The program meets the Medical Council of Canada’s strict pan-Canadian standards for practice-ready assessments.
Scroll down to learn more about PRO, see if you are eligible to apply, what you need, and how to apply.
Process overview
If you are interested in applying to join PRO, it is important that you read this brief overview first and follow the links to more detailed information to see if you are eligible.
PRO is competitive. Even if you meet the minimum requirements, it does not guarantee selection. There are three phases in the process:
Phase 1
Eligibility Review
We review your application for immigration status, medical degree and transcripts, English language proficiency, examinations, postgraduate training and independent practice experience in family medicine, required clinical rotations, and currency of hours to determine if you are eligible.
Phase 2
Verification
Eligible candidates must submit the required documents, complete the Therapeutics Decision-Making Examination, attend an interview, and apply for a provisional certificate through the CPSO.
Phase 3
Clinical Field Assessment
Selected candidates must complete an orientation and a 12-week Clinical Field Assessment in Ontario. Before starting, candidates must sign a three-year Return of Service agreement with the Ontario ministry of health.
What is required
Use this checklist to see if you meet the baseline eligibility requirements.
❑ Status: I am a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident.
❑ Education: I have a medical degree from a school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.
❑ Language: I have proof of English proficiency.
❑ Licensing: I hold the LMCC (or have completed requirements and I am awaiting certification).
❑ Exams: I have passed the MCCQE Part 2 (pre-2021) OR the NAC Examination (March 2013 or later).
❑ TDM: I have passed the TDM Exam OR am eligible to take it.
❑ Experience: I have 48 months of postgraduate training & independent practice as a Family Physician.
❑ Recency: I have completed 960 hours of clinical practice as a family medicine practitioner over the last 3 years, 720 of which were in person.
❑ Rotations: I have completed the seven core postgraduate rotations
❑ Family Medicine OR General Practice
❑ Emergency Medicine
❑ General Surgery
❑ Internal Medicine
❑ Obstetrics & Gynecology
❑ Pediatrics
❑ Psychiatry
This checklist is provided for general guidance only. Applicants must review the full eligibility requirements, including detailed criteria and documentation requirements, before applying.
Fees and costs
There is no fee to apply. However, if you are applying, you are responsible for the costs associated with examinations, licensing, and other regulatory requirements.
Costs incurred will vary depending on individual circumstances.
A detailed breakdown of program fees and associated costs is available on the full Fees and Costs page.
Frequently asked questions
Potential applicants like you often have questions. The following lists the most common questions about eligibility requirements, program structure, and timelines. Please visit the full FAQ page for more questions and detailed responses.
Resources
- Practice Ready Ontario Privacy Policy
- Practice Ready Ontario CV Template
- Clinical Field Assessment Guide for Candidates and Assessors
A practical reference guide for the 12-week clinical field assessment, including key timelines and milestones, required documentation, and guidance for implementing the process.
Assessment Forms
- Sign in to the CFA Platform to acknowledge daily assessments, and complete and submit your experience logs and interim and final reflections.
- Summary of assessment forms and submission timelines.
- Sample assessment forms are available to review and complete.
- Learning Portal
- Sign in to access learning modules.
- Policies and Procedures
Information on candidate and assessor roles and responsibilities, conduct standards, instructions for standard situations, operational processes, applicable rules and regulations, guidance for best practices, and more. - Candidate hospital credentials – Support letter for request
Have your assessor use this templated letter, signed by Practice Ready Ontario’s Clinical Director, to request hospital or other site credentials.
Apply for Practice Ready Ontario
After reading this overview and following the links to the full details, ask yourself these three questions.
- Do you feel you meet the eligibility requirements?
- Are you prepared to complete the Clinical Field Assessment?
- Are you prepared to complete the three-year Return of Service?
If yes, please apply to PRO.
Please remember that this is a competitive process and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee selection.
Partners
Touchstone Institute works with the Government of Ontario, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), and the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) to make PRO possible, helping internationally trained family physicians transition into the Ontario healthcare system sooner to meet the needs of patients in communities across the province.
PRO is funded by the Government of Ontario.
Not a candidate?
Ontario family physicians can participate as PRO Assessors or host a Clinical Field Assessment site.
Contact Practice Ready Ontario
If you have read through the information and links above and have an additional question, please fill out the contact form.
