A new initiative aims to facilitate the process for internationally-trained physicians to work in Canada. The PEI-McMaster Collaborative Hospitalist Fellowship offers international medical graduates a one-year internal medicine training program, enabling them to obtain a license to practice in Prince Edward Island upon completion. Those who finish the fellowship are required to work in PEI for a minimum of one year. To qualify, international medical graduates must hold Canadian citizenship or permanent residency and fulfill additional criteria set by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of PEI. Preference is given to individuals who can take the Royal College IM exam via the practice eligibility route (PER). Find out if you qualify for Canadian immigration. Details regarding the program. The initiative is a collaborative project between the government of Prince Edward Island (PEI) and McMaster University, located in Hamilton, Ontario. Mark McLane, PEI’s Minister of Health and Wellness, stated in a press release on the province’s website, “By partnering with McMaster University and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Prince Edward Island, this program supports the integration of international doctors into the Canadian healthcare system, while also strengthening our workforce in PEI.” Health PEI, the province’s health authority, will be responsible for selecting and funding candidates for the fellowship, with the aim of retaining primary healthcare providers. Most of the training, specifically 12 out of 13 blocks, will take place at McMaster University. The final training segment will take place in Prince Edward Island (PEI). This program was partially inspired by the journey of Dr. Ali Abdullah, an internationally-trained internal medicine expert who finished McMaster’s hospitalist fellowship and started his practice in PEI in 2024. There are obstacles to the licensing of International Medical Graduates (IMGs). International Medical Graduates (IMGs) often encounter considerable obstacles in obtaining a medical license to practice in Canada. Typically, medical school graduates must complete a residency, which involves several years of supervised medical training, to become licensed. However, in most provinces, a significant portion of residency positions is allocated to graduates from local medical schools, leaving only a limited number—approximately 10%—available for IMGs. Due to this bottleneck in residency placements, various colleges and government bodies are actively working on creating alternative pathways for IMGs to achieve licensure. Immigration is being explored as a potential avenue to address the need for medical professionals. This fellowship aligns with two emerging trends in Canadian immigration: specifically, the focused recruitment of healthcare personnel and the simplification of the licensing process for internationally-trained healthcare professionals seeking to practice in Canada. Here are some recent examples of Canada’s initiatives to meet the increasing need for healthcare workers nationwide. In 2023, the federal government launched category-based draws for foreign nationals occupying high-demand occupations, enabling it to give precedence to health care professionals seeking permanent residency. In 2025, the IRCC broadened the healthcare and social services category to encompass therapists and social workers.