Ontario has quietly introduced new legislation that excludes Canadian citizens and permanent residents who studied medicine abroad from most residency positions. This unfair policy hurts patients, deepens doctor shortages, and drives talented physicians away. Help us reverse it. 

I am a proud Canadian citizen who completed my Undergraduate and Masters degree in Canada before deciding to move to Australia to complete my medical education. As a Canadian, my goal is to complete my residency training back home, surrounded by my family and community in which I was raised. However, Ontario’s new legislation is turning this dream into an almost unattainable goal.

Ontario's new legislation effectively restricts Canadian International Medical Graduates (IMGs) from entering residency training programs within the province- unless they completed their high school education in Ontario. This creates an unfair divide among Canadian citizens and targets those who wish to return home but are now unable to contribute their skills to our healthcare system.

This new legislation does not just impact me, this change unfairly excludes thousands of qualified Canadians and permanent residents, many of whom returned home to serve after completing medical school overseas.
Where someone went to high school has nothing to do with their dedication to Canada’s healthcare system.

Why it matters

1. Canada faces a dire physician shortage.
   Over 6.5 million Canadians lack access to a family doctor, and emergency departments across Ontario continue to close due to staff shortages. (The Lancet, 2024)
2.  More than 1 in 5 Canadian adults do not have a regular primary care provider. (The Lancet, 2025), (Annals of Family Medicine, 2024)
3. Ontario holds over 60% of all IMG residency positions in Canada.
   By imposing this restriction, the province is effectively shutting out the majority of Canadian IMGs from training opportunities nationwide.

The impact

This rule doesn’t just harm IMGs- it hurts patients.
It delays access to care, drives qualified doctors to pursue residency elsewhere, and deepens the staffing crisis already straining hospitals, family practices, and rural communities.

What We're Asking

We call on the Ontario Ministry of Health, CaRMS, and Ontario’s medical schools to:

1. Reverse the two-year Ontario high-school requirement for residency eligibility.
2. Restore fair access for all Canadian citizens and permanent residents-regardless of where they went to high school.
3. Adopt merit-based selection criteria that reflect skill, compassion, and readiness to serve- not high school graduation.

Canada needs more doctors, not more barriers.

Let’s make residency access fair and evidence-based.
Help us protect equity, uphold Canadian values, and strengthen our healthcare system- sign and share this petition.

What Else You Can Do

Sign these petitions:

Demand fairness in Ontario R1 residency application

Abolish unfair high school requirement for Ontario IMG eligibility

Stop the Unfair Exclusion of Immigrant Doctors in Ontario!

Write to the government:

Internationally Trained Physicians of Canada- CaRMS Changes