Licensing guide · New Brunswick

How to Become a Physician in New Brunswick

Last checked 6 sources checkedNOC 31102

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick to work as a physician in New Brunswick or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
Not listed in the sources checked
Show the source
“Physician College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick”

From www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/post-secondary_education_tra..., checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick

Your roadmap

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained outside Canada

  • 1 fee depends on your situation and is not in the total
  • 3 steps without a listed fee
  • Listed time: 2.8 months (only 1 of 4 steps state a time)

  1. The applicant submits a complete application for medical registration to the College via physiciansapply.ca.

    Source
    “All applicants must submit a complete application for medical registration (AMR) to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick (CPSNB) via physiciansapply.ca”
    cpsnb.org/physicians/pathways-to-licensure

  2. Once the application is completed, the College determines the applicant's eligibility and sends a decision email regarding the application and next steps.

    Source
    “Once the application is completed, the College determines the applicant's eligibility and will send a decision email regarding the application and next steps, if applicable.”
    cpsnb.org/physicians/pathways-to-licensure

  3. Eligible physicians participate in a 12-week clinical field assessment under the supervision of licensed New Brunswick physicians to evaluate their readiness, skills and suitability to provide safe patient care.

    Time: 12 weeks
    Time source
    “eligible physicians participate in a thorough 12-week clinical field assessment”
    cpsnb.org/ten-family-physicians-begin-practice-pra-nb
    Source
    “eligible physicians participate in a thorough 12-week clinical field assessment, under the supervision of licensed New Brunswick physicians, to evaluate their readiness, skills, and suitability to provide safe patient care to New Brunswickers.”
    cpsnb.org/ten-family-physicians-begin-practice-pra-nb

  4. Successful candidates sign a three-year return of service agreement with the Department of Health.

    Source
    “Successful candidates sign a three-year return of service agreement with the Department of Health.”
    cpsnb.org/ten-family-physicians-begin-practice-pra-nb

Listed fees for this route

1 fee depends on your situation and is not in the total.

3 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Other listed fees

The regulator lists these without tying them to one step, so they are not in the route totals above. Check which apply to you.

  • File transfer service: $260 (four or more documents transferred to the same third party in a single transaction)
    Source
    “$260.00 Four or more documents transferred to the same third party in a single transaction”
    mcc.ca/fees

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Education

  • The candidate must have a medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools and which is acceptable in Canada.

    Source
    “Have a medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools and which is acceptable in Canada”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

  • The candidate must have successfully completed the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part 1 (MCCQE1).

    Source
    “Have successfully completed the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part 1(MCCQE1).”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

Experience

  • The candidate must have completed a combination of postgraduate training and independent unsupervised licensed practice in Family Medicine or General Practice, such as two years of training plus one year of practice, or one year of training plus two years of practice.

    Source
    “Have successfully completed (2) two years of postgraduate training (or internship program) resulting in certification, recognition and practice in Family Medicine or General Practice and (1) one year of independent unsupervised licensed practice; or Have successfully completed (1) one year of postgraduate training (or internship program) resulting in certification, recognition and practice in Family Medicine or General Practice and (2) two years of independent unsupervised licensed practice”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

  • The candidate must have completed 7 core rotations during postgraduate training, including a minimum of 8 weeks in family medicine and a minimum of 4 weeks in each of surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, obstetrics/gynecology and psychiatry.

    Source
    “Have successfully completed 7 core rotations during post-graduate training (or internship program) in the following fields: A minimum of 8 weeks in family medicine or general practice, and A minimum of 4 weeks in each of: surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, and psychiatry.”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

  • The candidate must be current in clinical practice for at least 450 hours within the 3 years preceding the application.

    Source
    “Be current in clinical practice for at least 450 hours within 3 years preceding candidate application”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

Police check

  • The candidate must provide a criminal record check meeting the requirements set out in the Criminal Record Check Policy.

    Source
    “a criminal record check meeting the requirements set out in the Criminal Record Check Policy”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

Good character

  • The candidate must provide evidence of good character and fitness to practise, which may include certificates of professional conduct, letters of reference, a criminal record check and other information as requested by the College.

    Source
    “Provide evidence of good character and evidence of fitness to practise, including professional and ethical behavior, which may include: certificates of professional conduct from each jurisdiction in which the candidate held a licence; letters of reference; a criminal record check meeting the requirements set out in the Criminal Record Check Policy; and other information as requested by the College,”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

Residency

  • The candidate must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or be legally entitled to live and work in New Brunswick.

    Source
    “Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or be legally entitled to live and work in New Brunswick”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

Other

  • The candidate must meet English or French language proficiency requirements as set out in the Language Proficiency Policy.

    Source
    “Meet English or French language proficiency requirements as set out in the Language Proficiency Policy”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

  • The candidate must have no more than one previous unsuccessful attempt in a Canadian PRA program within a five-year period.

    Source
    “Have no more than one (1) previous unsuccessful attempt in a Canadian PRA program within a five-year period.”
    cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria

Already licensed in another province?

Not stated

The pages do not state how a physician already licensed in another Canadian province or territory registers in New Brunswick.

Source
“Below are the instructions that all applicants should follow:”
cpsnb.org/physicians/pathways-to-licensure

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick

Supervised practice

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 31102, General practitioners and family physicians. Wages for 2023-2024 in Canadian dollars a year; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in New Brunswick and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
New Brunswick $89,344 $187,297 $346,082 Very good (5 of 5)
Canada $90,826 $232,227 $435,240 —

Wages by region and job outlook in New Brunswick

Wages in every province and territory

Physicians in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 9 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

Compare physician licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. Certified Occupations www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/post-secondary_education_tra... · fetched October 10, 2026
  2. Practice Ready Assessment New Brunswick (PRA-NB) cpsnb.org/pra-nb · fetched October 10, 2026
  3. Pathways to Licensure cpsnb.org/physicians/pathways-to-licensure · fetched October 10, 2026
  4. Ten family physicians to begin practice in New Brunswick through Practice Ready Assessment program cpsnb.org/ten-family-physicians-begin-practice-pra-nb · fetched October 10, 2026
  5. Applicants - Eligibility Criteria cpsnb.org/pra-nb/eligibility-criteria · fetched October 10, 2026
  6. Examination and service fees | Medical Council of Canada mcc.ca/fees · fetched October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a physician in New Brunswick?

Yes. Registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick is required to practise in New Brunswick.

Which exams are required?

Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part 1 (MCCQE1), National Assessment Collaboration Examination.

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