CanAm perspective: In May 2015, Dr. Victoria Dawson, a bright young Anglo Canadian, US trained Family Physician was denied a medical license in PEI – because she refused to take an English Proficiency Test.
CanAm immediately issued press releases to the Charlottetown Guardian newspaper and the Medical Post decrying PEI’s loss of a talented physician by an absurd decision of the PEI College.
In response PEI’s Minister of Health, Doug Currie announced that the government was going to review the legislation governing the role of the College.
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Changes to the rules governing the province’s College of Physicians and Surgeons will help ensure more oversight and allow changes to rules on language tests for doctors with foreign credentials.
Amendments to the Medical Act introduced Tuesday in the legislature will give the minister the ability to appoint someone to make an inquiry into the operation of the college and to make recommendations.
This person would have all the powers and protections of a commissioner under the Public Inquiries Act.
Health Minister Doug Currie says this step will allow for increased accountability over the body that licenses and regulates all physicians in Prince Edward Island.
But Currie stressed the college will continue to be solely responsible for licensing doctors going forward.
“This is not about the politicians taking over licensing for physicians in Prince Edward Island, this is about giving the college the ability to address some of their issues.”
Another change will allow the college to waive English proficiency tests for English-speaking doctors who may have studied in a foreign country and want to practice in P.E.I.
