SOCASMA COURT CASE TO BE HEARD IN THE SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA ON MARCH 2, 2026

Several years ago, two Canadians Studying Medicine Abroad (CSAs) and the Society for Canadians Studying Studying Medicine Abroad (SOCASMA)filed a lawsuit to stop the discrimination against International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Finally, we have a hearing date. Our case is set to be heard for two weeks in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on March 2, 2026. As residency training and medical licensing falls under provincial jurisdiction, the case has been filed in British Columbia.
The discriminatory barriers to medical licensing for IMGs include:
a) Limiting IMGs to underserviced medical disciplines. IMGs are limited to 4 out of the 29
disciplines available to Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs) and primarily family medicine (52 out of 58 positions);
b) Denying IMGs the opportunity to sub-specialize;
c) Refusing IMGs access to 85% of resident physician jobs in British Columbia despite proving they have the medical knowledge and decision-making ability expected of a Canadian medical school graduate and are qualified to work as resident physicians;
d) Forcing IMGs to sign a contract to work where the Ministry directs them (in rural and underserviced parts of the province) upon full licensure. These contracts carry non-compliance penalties that can range from approximately half a million dollars in family medicine to $1 million dollars in psychiatry.
e) Having different standards whereby IMGs must pass the Medical Council of Canada’s MCCQE1 exam (designed to determine whether one has the medical knowledge and decision-making ability expected of a graduate of a Canadian medical school) to be qualified to compete for a residency position. Realistically an IMG must excel in this exam to be considered for an interview. Conversely, CMGs take this examination after the CaRMS medical residency recruitment Match. If they fail the MCCQE1 (6-7% failed in the last two years), they will not only be allowed to graduate, but they will also be able to practice medicine as resident physicians despite the fact that they have failed the exam.

The lawsuit requests orders which would provide access to all residency training positions
available to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents on the same conditions, with
selection to be based on individual merit not on the place of graduation.