Welcoming physicians from Lebanon and South Africa

Female Doctor Meeting With Patient In Office2

Family physicians from Lebanon

The College continues to seek out training programs of excellence around the world in jurisdictions not generally recognized for Canadian licensure. These efforts have begun to meet with success.

The College launched a pilot project with Nova Scotia Health focusing on family medicine resident programs in the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Lebanese American University (LAU). In December, the pilot came to a successful completion resulting in the placement of five new family physicians in Halifax. Early in 2026, an additional two physicians are expected to be placed.

In June, 2025 the government announced funding for Nova Scotia Partners with Lebanese Universities to Recruit More Family Doctors. The Province and the Lebanese American University in Beirut have signed a memorandum of agreement outlining a five-year pilot program that will see 10 ready-to-practise family physicians come to Nova Scotia, two in each year of the agreement.

Doctor Meeting With Patient In A Hospital3a

South African physicians

The College led an initiative with Nova Scotia Health and a recruitment specialist from South Africa to identify suitable candidates for two pilot initiatives to be launched by late Spring of 2025. South African physicians with formal family medicine residency were offered Defined licensure for a minimum of six months that starts with a period of high-level supervision. A long-term renewable licensure decision coming after supervision is complete.

In the Spring of 2025, the South African physician pilot began focusing on placing both family medicine and emergency medicine physicians throughout the province. They are issued a Defined licence under a period of supervision on a pathway towards independent practice.

Six emergency medicine physicians have been placed (one in northern zone and five in western zone).
Four family physicians have been placed (one in each zone).
Of the 10 physicians in the pilot program, one has already successfully moved into independent practice.

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The College acknowledges that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship. We also acknowledge that people of African descent have been in Nova Scotia for over 400 years, and we honour and offer gratitude to those ancestors.