Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Abbreviation	Royal College (previously RCPSC)
Motto	Mente Perspicua, Manuque Apta (With a keen mind and skillful hand)
Formation	1929
Type	nonprofit organization
Legal status	active
Purpose	oversee medical education and professional development, advocate and public voice, network
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Region served	Canada
Membership	medical specialists
Official language	English, French
Website	http://www.royalcollege.ca

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College) (French: Collège royal des médecins et chirurgiens du Canada) is regulatory college which acts as a national, nonprofit organization established in 1929 by a special Act of Parliament to oversee the medical education of specialists in Canada.

The Royal College is an association of physicians concerned with setting national standards for medical education and continuing professional development in Canada for 80 medical specialties. As such, the Royal College is neither a licensing nor a disciplinary body. Instead, it is a regulatory authority that helps ensure that the training and evaluation of medical and surgical specialists and three special programs maintain certain standards of quality.

All specialists in Canada except family physicians must be certified by the Royal College before they obtain a provincial or territorial licence to practice. The only exception is in the Province of Quebec, where the Royal College shares the responsibility for certifying physicians with the Collège des médecins du Québec.

To become certified, a physician must pass Royal College examinations. Access to these examinations is usually gained by completing a Royal College-accredited residency program at a Canadian university. Access is also available for medical residents who complete a Royal College-recognized residency program in the United States. Certain international training programs approved by the Royal College provide limited access to Royal College examinations.

Since its founding, the Royal College has been granted the patronage of the Canadian monarch, currently Elizabeth II.

In June 1929, a special Act of Parliament established the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada to oversee postgraduate medical education in Canada. At first, the Royal College offered just two specialty qualifications: Fellowship in general medicine and Fellowship in general surgery. By 2014, the Royal College had expanded its activities to recognize 80 disciplines, granting Fellowships in 30 specialties, 35 subspecialties, three special programs and 13 Areas of Focused Competence (AFC-diplomas).

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