How Canadian Regulatory Agency denied British, Irish trained Doctors of African and Asian Origin the Right to Specialist Certification Despite Passing Required Exams

By Caroline Ameh and Joseph Ibeh

In a startling set of revelations, investigations have uncovered how several Nigerian medical doctors, including Indians, Sudanese and Iraqis who all trained in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, meeting the necessary qualifications, have been unjustly denied the opportunity to practice medicine in Canada.

These doctors (or physicians as referred to in Canada), who successfully achieved the mandatory 70% pass mark in their specialist certification exams, are now trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare, unable to serve humanity with their hard-earned medical qualifications.

Some of the affected doctors, who shared their experiences, supported by extensive documentation that highlights a troubling trend within the medical regulatory body known as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada with offices located in Ottawa.

According to the doctors, they were assured by the regulatory agency that achieving a 70% pass mark in the exams was the critical threshold for obtaining their specialist certification, which would allow them to practice in Canada.

This was communicated in emails which were sighted by the investigation team. However, after passing the exams, they were stunned to discover that their certifications were denied without clear justification.

According to Dr. Ola Adeoye (not real name), “We were led to believe that the exam was the final hurdle, passing it was supposed to open the doors to our medical careers in Canada. But despite meeting the required pass mark, we found ourselves blocked from practicing.

The Certification body offered no clear reason for this denial, leaving us in limbo”, Dr. Adeoye added

Another doctor, Dr. Salim Abdalla (not real name) also stated that the incident is taking an emotional toll on him, “It’s been almost five years, and the hope we had has turned into despair. We have been left in a state of uncertainty and frustration, with our careers on hold and our lives in disarray. Some of us have fallen into depression due to unmet expectations and the strain of navigating a system that seems intent on keeping us out.”

Determined to seek justice, the doctors sought legal redress. They hired attorneys and filed formal complaints, hoping to force the regulatory body to provide answers. However, their efforts were met with resistance at every turn. The bureaucratic system seemed designed to obfuscate rather than clarify, with the doctors receiving vague responses and facing endless delays.

“The legal process was exhausting, both emotionally and financially,” Dr. Emeka Ubah (not real name) recounted. “We were fighting for our right to work in the profession we trained so hard for, yet the regulatory body seemed more interested in maintaining its opaque procedures than in addressing our concerns.”

Despite their persistence, the doctors’ attempts to resolve the issue have yielded no results. The lack of transparency and concrete reasons for their certification denial has left them feeling powerless and betrayed by a system that should be upholding fairness and justice.

The doctors, also alleged that their concerns about the exam grading were not properly addressed, claim to have encountered a media blackout; despite reaching out to mainstream media outlets like CBC, they have reported being ignored, attributing this to possible editorial bias.

They detailed how their legal representatives were advised against going public, with messages on WhatsApp being read but not responded to. This situation, described by one of them as akin to a “cult-like” closed system, has compounded their frustrations.

The doctors criticized the Royal College for its delayed response in hiring experts to grade exams, notably Psychometricians who are essential in resolving such disputes. It took nearly a year for an expert to be appointed, which the doctors argue is crucial for determining the validity of their concerns.

According to them, the Royal College struggled to find someone willing to testify dishonestly on their behalf. The case took a turn when a judge reportedly sided with the expert without reviewing evidence, highlighting a lack of scientific backing in the defence strategy.

The defence’s tactics, described as a “slow walk” approach, have allegedly been used to frustrate the doctors, leading to prolonged delays and making it difficult for them to sustain their involvement.

A contentious document dated early June, 2021 allegedly modified by one Gary Cole, lead Psychometrician has become a focal point of the court proceedings. This document, which was purportedly forged, involved modifications to the exam format post-lawsuit, and lacked clear references to standard settings.

The document was supposed to be part of the training material provided to the purported judges who participated in the standard setting for the 2020 exam. However, the document’s meta-data revealed that it was created by a different person in 2018 but then doctored by Gary Cole in May 2021, only days after the aggrieved doctors made formal requests to review the documents.

Additionally, information on the College’s website regarding the exam format was altered both during and after the trial to include references to post-exam standard setting and score adjustments—references that were absent prior. This has further fuelled suspicions about the questionable actions of the Royal College, Canada’s administrators.

One of the doctors said his personal experience has been marked by severe hardship, including a three-year inability to renew his license, substantial debt, and potential foreclosure on his home because of his inability to pay for his mortgage. Out of work for three years, has been forced to take menial jobs to support his family while facing ongoing financial and emotional strain.

Another affected doctor said life for him and his family would never be the same again. “I can’t believe this is happening to me. My whole life is in shambles. I’m no longer who I am. I’m just surviving by the grace of God”.

“My wife and family always keep a close marking on me because at a point I went into depression even as a medical doctor. To tell you the truth, it’s not funny at all. My dreams of making it in a country where the grass is supposed to be greener has left me in the shadows of my past. Tell me how I’m I suppose to cope even if I go back to my country “, he lamented.

At the time of this report, the Certification body had not provided any formal response to inquiries regarding the situation. The silence from the regulatory agency only deepens the mystery and raises serious questions about the integrity of the certification process.

For these doctors, the dream of practicing medicine in Canada remains a distant hope, overshadowed by the harsh reality of a system that seems to have failed them. Their story is a poignant reminder of the human cost of bureaucratic inefficiency and the urgent need for greater accountability within regulatory bodies.