Frequently Asked Questions

Important Information

  • A Medical Identification Number for Canada (MINC) will automatically be assigned to you once you apply for the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) examinations.
  • You can view your MINC from your physiciansapply.ca account, by clicking on Profile on the Home page, and your MINC will be displayed on the Identifiers panel, on the right.
  • You can also obtain your MINC from the medical regulatory authority with whom you are presently registered.
  • If you require further assistance, please contact the MCC service desk directly.
1

Understanding MINC

Organizations which maintain databases of physician information use a variety of physician identifiers, including registration numbers, billing numbers, member numbers and other unique numbers. Because none of these is used on an inter-provincial or national basis, it is difficult to:
  • Confirm that an individual seeking registration in one province is the same person who was disciplined in another province or territory
  • Determine the number of physicians with active licenses in more than one province or territory
  • Track where physicians enter practice after completing their training
  • Identify to regulatory authorities when individuals receive their degrees, licensure, certification or other credentials
The MINC system was developed to provide a reliable, verifiable identifier for all Canadian physicians, and to allow Prime Users and Licensed Users to link their databases (or selected parts) for approved regulatory, administrative and research purposes. It provides a "common currency" for identification.

The increasingly complex, interrelated and computerized medical system in Canada has made the accurate identification of physicians, medical students and residents a significant challenge. To ensure that you are reliably identified, wherever you go and whichever organization you belong to, having a MINC number will help.

A MINC is comprised of 12 alpha-numeric characters. For details, see What is a MINC?

MINC#NIMC, a not-for-profit organization jointly owned by the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada (FMRAC) and the Medical Council of Canada (MCC).
2

Getting your MINC

You can apply for a MINC through one of the following methods:
  • If you are currently registered with a College of Physicians and Surgeons in any Canadian province or territory, contact your College directly to apply for your MINC.
  • If you are applying for registration with one of the above Colleges, the registration process will include your application for a MINC.
  • If you are applying for a Medical Council of Canada (MCC) exam, application for a MINC will be part of that process. Contact MCC directly or access your MCC online account to locate your MINC.

Physicians who wish to be reminded of their MINC numbers are encouraged to contact the College with which they are registered, or the Medical Council of Canada (MCC), if they have written an MCC exam.

No. MINC#NIMC will issue a MINC only at the request of a Prime User (i.e., your College or the MCC). The Prime User will then notify you of your MINC.

Every individual entering any aspect of the Canadian medical education or practice system is assigned a MINC on their first entry to the system. Undergraduate students, postgraduate trainees, applicants to the MCC exams and physicians of any registration status in any province or territory are all assigned a MINC.
  • An individual applying for registration with a medical regulatory authority in any Canadian province or territory will be assigned a MINC at the time of registration.
  • An individual without a MINC who applies to a MCC exam will be assigned a MINC at that time.
  • An International Medical Graduate will be assigned a MINC when they apply to an MCC exam.
3

Privacy & security

A MINC is considered confidential personal information, and safeguards are in place to prevent unauthorized use. See the MINC#NIMC Privacy Code .

Physicians should provide their MINC numbers only to Licensed Users of the MINC System. As a Licensed User, the organization must agree to mandatory security and privacy protections, and to use MINCs only for approved, non-commercial uses. See Privacy Code.

Only Licensed Users, who are given read-only access upon signing a contractual agreement with MINC#NIMC.

See Core Data Requirements for complete details about the information collected.
4

Data management

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