College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia

What College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia does

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) is a statutory regulatory body established in 1886 and headquartered at 300–669 Howe Street, Vancouver, operating under the Health Professions and Occupations Act (in force April 1, 2026, replacing the Health Professions Act). Its core function is the licensing, registration, and discipline of physicians and surgeons practising in British Columbia, spanning nine licence classes (full, provisional, associate physician, clinical observer, assessment, visiting, locum, podiatric surgeon, and osteopathic). Supporting services include a public physician directory, complaint investigation and resolution, facility accreditation (diagnostic and non-hospital medical/surgical), continuing professional development oversight, a Health Monitoring Program for impaired licensees, the Certificate of Professional Conduct, and FIPPA-driven Freedom of Information request handling.

The underlying technology is described as health regulatory technology infrastructure for licensing, complaint management, and physician registry — a transactional administrative platform accessed via the online portal at cpsbc.ca. Revenue is generated almost entirely through a regulated fee schedule codified in Schedule B of CPSBC Bylaws: annual licence renewal at C$1,925 (with C$500–C$800 late penalties and licence suspension after April 1), application fees of C$665, certificates of professional conduct at C$105, licence verification letters at C$52.50, FOI request fees of C$10, and facility accreditation income. CPSBC also receives government appropriation as a public body. Customer segments are physicians and surgeons (primary licensees), the general public (directory users, complainants), accredited healthcare facilities, and — beginning November 29, 2027 — four newly regulated professions: clinical perfusionists, medical laboratory technologists, radiation therapists, and respiratory therapists.

Operationally, CPSBC is governed by a Board and committee structure, publishes the College Connector newsletter and an annual report, and operates via direct email, its website, and public disciplinary notifications. Its workforce is in the 101–250 range. It is not a commercially traded entity; it is a public-purpose regulator accountable to the provincial government of British Columbia, with no shareholders, no venture funding, and no acquisition or M&A activity.

Name

College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia

Legal name

College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia

Website

https://cpsbc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia is a statutory regulatory body that licenses, registers, and disciplines physicians and surgeons in British Columbia, while accrediting healthcare facilities and investigating public complaints. It operates under the Health Professions and Occupations Act and will regulate four additional health professions by November 2027.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Professional Regulation

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Physician licensing services
• Medical regulation
• Professional discipline
• Healthcare accreditation
• Physician registry

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Licence renewal fees: Annual licence renewal fees collected from physicians and surgeons to maintain their licence to practice in British Columbia. Fee for 2026 is C$1,925 with escalating penalties for late renewal.
2. Licence application fees: Application fees for full family, full specialty, and osteopathic licences through physiciansapply.ca. Fee is C$665 plus additional fees charged by Medical Council of Canada.
3. Certificate of professional conduct: C$105 fee for current and former licensees to obtain a certificate confirming licence history, credentials, and standing with CPSBC. Processing time up to 14 business days.
4. Freedom of Information requests: C$10 non-refundable application fee for general FOI requests plus applicable processing fees. Personal information requests are free.
5. Licence verification letters: C$52.50 fee for current and former licensees or public members requiring confirmation of physician licence for bank loans, insurance, or visa applications.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia is a statutory regulatory body that licenses and disciplines physicians and surgeons in British Columbia. It issues multiple licence classes (full, provisional, associate physician, clinical observer, assessment, visiting physician, locum, podiatric surgeon, and osteopathic), operates a public physician directory, investigates complaints, accredits diagnostic and non-hospital medical/surgical facilities, and oversees continuing professional development.

Product overview

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) is a regulatory body, not a commercial technology company. Its 'products and services' are regulatory programs and public-facing services. The core offering is the Physician and Surgeon Licensing Services platform, which encompasses multiple licence classes (Full, Provisional, Associate Physician, Clinical Observer, Assessment, Visiting Physician, Locum, Podiatric Surgeon, and Osteopathic). Supporting services include the Public Directory, Certificate of Professional Conduct, Complaint Handling Services, Facility Accreditation Programs, Continuing Professional Development, Practice Standards and Guidelines, Health Monitoring Program, Freedom of Information Requests, and the College Connector publication. These are regulatory services, not commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Physician and Surgeon Licensing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimum 960 hours of clinical practice over three years required to maintain currency
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Health Match BCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Match BC works with CPSBC to facilitate the pre-screening assessment process for internationally trained physicians. They forward preliminary assessment documentation to CPSBC and assist applicants in applying for open positions at health authorities. All associate physician licence applications must be initiated through Health Match BC.
• BC Health AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBC health authorities sponsor and employ provisional licensees, associate physicians, and assessment licence holders. They provide sponsorship letters confirming supervisors and employment positions in accredited programs. Health authorities are required to obtain program accreditation from CPSBC to employ associate physicians.
• UBC Faculty of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine sponsors postgraduate residents and medical students for training licences. They work with CPSBC on associate physician program accreditation and may sponsor assessment licence holders through the Practice Ready Assessment – BC program.
• Medical Council of Canada (MINC)coreTechnology or IntegrationMINC (Medical Identification Number for Canada) is a unique, lifetime identifier assigned to physicians entering the Canadian medical system. CPSBC participates in the MINC system to improve accurate identification of physicians. MINC is endorsed by medical licensing authorities across Canada and recognized by organizations including CMPA, Doctors of BC, and health authorities.
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of CanadacoreOthersCPSBC recognizes Royal College certification and Maintenance of Certification Program for specialty physicians' continuing professional development requirements. RCPSC exam eligibility is accepted for provisional specialty licensure through various routes including the Practice Eligibility Route and Subspecialist Examination Affiliate Program.
• College of Family Physicians of CanadacoreOthersCPSBC recognizes CFPC certification (including Mainpro+) for family physicians' continuing professional development. CFPC certification is required for full-family licensure, and CFPC-accredited jurisdictions are referenced for international medical graduate eligibility.
• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) PartnersminorOthersCFTA facilitates labour mobility between Canadian provinces. CPSBC operates under CFTA provisions allowing physicians with full unrestricted licences in other Canadian jurisdictions to apply for full BC licensure without additional training or examination.
• Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British ColumbiaminorOthersIf CPSBC's privacy officer cannot resolve a complaint, individuals may submit complaints to the OIPC. The OIPC oversees FIPPA compliance for public bodies including CPSBC. Located at PO Box 9038, Stn Prov Govt, Victoria BC V8W 9A4.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada: National specialty certification body that CPSBC recognizes for specialist licensure and Maintenance of Certification Program compliance. Acts as a national standards-setting partner rather than a competitor, but operates in the physician credentialing space.
• College of Family Physicians of Canada: National certification body for family physicians whose Mainpro+ CPD program is recognized by CPSBC for licensure requirements. Functionally a credentialing standards partner rather than a regulator, with comparable focus on physician competency.

Direct peers

• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba: Manitoba's provincial medical regulatory college responsible for physician licensing, registration, complaints, and discipline. Operates a near-identical mandate to CPSBC under provincial legislation, making it a direct peer.
• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta: Alberta's provincial medical regulator, performing physician licensing, registration, complaints investigation, and physician health monitoring under the Health Professions Act. Directly comparable in scope and regulatory model to CPSBC.
• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario: The Ontario equivalent of CPSBC, regulating physicians and surgeons in the province under similar statutory authority. Operates the same core functions: licensing, complaints, discipline, and facility accreditation, making it the closest direct peer for CPSBC.
• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan's physician regulator handling licensing, renewal, complaints, and physician health monitoring under provincial Medical Profession Act. Direct peer to CPSBC with matching regulatory functions and geographic single-province scope.

Regional players

• General Medical Council: UK-wide statutory regulator of physicians with licensing, revalidation, education quality assurance, and fitness-to-practise functions. The UK national equivalent of CPSBC's BC mandate, operating under different legislation but similar regulatory scope.
• Federation of State Medical Boards: US national umbrella organization supporting state medical boards with physician licensing, discipline, and data services across U.S. jurisdictions. Comparable regulatory function to CPSBC but serves a multi-state US market rather than a single Canadian province.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cpsbc_ca
• Facebookfacebook.com/cpsbc.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/college-of-physicians-and-surgeons-of-british-columbia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia