The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador's Orientation Program is intended for doctors who have been approved by the College for a licence to practise medicine in the province.

It is one element of a province-wide orientation project developed jointly by the Department of Health and Community Services, the province’s four regional health authorities, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association, the Faculty of Medicine, and other health professional organizations.

The province-wide program is intended to provide new physicians with a smooth transition to practise in a new place, a new community and for many, a new culture.

The College’s Orientation Program consists of the following components. The College expects new physicians to be thoroughly familiar with the information contained in these components before receiving a licence to practise medicine.

A.)  Mandatory Online Courses

It is mandatory that all new physicians complete the following online courses prior to receiving a licence to practise medicine.  A copy of the completion certificate for each online course must be forwarded to the College.


Writing Prescriptions

Writing Prescriptions is a self-directed learning module developed by the College and the Professional Development and Conferencing Service of the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University.  It describes the physician - pharmacist relationship, the legal and other requirements for writing prescriptions in Newfoundland and Labrador, and provides Internet links to more information.

Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) 

The Personal Health Information Act online education program is a self-directed online learning program developed by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information (NLCHI). It familiarizes doctors with the provincial law on personal health records, privacy, and confidentiality of patient information.

To help with registration, logging on, and other administrative issues, NLCHI and the College have prepared a user guide. Users can also contact the NLCHI help desk at 709-752-6006 or 1-877-752-6006.

For more information on the Personal Health Information Act, check the College’s PHIA page.

Introduction to Safe Prescribing:  Opioids, Benzodiazepines, and Stimulants

The Introduction to Safe Prescribing: Opioids, Benzodiazepines, and Stimulants is a self-directed learning program developed jointly by the College, the Office of Professional Development (Memorial University Faculty of Medicine), and the provincial Department of Health and Community Services.   It familiarizes doctors with the basics of safe and effective prescribing of these medications early in their career.

B.)  Mandatory Documents for Review

The College has developed the following list of documents for new physicians entering medical practise under the jurisdiction of the College.  The College expects all new physicians to review these documents prior to receiving a licence to practise medicine.  

CMA Code of Ethics
(Adobe PDF File)
CPSNL - Annual Report 2017
(Adobe PDF File)