CANADA - Good news for acupuncturists and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners: The government of Canada recently announced they are making it easier for these professionals to practice across the country faster.
"What we want is a one common national examination process so we can be sure that our licensed TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) practitioners in Ontario is at the same standard, same knowledge, same training as one in BC, essentially allowing them to move around the country and practice. Secondly, it also streamlines the process for immigrant doctors, TCM doctors who come to Canada. This is part of a broader strategy to make it easier for foreign-trained professionals for all the licensed professions to work at their skill level, be more productive," said Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development.
This is something that Filipina Melissa Briones hopes for other licensed professionals coming to Canada as well.
A lawyer in the Philippines, Briones experienced first-hand the problem with Canada's foreign credential recognition.
"We clocked in the hours. You went to school. You put in the time and then you don't get to practice and you're so very willing to pay the taxes. You're so very willing to work and able and then they don't recognize it because there's a credentials recognition process. Nakaka-demoralize for a lot of professionals here," Briones said.
It's the same problem that the government has been working on for years.
"The problem of licensing foreign-trained professionals is a long standing, really complicated problem. Unfortunately, there's not one easy solution. If there was, we would have come up with it a long time ago. It's complicated by the fact that professions and trade are regulated at the provincial level, not at the federal level."
"But by working together in practical measures like this project were announcing today, we really will continue to seek progress," added Kenney.
But with these steps, Briones hopes that Chinese professionals' example also teaches kababayans the power of working together for a common goal.
"Dapat yung mga Filipinos we have to be more proactive, we have to be more active in lobbying for our rights and our abilities and we have to educate them on how good the Filipinos are. It is doable. It is possible," she said.
Various Pinoy groups have begun lobbying for foreign credential recognition for Pinoy nurses in Canada.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
