About Us – Canadian On Paper Society for Immigrant Physicians Equality

About Us (Le français suit)

The Canadian On Paper Society for Immigrant Physicians Equality (COPSIPE) is a non-profit society that was incorporated in BC, Canada in July, 2020. It serves all of Canada and was registered as a charity in January 2023. The purposes of the society are:

To improve the moral and ethical development of the community by promoting respect for human rights in accordance with the Canadian Constitution, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, federal and provincial legislation, and relevant international covenants and agreements to which Canada is a signatory, and by informing and educating the public and government officials on human rights issues faced by immigrant physicians and international medical graduates in Canada.

To uphold the administration and enforcement of human rights laws as specified in the Canadian Constitution, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, federal and provincial legislation, and relevant international covenants and agreements to which Canada is a signatory, by facilitating legal advice and representation to enforce the human rights of immigrant physicians and international medical graduates in Canada.

To undertake activities ancillary and incidental to the attainment of the above-mentioned charitable purposes.

The objective of human rights is to foster a society of understanding and mutual respect where all are equal in dignity and rights and where there are no impediments to full and free participation in the economic, social, political and cultural life in the provinces and territories of Canada.

The purpose of our society is to eliminate systemic barriers so that the dignity and rights of refugees and immigrants are more than just words.

French-speaking physicians who immigrate to Canada face additional barriers that are poorly understood despite the fact that French is one of Canada’s official languages and that the provision of health services in French is not only a right, but also fundamental to the well-being of Canada’s French-speaking communities. They will need to fast track their knowledge of English as, in preparing for the Medical Council of Canada exams, they will often either need to use study material in English or rely on poorly translated study material. Except for Quebec, New Brunswick and some regions of Ontario, accessing information in French is sporadic and it is almost impossible to do a residency in French. The same goes for the Practice Ready Assessment which is only available in French in Quebec and New Brunswick.

Currently, the directors of the society include:

Dr. Vahid Nilforushan, President
Dr. Navid Pooyan, Vice-President and Treasurer
Dr. Patricia Mahecha, Secretary
Dr. Jasmik Saini

If you share our interests, you are more than welcome to become a member of our society by applying here. Alternatively, if you would like to support us without becoming a member, you may provide us with your information by Clicking Here

La Société canadienne sur papier pour l’égalité des médecins immigrants (COPSIPE) est une société à but non lucratif constituée en Colombie-Britannique, au Canada, en juillet 2020. Elle dessert tout le Canada et elle a été enregistrée comme organisme de bienfaisance en janvier 2023. Ses objectifs sont les suivants :

Améliorer le développement moral et éthique de la communauté en promouvant le respect des droits de la personne conformément à la Constitution canadienne, à la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés, aux lois fédérales et provinciales et aux pactes et accords internationaux pertinents dont le Canada est signataire, et en informant et en éduquant le public et les représentants gouvernementaux sur les enjeux liés aux droits de la personne auxquels sont confrontés les médecins immigrants et les diplômés internationaux en médecine au Canada.

Assurer l’administration et l’application des lois sur les droits de la personne, conformément à la Constitution canadienne, à la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés, aux lois fédérales et provinciales et aux pactes et accords internationaux pertinents dont le Canada est signataire, en facilitant la prestation de conseils et de représentation juridiques pour faire respecter les droits de la personne des médecins immigrants et des diplômés internationaux en médecine au Canada.

Entreprendre des activités auxiliaires et accessoires à la réalisation des fins caritatives susmentionnées.

L’objectif des droits de la personne est de favoriser une société de compréhension et de respect mutuel où tous sont égaux en dignité et en droits et où il n’existe aucun obstacle à la pleine et libre participation à la vie économique, sociale, politique et culturelle des provinces et territoires du Canada.

Notre société a pour objectif d’éliminer les obstacles systémiques afin que la dignité et les droits des réfugiés et des immigrants soient plus que de simples mots.

Les médecins francophones qui immigrent au Canada font d’ailleurs face à des barrières additionnelles qui sont mal comprises malgré le fait que le français est l’une des langues officielles du Canada et que la prestation de services de santé en français est non seulement un droit, mais aussi fondamentale au bien-être des communautés francophones du Canada. Ils devront accélérer leur apprentissage de l’anglais, car pour se préparer aux examens du Conseil médical du Canada, ils devront, dans bien des cas, soit utiliser du matériel d’étude en anglais, soit se fier à du matériel mal traduit. À l’exception du Québec, du Nouveau-Brunswick et de certaines régions de l’Ontario, l’accès à l’information en français est sporadique et il est presque impossible d’effectuer une résidence en français. Il en va de même pour l’évaluation de l’aptitude à la pratique, qui n’est offerte qu’en français au Québec et au Nouveau-Brunswick.

Les administrateurs actuels de la Société canadienne sur papier pour l’égalité des médecins immigrants sont :

Dr Vahid Nilforushan, président

Dr Navid Pooyan, vice-président et trésorier

Dre Patricia Mahecha, secrétaire

Dre Jasmik Saini

Si vous partagez nos intérêts, vous êtes les bienvenus pour devenir membre de notre société en postulant ici.

Meet the Team

Dr. Vahid Nilforushan, president

Dr. Vahid Nilforushan is an anesthesiologist who was well-known and highly respected as a physician and assistant professor of anesthesiology at a leading university in Tehran, Iran. His establishment of an effective inpatient addiction treatment center in Iran drew the attention of the United Nations. Since immigrating, he has excelled at all exams necessary for Canadian credential recognition. He worked in supervised clinical settings for 3 years in Vancouver and conducted research. He has been training other IMGs for Canadian clinical skills exams as well. While he has not been given any opportunity for growth in his specialty in BC or Canada, to feed his physician soul, he has developed a device for airway management which impressed Canadian anesthesiologist at the Canadian Society of Anesthesiologists’ annual meeting in June 2024. He had similar results when he presented his invention at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting in October 2023. Unfair barriers prevent Vahid from becoming licensed. He is currently the president of the Canadian On Paper Society for Immigrant Physicians Equality and is one of the complainants in the current BC Human Rights Case.

Dr. Navid Pooyan, vice president

Dr. Navid Pooyan is an immigrant physician and international medical graduate that did his residency in family medicine at the University of British Columbia. He currently practices medicine in a community clinic in BC. He has always been an advocate for immigrant physicians and ending the discrimination against them. He is also one of the complainants in the human rights case against health authorities for discrimination of immigrant physicians.

Dr. Jasmik Saini

Dr. Jasmik Saini began his academic career at the University of Toronto where he completed his undergraduate studies in Human Biology and Health Studies. Prior to obtaining his MD degree, Dr. Saini was a committed public health researcher. He was awarded a research fellowship by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research where his work focused on expanding and integrating social and public health policies with the delivery of community health services in Canada and abroad. He has an MPH from the University of Toronto with a specialization in epidemiology and global health.