Since 2005 ALA has collaborated with the Schulich School of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario to offer a focused Medical Communications course to International Medical Graduates.

This project came about after Susan Meehan of ALA identified a need for highly-focused language training for international medical professionals, and submitted a proposal to the medical school at the University of Western Ontario.

Working with Schulich staff doctors, Susan developed a series of training sessions geared to the special needs of the IMG. The program has run yearly since autumn 2005. Susan presented her program at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare in Charleston South Carolina, 2007.

Susan and the team at UWO published an account of their innovative program in 2007: Advanced Medical Communications: Support of International Residents.  Mark Goldszmidt, Claude Kortas & Susan Meehan, Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2007. MEDICAL EDUCATION 2007; 41: 505–526.

We feel this service is especially timely in Canada, where thousands of new Canadians bring valuable professional credentials in medicine from their home country, but encounter difficulties getting established here. We have designed and implemented a number of services geared to the special needs of international medical professionals:

Medical Communications for International Medical Graduates

Pronunciation for Family Medicine

Medical Communications for Nurses


In addition to our group classes, we have helped many
individual doctors prepare for entrance interviews,
entrance tests and English Proficiency Exams.
Our students have enjoyed a high rate  of acceptance
in their chosen course of study, and appreciate the
individualized program of training and study they found
at ALA.