Provide your Vulnerable Sector Screen or Attestation

Starting in the 2022-23 academic session, all new postgraduate medical residents and fellows must submit the results of a Vulnerable Sector Police Record Check prior to the start of training. New international trainees who did not have a Canadian address last year will be required to complete an “attestation” regarding their background on the POWER registration system.

A Vulnerable Sector check is normally required for individuals undertaking volunteer, training or work in positions of trust or authority over children, seniors, or other vulnerable persons. The VS check verifies whether a person has a criminal record, or record suspensions (formerly pardons) for sexual offences and local police records for information relevant to the VS check.

This process must be initiated through your local police service. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario lists a number of links to Police Stations in Canadian cities on the College website.

As these checks can take several weeks, please begin the process as soon as possible to ensure submission before your training start date. When you receive the check, please scan and submit to the PGME ShareFile website.

The majority of VS checks result in a “clear” report, indicating that no police record was found. A “not clear” report will be reviewed by a confidential committee of the Faculty of Medicine. The Faculty of Medicine reserves the right to revoke an appointment or cancel registration based on a review of this Report.

If you have ever been convicted of a criminal offence for which you have not received a pardon, you are strongly urged to consult with your provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons, as medical graduates with criminal records may not be eligible to receive licensure to practice medicine. For more information on Vulnerable Sector Checks, please visit the RCMP’s website.

For trainees using the Toronto Police Services to obtain the VS record check, please use the “Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information Form”. Please note that the Toronto Police Services Vulnerable Sector Screening process takes 8-12 weeks to complete.

Please be advised, payment for this service is your responsibility.