Physicians who choose to relocate to Nova Scotia from elsewhere in the world face significant financial barriers.

Financial help is available for international medical graduates (IMGs). The McCarthy/Stewart International Medical Grant provides a one-time grant of $10,000 to up to 10 successful applicants each year.

Eligibility

To be considered for the grant, applicants must:

• be considered an Internationally Trained Physician
• be licensed to practice family medicine in Nova Scotia
• have received a rural family medicine letter of offer OR if working within urban Halifax/Dartmouth, is primarily serving an equity deserving patient population
• be within the first two years of practice in Nova Scotia
• wish to continue practising in Nova Scotia long-term

A selection committee will evaluate applications based on factors including:

• identified financial need
• intention to practise in Nova Scotia long-term
• practise area

Recipients of the grant must provide banking information and they must participate in the program evaluation to help inform future grant application processes.

About the grant

Dr. Graham Stewart was an Internationally Trained Physician who joined the Nova Scotia healthcare system from Scotland and faced many challenges in the transition to practice in this province. The McCarthy-Stewart foundation, established by Dr. Stewart's late wife, Julia McCarthy, in memory of her husband, aims to support ITPs in their transition to practice by lessening monetary barriers. The grant also addresses major gaps in NS primary healthcare delivery by supporting physicians practising in traditionally underserved areas. The grant launched in 2022.

The 2025 application process is now open and available here. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2025.