Caribbean to Canada Residency?

[skotdaskater]

Hello everyone, I'm new to SDN so I hope I'm posting in the right place! My name is Scott and I live in Mississauga, ON. I took medical radiation technology as a 3 year college program and graduated December of last year. Even before starting the program I knew I wanted to be more in life, like one had a purpose but didn't know for what or why yet.
After finishing my program in December I went for my annual gastroacopy and received news early January that they had found cancer. I was told I could either wait and see if the cancer grew or got worse, or go the safe route and have a total gastrectomy. I didn't want to risk my life waiting on something to progress that I already knew was inside me so I went ahead with the surgery early March. It's been just over 6 months and I feel terrific and more motivated than ever. I feel so motivated and great because I finally know that I want to go to med school and become something great - a general surgeon.
The care I received in the hospitals care was terrific and I finally got to see things as a patient instead of an employee. I had an amazing surgeon at Mt Sinai hospital and i just admire her so much. I had a lot of time to reflect in the hospital and over the first two months recovering and I just know in my heart I need to go to med school.
NOW, here is my question/concern; I want to go to either St. George's or Saba School of Medicine in the Caribbean because they are the top one's there. But I know I want to come back to Canada to do my residency and to work permanently eventually. Are my chances slim to none or decent with hard work and great test scores throughout school? How many people do end up getting a chance to come back to Canada for Residency? Is there an even smaller chance since I'm passionate about general surgery?

Any information is greatly appreciated and if you have any questions please feel free to ask!

Thank you,
Scott

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[grapp]

Not to be that one guy, but your not supposed to post even your first name on here, I just don't want you getting in trouble. I got warned my first time.

 

[Medstart108]

Its very slim to none, in Canada there are 6 spots in general surgery available to several hundred canadians studying medicine abroad every year.

Its beyond competitive and not really worth trying, but i'm sure 1 or 2 of those spots will go to a caribbean grad each year, but when you are part of hundreds of students your chance is slim.

 

[torontopharm]

According to Carms data,
89 people matched out of 440 from Carib/Central America graduates, most of them presumably in Family med.
There's a SUBSTANTIALLY smaller chance if you're going only for Surgery. If you're insistent on surgery, this essentially becomes a $200k+ gamble for about 5-10% chance, and even that is being highly optimistic/generous.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Many Canadians who go to school in the Carib end up doing residency in the US, then returning to Canada to practice. However the change in J visa waivers recently announced by Health Canada makes that more complicated.

 

[deleted716403]

Going from Carib to Canada is even harder than going from Carib to the US.