Aus vs. US for canadians

[Off2Oz]

Hey all, I hate to ask this question, but here it goes...

I'm looking for input on American vs. Aussie medical education for a *canadian*.

The debt I'm going to accrue in either place is going to be astronomical. I have a fairly large (and warranted) fear of having $200 000+ CDN in debt by the time I'm done, and I'd love any input on how you guys are handling this (if you can just simply afford to spend that, don't bother replying to this, as it won't apply to me, and won't help the sinking feeling in my gut). Really, I'm asking about job prospects after finishing in either place, and any insight I may be overlooking at this stage.

In any case, I'll say it again - opinions pertaining to *canadians*. I've heard a lot about how much easier it is for americans (in terms of getting back home to practice), but not so much about us canadians.

So, without further ado, I'll move away from this dead horse and let you guys kick it. btw, I'm applying to as many US/Aussie/Canadian schools as I can, and the only place I seem to be limited by my marks is here at home. Gotta love it.

Cheers,
M.

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[moo]

If your goal is to get back to North America, going to a US school will be far better than going to an Australian school. While an Aussie school will undoubtedly give you a great education, logistically it will be much easier for you to attend a US school. Going to a US school will afford you the opportunity to return to Canada, if you want. It will also make it much easier for you to match into a US residency.

I am almost at the end of my med school career (one more year to go). I'll be in a lot of debt, over 200K USD. Most of my American friends (I am Canadian) have the same problem and will have to pay it off somehow. Debt is something everyone worries about, but I can assure you that doctors somehow end up paying it down, especially when you're earning 200k+ per year in practice.

 

[pitman]

Yes, it would be much easier from a N American school. Canadian IMGs get put into the 2nd Intention (match), and it's about 1/7 chance all else being equal of getting res from there. But after 2nd match there are some spots left expressly for Canadian IMGs. Also, if going GP or psych the odds will be a bit better. So figure somewhere a little better than 1/7, but not nearly as good as graduating N America and thus getting 1st match.

-pitman