Canadian Medical Schools

[Isabelle]

Could anybody offer any opinions, ideas, concerns, information, etc. about Americans attending medical school in Canada (with intent to practice in the United States)?

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[tussy]

Isabelle,

I am a Canadian student, studying at a Canadian medical school. Canadian schools are considered on par with American schools and graduates of Canadian medical schools are NOT consider FMGs when they apply for residencies in the USA. However, Canadian medical school admissions are probably more competative than it would be for you at many American schools, so it isn't really an option for those who do not have the scores to get in to an american school.

If you have any more specific questions I'd be happy to try and answer them.

Good luck.

 

[WingZero]

Also, since Canadian medical schools are government funded, they have very specific guidelines about their preferences when it comes to admissions. They clearly state in the application that they prefer Canadian citizens living in the province of that medical school, then Canadian citizens not living in that province, and finally everyone else. Needless to say, being from the U.S. puts you at an extreme disadvantage right off the bat regardless of how strong your application may be. Then again, with a chance to attend medical school with a tuition of only ~$4500 USD/year, it may be worth it to apply

 

[tussy]

WingZero is correct on most of his information. HOwever, there are a few Canadian schools that reserve a few spots for American students. Tuitions at Canadian medical schools have skyrocketed in the past few years with Canadian students paying the subsidized tuitions of >$10,000 (Canadian). Of course if you are not Canadian then the government here is not going to subsidize your tuition and it will be considerably more.

Also, even if you are a graduate of a Canadian medical school, as a non-Canadian you will not be eligible for Canadian residencies.

Hope this clarifies things further.

 

[JPMD03]

Tussy,

You are right for almost everything. But, I think you are wrong about the eligibility to residency. There is a guy from France in my class (he is not Canadian at all), and he told me today that there was no problem for him to do his residency here if he did his MD here.

 

[drlee]

I have worked with a few residents from a Canadian Medical School. They said they had no problems getting into a residency in California. Canadian medical school are considered on par with US schools. I would not say that they are easier though. The residents I worked with were all Americans and went to Canada for medical school because they couldn't get into a US school. Good luck.

 

[Kamikaze Dino]

Most of the information above is right.
One of the Canadian med. schools that takes american students is McGill university in Montr?al.

As for getting a residency in Canada, it is mostly a paperwork issue. You have to get a work visa and a social insurance #, or a landed immigrant status. Canadian bureaucracy is (believe it or not) even more fuc... I mean complicated than U.S. Getting proper documents is a very slow and painful process.

 

[gower]

Memorial University of Newfoundland accepts about 15 non-Canadians a year from about 100 applicants. These students pay about $30,000 (it may be higher now) for which no financial aid is available. Students go into the residency match as non-Canadian citizens.