Canadian thinking about med school in AUS/NZ

[XoHealinghands8]

Hi Everyone, hope you're all doing well!

As you can tell from the title, I'm a Canadian who is applying to med schools in Australia or New Zealand this year to try to open up my options. The reason I decided to apply overseas was because I wouldn't mind staying in Aus or NZ for residency. One because I'm kind of sick of Canadian weather (LOL), two because I'm a really laid back person and I find work-life balance so important, so having a longer residency doesn't put me off too much -- and I heard that Aus/NZ also has a really laid-back culture, and three because I would love to experience a different culture and lifestyle while I'm still in my 20s (superficial reason, I know ><).

Of course, after doing some research, there are still a lot of cons; such as the higher cost of attending med school overseas, leaving friends and family behind for so many years, and the uncertainty of whether or not I'd be able to come back to Canada for residency or whether I can work as a doctor after residency.

For those of you who have any insight on this, I was hoping I could ask a couple of questions:

1. To any other Canadians who are attending med schools in AUS/NZ, I would love to hear about your experiences in general

2. How is the work-life balance for med students and doctors in Aus/NZ compared to Canada? (In terms of # of hours in residency, responsibilities, studying etc)

3. Approximately how much would it cost to study in Aus or NZ (Tuition+living costs), I heard it was around $400,000

4. If I were to get partner visa in Aus/NZ, would I be able to switch over and pay domestic tuition instead -- anyone have any experience with this? I was thinking of attending Monash Uni specifically

5. I was thinking about becoming a pediatrician, and was wondering if I could come back to Canada as a pediatrician after training in Australia?

Thank you kindly for your help!

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[marble30]

Canadian here, did med school in Australia, stayed on for training, have no regrets whatsoever. The work-life balance here is fantastic (though this also depends heavily on the specialty you choose...).

There is no guarantee that schools will switch you over to domestic fees - and even if they do, there's a large chance that it will just be to full-fee domestic (which is at least $50K+/year) instead of the $15K/year (?) the students on a CSP spot pay.

As for paeds, you'll definitely have to do the exams and maybe even a year or two of residency as RCPSC doesn't have an agreement with the RACP (when I last checked, this could have changed). The family docs (CFPC) do recognize Australian trained family physicians without an exam though.

 

[Allosteopath]

Another Canadian here. If you're not averse to dentistry, would be a good option as well. I know a friend of mine who went to Australia to become a dentist and stayed, but he can come home to practice at any time without any hoops to jump through. (Pros of reciprocal licensure).

 

[marble30]

Another Canadian here. If you're not averse to dentistry, would be a good option as well. I know a friend of mine who went to Australia to become a dentist and stayed, but he can come home to practice at any time without any hoops to jump through. (Pros of reciprocal licensure).

Dentists are off the skills occupational list for permanent residency so it's something to consider if you want to stay on.

 

[Florentine]

Canadian here, did med school in Australia, stayed on for training, have no regrets whatsoever. The work-life balance here is fantastic (though this also depends heavily on the specialty you choose...).

There is no guarantee that schools will switch you over to domestic fees - and even if they do, there's a large chance that it will just be to full-fee domestic (which is at least $50K+/year) instead of the $15K/year (?) the students on a CSP spot pay.

As for paeds, you'll definitely have to do the exams and maybe even a year or two of residency as RCPSC doesn't have an agreement with the RACP (when I last checked, this could have changed). The family docs (CFPC) do recognize Australian trained family physicians without an exam though.

What about for psychiatry? Is coming back to Canada after obtaining your license in Australia relatively straight forward? I heard that for family medicine it's really easy as there is a reciprocal agreement but have not been able to find out much about psyc. Thanks!

 

[XoHealinghands8]

Canadian here, did med school in Australia, stayed on for training, have no regrets whatsoever. The work-life balance here is fantastic (though this also depends heavily on the specialty you choose...).

There is no guarantee that schools will switch you over to domestic fees - and even if they do, there's a large chance that it will just be to full-fee domestic (which is at least $50K+/year) instead of the $15K/year (?) the students on a CSP spot pay.

As for paeds, you'll definitely have to do the exams and maybe even a year or two of residency as RCPSC doesn't have an agreement with the RACP (when I last checked, this could have changed). The family docs (CFPC) do recognize Australian trained family physicians without an exam though.

Hi marble30,

Thank you so much for your response, it was super helpful!

I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying your training over in Australia; that makes me excited and hopeful Also happy to hear about the great work-life balance because that is something that's really important to me.

If you don't mind me asking, what specialty are you in and how many hours a week would you say you're working?

Thank you kindly.

 

[marble30]

What about for psychiatry? Is coming back to Canada after obtaining your license in Australia relatively straight forward? I heard that for family medicine it's really easy as there is a reciprocal agreement but have not been able to find out much about psyc. Thanks!

Psych falls under RCPSC so you will likely still need to do exams +/- extra rotations. Email the college as they will be the main authority on this. I have a former psych consultant here in Australia who's been trying to get her experience accredited for Canada (she became a psych attending in 2016) - this was still ongoing last year when I spoke with her but then she's also not in much of a hurry to move over to Canada...

 

[DoctorS84]

Australian post graduate training is recognized by the RCPSC.

International medical graduates :: The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

International medical graduates, apply for assessment of your postgraduate residency training completed outside of Canada or the United States.

www.royalcollege.ca

There is a list there. So given you fully train and become an attending, your experience will likely be accredited. But yes, best to contact the colleges for clarification. You may need to do some extra rotations, I doubt very much because the training is longer in Australia anyways. It's probably more like a "supervised" first year as an attending.

You would definitely need to pass the college exams.

 

[Florentine]

Australian post graduate training is recognized by the RCPSC.

International medical graduates :: The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

International medical graduates, apply for assessment of your postgraduate residency training completed outside of Canada or the United States.

www.royalcollege.ca

There is a list there. So given you fully train and become an attending, your experience will likely be accredited. But yes, best to contact the colleges for clarification. You may need to do some extra rotations, I doubt very much because the training is longer in Australia anyways. It's probably more like a "supervised" first year as an attending.

You would definitely need to pass the college exams.

Thanks for info!