DO for Canadians: 2012-2013

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Every course ever taken is included.
Members don't see this ad.
 
docmayer said:
The merger doesn't really matter for Canadians. Yes, all residencies will be ACGME accredited, but the former AOA residencies still will not sponsor H1B visas just because they are now ACGME accredited.
Click to expand...

What if we go for a J1 visa + AOA residency?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
AOA residencies are generally not an option for Canadians, afaik. Options are match us acgme with appropriate visas, or CaRMS. I second docmayers, that I don't think the merger will affect Canadians studying stateside.
 
I think AOA's may begin to sponsor J1 and some H1B visas. Since MD's are going to be included in them, chances are many will require visas, and for the AOA to prove their equivalence to ACGME, they will receive the push to begin sponsoring visas....
 
Here is anothe useful link: http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-a...ic-medicine/Documents/us-visa-information.pdf

Also, the AOA is not the one sponsoring the visas at all, read the above. As it stands, Canadians are eligible for the visas, it is just that AOA residencies are usually small, and historically the number of Canadians they deal with is small, therefore all the paper work may be a hassle.

Sure, Canadians in the past have been rarely sponsored and done AOA, but that is no guarantee..additionally not a guarantee Canada's regulating body will accept(post merger, currently do not accept) it due to all the variables mentioned in the above post.


The visas have absolutely NOTHING to do with proving equivilancies between aoa and acgme residencies.

Please do a bit more research and reading before providing false hope into something that is no where near as black and white as you are making it seem. :thumbup:
 
advair250 said:
Also, the AOA is not the one sponsoring the visas at all, read the above. As it stands, Canadians are eligible for the visas, it is just that AOA residencies are usually small, and historically the number of Canadians they deal with is small, therefore all the paper work may be a hassle.

Sure, Canadians in the past have been rarely sponsored and done AOA, but that is no guarantee..additionally not a guarantee Canada's regulating body will accept(post merger, currently do not accept) it due to all the variables mentioned in the above post.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link.

Regarding your first point, so you don't think with more Canadians/internationals knocking on the door, that AOA may be willing to open up a little and go through the "hassle"? It seems only a matter of time to me. (I could be just overly optimistic..

Regarding the second point, I thought it has been established that as long as AOA residencies are ACGME accredited then we can use it to come back to Canada? At least, thats what I read on FB where there was a discussion on this a few months ago.

Edit: according to some Canadian DOs down in the south, there are AOAs which will sponsor a J1 and there are Canadians currently doing AOA residencies.. Interesting.
 
Last edited:
The amount of Canadians is still very minuscule, with most opting for MD residencies, or going back to Canada for residency. Overly optimistic IMHO.

2. The acgme/aoa merger has not confirmed anything specifically for Canadians afaik. The aoa residencies would still have to be evaluated by the Canadian regulating bodies, it wouldn't be something cut and dry.

J1 =\= H1b
 
I don't think I was providing false hope, I did say it MAY begin to sponsor visas. As AOA residencies become ACGME accreditted, many more Canadians will go for those, and so they may begin sponsoring more visas - simple. But again, your right, that depends whether Canada's regulating body will accept AOA's as being accredited by ACGME.

Pretty much everything discussed in this thread is all speculation at this point since none of us know EXACTLY what will happen until 2015 comes.

Bottom line: For us Canadians, the change will either have no affect for us, or help us in a positive way!

P.S Thanks for the link :)
 
Last edited:
No problem, and I agree, all speculation and possible benefit or neutral.

Time will tell, guess we won't really know until a Canadian who somehow got an AOA residency tries to go work in Canada. My gut says it will be a while before we hear any anecdotal evidence.

It wouldn't be until 2019 or longer, since any Canadian whom currently is in AOA did so with the intent of staying in the US, unless they change their mind once the merger goes through. Who knows :p
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Well I am still trying to decide between KCUMB and AZCOM..... any thoughts?

p.s why is this thread so dead?
 
advair250 said:
Lalongo, where are you headed?
Click to expand...

Mar3 said:
Well I am still trying to decide between KCUMB and AZCOM..... any thoughts?

p.s why is this thread so dead?
Click to expand...

If things go according to plan it looks like I will be heading to Touro NY this summer.

What are some of the factors you are looking at when deciding between KCUMB and AZCOM?
 
I hear azcom is a better school
 
heres the can do fb page
i suggest u all join
do a fb search for:

Osteopathic Medicine (DO) for Canadians
 
take the mcat...see what you get...
the plan accordingly

hex000000 said:
Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice about how best to proceed. Sorry about the long read!

I did my undergrad at U of T and finished with a 3.31 (strong upward curve, 3.87 and 3.88 last 2 years, though they weren't fulltime so I can't take advantage of some CAN medical school admission policies, except queens). I'm now doing a research masters at U of T in Lab Medicine and Pathobiology. I don't really have ECs, but I'm trying to do as much as possible now (should be fine given how long a timeline I'm looking at).

Because of my humble beginnings, I'd have to redo basically all of my prereqs (most of my prereqs I didn't even get credits for because I went over the 6 allowed 100 level courses, having switched from business to life sci in second year uni).

I was contemplating a Caribbean (SGU) MD earlier but I've since laid back on that idea given the problems getting into something other than FM or IM and the projected residency spot situation in 2014 or 2015.

My current thinking is to take the MCAT in about 8 months and try my luck at Canadian unis (not holding my breath for these, but my parents want me to try), as well as get some experience writing the MCAT (lest I need to rewrite it) and then, after completing my masters(Aug 2014):

1)take the prereq courses at ryerson continuing education, though there seem to be some issues with taking the lab sections for the second part courses (There seems to be only 1 half year lab course in each chemistry subject for continuing education folks, not 2)
OR
2)Do a post bacc in the states to do these prereqs, like the one at Cleveland State (my gf's parents live nearby so I could hang with them is why I mention it)

Do you guys think it matters which I do? I heard Med Schools in the US like to see stateside education which is why I thought of the second option, but after looking at international admission stats my hopes of MD schools faded, and I don't really know/have found what DO schools think or if they care at all. I'd also be able to shadow a DO more regularly. My gf's mom is a hospitalist and she's taken me shadowing with her and some of her colleagues a few times. Notably, I've shadowed a DO ER director only for one day but if I shadow her some more maybe she'll give me a letter, although I could do this, to a lesser extent, when I visit them every few months intensively for a few days (assuming she'd be ok with that).

If I don't get in, with a student visa from the CSU post bacc I've heard there's some pathway to a greencard if you find an employer willing to sponsor you shortly after you finish your studies...don't know much about this though. That way I could...eventually get a greencard and apply as a permanent resident to US schools.

I've also been thinking not too seriously of dropping out of my research masters to pursue the prereqs, since I haven't found much evidence on these forums that it'll help me with med schools. For current students that had a masters (if any exist), did you find it helped you all (did you get asked about it?). My labmate went to the Caribbean's (SGU) and said that's all they wanted to hear about but that's kind of different.

Thanks for your time,
Alex
Click to expand...
 
lalongo said:
If things go according to plan it looks like I will be heading to Touro NY this summer.

What are some of the factors you are looking at when deciding between KCUMB and AZCOM?
Click to expand...


Im really not sure. :S to be honest, I didnt particularly love either! I dont know, neither of them "clicked," like I never thought " this is it" all I could think about was the negatives (" the damn weather is so hot, this place is so small/quiet...") I think ( or I hope) that it was because I was so nervous.. .
I like that AZCOM was a larger with many programs, but I dont think that is worth the extra $10,000 tuition..

Right now Im leaning towards KCUMB only because of its tuition and because I literally do not have any other criteria to compare.....

But seriously what am I suppose to be looking for?
 
Mar3 said:
Im really not sure. :S to be honest, I didnt particularly love either! I dont know, neither of them "clicked," like I never thought " this is it" all I could think about was the negatives (" the damn weather is so hot, this place is so small/quiet...") I think ( or I hope) that it was because I was so nervous.. .
I like that AZCOM was a larger with many programs, but I dont think that is worth the extra $10,000 tuition..

Right now Im leaning towards KCUMB only because of its tuition and because I literally do not have any other criteria to compare.....

But seriously what am I suppose to be looking for?
Click to expand...

Hmm, well I don't claim to be an expert at this stuff but here's what I would look at off the top of my head.

Location: Glendale vs Kansas. AFAIK, Glendale is the better city, but then again that depends on what you are looking for.

Rotations: its been said that students AZCOM often have to travel all the way to California to do their rotation. I am not sure about KCUMB but thats something to consider if KCUMB offers all its rotations in-state

Residencies: being Canadian, we will likely have to match for an ACGME (MD) residency since the AOA ones usually don't offer the H1B. I would look at the matching results for both institutions and see which school offers more opportunity to match the MD residencies over the other.

Loans: I know AZCOM requires you to show that you have the money in your bank account for all 4 years right off the bat. I don't know about KCUMB. Either way if you plan on getting a loan that will probably be a big difference maker.

That said, I am not sure all of these factors combined will be a match for the difference in tuition haha :)
 
I would suggest that you go to the COMSA website and discuss with their Canadian representatives at each school. To be honest a lot of medical school is what you put in. In essence how well you turn out is in your control. Does the cost figure in to the equation. Sure it does, unless you are independently wealthy. It does add up. In reality the advise you get here on "best" schools is difficult to assess as one is getting opinions from individuals who get their information,not by experience, but rather by other quasi "experts" with little insight. Congratulations! Work hard, always remember why your entering the field you've chosen, and remember the huge responsibility that you will have as patients put their trust in you. If you remember this then you will and only you will ensure that your education suffices.
 
id do azcom..
being quite is a good thing..less distractions...

at the BEST end ull be going out once a month ahahhahaha

welcome to hell
 
Hey Guys,

First time poster here but I've scoured these forums religiously for the last year and a half. Lots of great info on here so thank you for that. I'm planning to apply to all of the 'Canadian Friendly' DO schools listed throughout this post. My ideal school is TouroNY due to girlfriend attending law school in NYC, but I know I will have to apply broadly with my stats and am willing to attend almost anywhere.

Here's my story:

3.3 cGPA 3.1 sGPA 26P with retake date for May 30. Other than the second MCAT, my application will be good to go as soon as applications open.

I'm a SK resident but I'm doing my undergrad (junior) in biology at SUNY-Geneseo while playing D3 hockey. My ECs are pretty typical with volunteering. I've shadowed and can get decent LORs from two MDs (general and plastics), Physician Assistant (ortho), Athletic therapist if need be. I've only shadowed a DO once, and it was at a Breast Care Clinic and her primary focus was reading and diagnosing off of mammograms. Should I continue to shadow her and look for a LOR ? I've had a hard time finding a DO to shadow in the Rochester area. How necessary is it to have an LOR from a DO?

So my main question is simply, how competitive are my stats/application? Where should I look to improve/apply?

I applied to the University of SK but didn't receive an interview strictly from not meeting the cGPA requirement (84.5%), which they converted my marks from SUNY-G and for reference, they calculated my last semester gpa of 3.7 ~ 85%. I really want to avoid taking another year off course, as I have already spent 3 years post highschool playing junior hockey.

Thanks for bearing through the long read, any tips/recommendations would be very appreciated. Don't be afraid to be harsh either, I'm tough I can take it!
 
I would give U of S another try since your close to meeting the interview cut off.
 
I don't think he is that close to meeting the SSK cut off, 3.3 GPA to a 84.5 cutoff is likely not doable in one year, especially considering there's no retake options like AACOMAS
 
advair250 said:
Here is anothe useful link: http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-a...ic-medicine/Documents/us-visa-information.pdf

Also, the AOA is not the one sponsoring the visas at all, read the above. As it stands, Canadians are eligible for the visas, it is just that AOA residencies are usually small, and historically the number of Canadians they deal with is small, therefore all the paper work may be a hassle.

Sure, Canadians in the past have been rarely sponsored and done AOA, but that is no guarantee..additionally not a guarantee Canada's regulating body will accept(post merger, currently do not accept) it due to all the variables mentioned in the above post.


The visas have absolutely NOTHING to do with proving equivilancies between aoa and acgme residencies.

Please do a bit more research and reading before providing false hope into something that is no where near as black and white as you are making it seem. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

This.
I'm a 4th year, Canadian, recently matched AOA residency, and can tell you firsthand that going AOA as a Canadian is a PITA. Doable, but be ready for a lot of uphill battles and frustration. If you can, go ACGME.
 
pita?

plz share your experience..and why did u do aoa?
 
se20001984 said:
pita?

plz share your experience..and why did u do aoa?
Click to expand...

I went AOA because I wanted to go into a surgical subspecialty. These ACGME programs (ortho, ophtho, uro, etc.) are generally unfriendly to DO students and I knew I had a much higher chance matching AOA.

If you are going for primary care, anesthesia, OBGYN, even gen surg, do well on the USMLE and go ACGME.

PITA = pain in the ass
 
hab818 said:
I went AOA because I wanted to go into a surgical subspecialty. These ACGME programs (ortho, ophtho, uro, etc.) are generally unfriendly to DO students and I knew I had a much higher chance matching AOA.

If you are going for primary care, anesthesia, OBGYN, even gen surg, do well on the USMLE and go ACGME.

PITA = pain in the ass
Click to expand...

Will u be doing H1 or J1 visa?

Sent from my Galaxy S2, I think. But I don't really know, I'm just a lowly premed.
 
Man

Having difficulties getting my science LORs due to the fact I haven't taken any science courses for a while...
What do schools define as science anyways.
One of my letters from a professor in the college of health wasn't even looked at. Isn't that more relevant if it's a better LOR?

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
 
That's rough, no profs fron when you did take sciencs classes? And are you applying in June? Still have time.
 
tell that school that u havent been in class since XXX, and that a letter from health class IS a science letter
 
hab818 said:
I went AOA because I wanted to go into a surgical subspecialty. These ACGME programs (ortho, ophtho, uro, etc.) are generally unfriendly to DO students and I knew I had a much higher chance matching AOA.

If you are going for primary care, anesthesia, OBGYN, even gen surg, do well on the USMLE and go ACGME.

PITA = pain in the ass
Click to expand...

Did the AOA program you matched into sponsor J1? If yes, what are your plans post residency?
 
For the sake of argument, health class isn't necessarily science. As in AACOMAS, there are a few variants of "health" under non-science. Typically for a science LOR they want something in the hard sciences, like biology, chemistry ect.
 
advair250 said:
That's rough, no profs fron when you did take sciencs classes? And are you applying in June? Still have time.
Click to expand...

Yea for June since my current applications are stalled because of this LOR problem
Went to one science prof whom I took a class 3 years ago, he said he don't know me well enough to write me one.





se20001984 said:
tell that school that u havent been in class since XXX, and that a letter from health class IS a science letter
Click to expand...

Going to try calling in. Emailed them 2 weeks ago and still no replies.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
 
You could always take a summer science class and get an LOR that way.
 
dont ever email...word of advice

its a waste of everyones time

100% call
 
But there was a email from touro that said email them instead of calling... Anyways definitely calling from now on

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
 
touro...nm...they never pick up ahahah

i did not like 1 second of that school
 
Depends on the situation. Most people like email for certain communication, as it leaves a confirmation trail. It's easy to lose track of what was said in phone convos.

se20001984 said:
dont ever email...word of advice

its a waste of everyones time

100% call
Click to expand...
 
I applied to msu and have been complete since September but have not yet heard anything.

Any Canadians heard from them? If so, what are your stats?
 
PAStudentCanada said:
I applied to msu and have been complete since September but have not yet heard anything.

Any Canadians heard from them? If so, what are your stats?
Click to expand...

Havent heard a peep from them. Complete in September as well.

Sent from my Galaxy S2
 
PAStudentCanada said:
I applied to msu and have been complete since September but have not yet heard anything.

Any Canadians heard from them? If so, what are your stats?
Click to expand...

Hey, you might try calling them again. I believe they continue to accept (I am guessing based on other people declining offers) up until sometime in April.

Good Luck!
 
Some Canadian schools announce acceptances in May, so I would imagine there's the possibility of a few acceptances there, never know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

M
Thread for Canadians with IIs at USDO
Replies
9
Views
1K
math-wizo
M
M
Any Canadians at WCUCOM I can talk to?
Replies
0
Views
415
math-wizo
M
H
Canadian DO Applicant
Replies
4
Views
1K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
H
Too late to apply with these stats? *canadian
Replies
5
Views
989
hopefulmed97
H
P
Canadian DO Applicant Are my stats good enough?
Replies
1
Views
1K
Faha
F
Top