IMG ( Canadian!? READ THIS PLEASE!

[dixon476]

Hi Dixon

Here is what you should do:

Apply for Canadian PR at the same time as you apply for J-1 and US Residency.

There are thousands of positions in the US for citizens of India. You don't need US citizenship or US PR. India citizen can apply for J-1 visa with the US Department of State.
So apply widely in US for residency.
Go to the US and do residency.
By this time you should have perhaps been approved for Canadian PR.
The problem with J-1 visa is that you have to return to your country for 2 years after completion of US residency. However if you have Canadian PR then you can cross the border into Canada and perhaps start practice there. But just remember everyone wants to go to Vancouver or Toronto so look at rural areas and there should be openings.

thanks for the detailed guidence Monterey MD.

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[PacificBlue2012]

Assuming you are a Canadian citizen / PR:

It may be possible for family physicians.

The CCFP designation may be granted without examination by the CFPC to those physicians who have met all of the following:

1) successfully graduated from accredited postgraduate training in family medicine in a jurisdiction where the standards for accreditation of postgraduate family medicine training and the criteria for certification are judged comparable and acceptable to the CFPC;
2) hold certification in family medicine in that jurisdiction;
3) met all other requirements for Certification in the CFPC;
4) met all other requirements for licensure and apply for or are granted registration to practice in a Canadian province or territory

Approved jurisdictions include:

United States of America: Graduates of family medicine residency training programs that have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and who also are Diplomats of the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM)

Australia: Graduates of Australian General Practice Vocational Training programs that have been accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and meet the standards of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and who also hold Fellowship in the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP)
Note: These programs vary from Canadian programs in that training in intrapartum care is not compulsory.

Ireland: Graduates of general practice vocational training schemes that have been accredited by Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) and who also hold Membership in the Irish College of General Practitioners (MICGP)

http://www.cfpc.ca/English/cfpc/education/examinations/EQUIVALENT TRAINING/default.asp?s=1

As for specialists, depending on your specialty you may be eligible to have your training assessed by the Royal College in Canada on the basis of holding fellowship with one of the approved colleges within the Australian Medical Council. The Royal College reserve the right not to approve your training. If they do, then you are eligible to sit the Royal College exams in your specialty. These are quite challenging for IMGs, I understand, but if you can pass then you can be certified by the Royal College.

Note that each province controls licensing to practice medicine within the province, and the individual provincial of College of Physicians and Surgeons may or may not accept your credentials on an individual basis. The CFPC and the FRCPC do not confer license to practice. It would be very wise to contact the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the province you're interested in practicing in, and putting this question to them.

I am an Australian-US citizen, and I was merely asking just out of curiosity. I know that Canadian MDs often have difficulties practicing in Australia mostly due to limits on where IMGs can be employed, the dreaded 10 year rule which restricts them to rural areas. So I guess Canada is a closed door as well. One doctor I know returned to Canada because of this rule, I guess every country is restrictive. Britain used to welcome Australian trained doctors as equals to theirs, until they became part of the EU, now EU doctors take precedent over Australian physicians, despite the fact that our education systems are nearly identical.

The US takes foreign trained doctors but they tend to wind up in less desirable (Primary Care or Inner City hospital) locales.

 

[babra]

Dear Dr.,
I read tour letter.Is absolutely true,realistic.
Unfortunately I myself immigrated to Canada passed MCCEE with a very low score.
Just passed.What are my chances if I apply in Carms.
Babra

 

[sgogeta4]

Start a new thread, don't resurrect old ones. While I don't know if the first post was completely accurate 5 years ago, many things have changed (while I'll accede that many more have not). Still, with your scores and non-native English, I'd realistically say your chances are almost nil unless your application has outstanding merits in almost every other category.

 

[Ghani2004]

i am new in this forum, i am new immigrant in canada, just arrived,i am MD(physician) from india, working since 5 yrs as private practitioner, now i am looking for option in my field, i read all your post and confuse weather i did good step? so need your advise, 1) i read and heard that to practice in canada i need to go through all exam, and residency, which is quite difficult, and statistic also proving it. while US EXAM and residency little bit easier as i read in forum. so what is good US or canada exam. 2) if i decide for US,than how, because i just became CANADIAN PR.
THANKS IN ADVANCE.
your any answer will appreciate.
P.S-my wife is M PHARM.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

i am new in this forum, i am new immigrant in canada, just arrived,i am MD(physician) from india, working since 5 yrs as private practitioner, now i am looking for option in my field, i read all your post and confuse weather i did good step? so need your advise, 1) i read and heard that to practice in canada i need to go through all exam, and residency, which is quite difficult, and statistic also proving it. while US EXAM and residency little bit easier as i read in forum. so what is good US or canada exam. 2) if i decide for US,than how, because i just became CANADIAN PR.
THANKS IN ADVANCE.
your any answer will appreciate.
P.S-my wife is M PHARM.

You've got a long road ahead of you, if you plan to practice medicine in either the US or Canada. It's going to be long, expensive, and difficult -- and not guaranteed.

This thread is a good summary of the process in Canada, so I won't rehash that.

In the US, you'd need to pass the USMLE exams. Each step is about $1500, and there are 4 of them. Just "passing" them isn't advisable, you'd want to score as well on them as is possible, as poor scores may limit your choices, or keep you out of a residency at all. Then you'd apply for a residency position. Unfortunately, many places want US clinical experience, which you won't have (and will have difficulty getting) Perhaps you can get some Canadian medical experience, but that is likely very difficult also. When you apply for a spot in the US, you'll be much more than 5 years out from your graduation, which is often a cutoff for some (but not all) programs. You'd also need a visa in the US, which makes it more difficult to get a spot. From your English in this post, you may have some difficulties around that. And, if your school isn't well known in the US, that can also be a problem.

If you are able to get a training spot in the US, it will likely be in family medicine. You might be able to get a spot in other fields, depending upon your background, how ell you did on the steps, etc. If you do complete FM training in the US, it's 3 years long. IN Canada, I believe you need 4 years of training, so you'd need to find some way of getting one more year.

All in all, your chances of making this all work are not great. It's going to be expensive and time consuming. You honestly might be better off thinking about what else you can do with your prior training -- but I totally understand if you want to pursue being a physician.

 

[septoplasty]

If you do complete FM training in the US, it's 3 years long. IN Canada, I believe you need 4 years of training, so you'd need to find some way of getting one more year.

2 years!

Yea, totally weird. FM is 2, IM is 4 in Canada.

 

[lungdocCA]

I have become tired with medical practice in the United States. I have relatives in Canada and my grown children live in Northern Washington.
I graduated from medical school in the US and completed all my training and am board certified in my specialty (Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine). Also, my mother was a Canadian citizen when I was born which according to my understanding of Canadian Citizenship Law would enable me to apply for dual Canadian Citizenship.
I wonder how hard it would be for me to enter Canada and practice as a specialist? Impossible?

 

[psychR1]

I have become tired with medical practice in the United States. I have relatives in Canada and my grown children live in Northern Washington.
I graduated from medical school in the US and completed all my training and am board certified in my specialty (Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine). Also, my mother was a Canadian citizen when I was born which according to my understanding of Canadian Citizenship Law would enable me to apply for dual Canadian Citizenship.
I wonder how hard it would be for me to enter Canada and practice as a specialist? Impossible?

It depends on the availability in your specialty. There's more opportunity to cross the border now, mainly due to physician shortages. Google the province you're interested in, and look for their physician recruitment programs. Good luck.

 

[Shakira88]

Hello there,

I am new to this forum like many others. After reading countless threads in regards to IMGs' possibilities to practice medicine in Canada, I must admit that I do feel anxious and slightly discouraged, but I still would like to try and apply through the CARMS Program when the time arrives (+ the US Residency Program of course).

I am a Canadian citizen (originally from Romania), went to University of Toronto, class of 2010, but ended up in a Caribbean medical school (International American University) mostly because it is so difficult to be accepted into a Canadian medical school. I took my USMLE Step I this past February, and now I am doing my first clinical rotation in surgery in Chicago, IL. Just like many other Canadian students who are now studying as IMGs, I would absolutely love to be able to become a practicing physician in Canada, but I am aware of the many obstacles that I have to face. I am planning to take USMLE Step II CS before next year as long as I would have finished both my internal medicine and family medicine rotations. After I tackle that, USMLE Step II CK will be next on the list.

In addition to taking the MCCEE exams (all three), it would look much better on my application if I would complete my elective rotations in Canada. Unfortunately, my medical school does not approve of that and thus, I must complete all my core and elective rotations in the US. My family doctor has made it clear to me that he would be happy to offer me an observership at his fast-growing medical clinic, which would definitely give me some exposure to the Canadian medical healthcare system. I guess my question is whether or not this would allow my application to stand out in comparison to others? Is there anything else that I could do to possibly improve the application?

I also have some questions in regards to the MCCEE exams themselves: are they written in a similar fashion to the USMLE Step I and II and would I have to use different or additional books to prepare for them? I am now using Master The Boards, Step Up To Medicine, First Aid Step 2 CK and CS and occasionally Step 1 for review.

I appreciate the time you will take to reply and I apologize about the length of the thread! Thanks .

 

[bearded frog]

​

 

[Medstart108]

Hello there,

I am new to this forum like many others. After reading countless threads in regards to IMGs' possibilities to practice medicine in Canada, I must admit that I do feel anxious and slightly discouraged, but I still would like to try and apply through the CARMS Program when the time arrives (+ the US Residency Program of course).

I am a Canadian citizen (originally from Romania), went to University of Toronto, class of 2010, but ended up in a Caribbean medical school (International American University) mostly because it is so difficult to be accepted into a Canadian medical school. I took my USMLE Step I this past February, and now I am doing my first clinical rotation in surgery in Chicago, IL. Just like many other Canadian students who are now studying as IMGs, I would absolutely love to be able to become a practicing physician in Canada, but I am aware of the many obstacles that I have to face. I am planning to take USMLE Step II CS before next year as long as I would have finished both my internal medicine and family medicine rotations. After I tackle that, USMLE Step II CK will be next on the list.

In addition to taking the MCCEE exams (all three), it would look much better on my application if I would complete my elective rotations in Canada. Unfortunately, my medical school does not approve of that and thus, I must complete all my core and elective rotations in the US. My family doctor has made it clear to me that he would be happy to offer me an observership at his fast-growing medical clinic, which would definitely give me some exposure to the Canadian medical healthcare system. I guess my question is whether or not this would allow my application to stand out in comparison to others? Is there anything else that I could do to possibly improve the application?

I also have some questions in regards to the MCCEE exams themselves: are they written in a similar fashion to the USMLE Step I and II and would I have to use different or additional books to prepare for them? I am now using Master The Boards, Step Up To Medicine, First Aid Step 2 CK and CS and occasionally Step 1 for review.

I appreciate the time you will take to reply and I apologize about the length of the thread! Thanks .

Regarding the observership with your family doctor it won't help you stand out. What really counts are electives, which unfortunately you already said you can't get. If you have the free time to do an observership by all means go for it because it can't hurt and at least it demonstrates interest in Canada, but it won't improve your application and you won't be able to get a good reference from it. The one thing about family doctors is that most residencies don't trust their reference. They don't know if your family doctor is just writing something good because you know them well and unless you are applying to family medicine it won't help you much.

Just ace your rotations in the US, people from the Caribbean make it back to Canada, you just need to be really good.

I would focus my efforts on the US, if you finish your residency in the US you can still come back to Canada with just a brief 1 year probation period which isn't bad at all.

 

[Shakira88]

Thank you very much for your replies! I have a connection at McMaster University, where I did an undergrad project. I have always been interested in the Children's Hospital there, so I'll look for more information into that as well.

 

[Shakira88]

Shadowing your family doctor will not help your residency applications. The reason you want Canadian clerkships is that the supervisor can write you a letter of recommendation, and recommendation from Canadian faculty MDs is valued very highly for IMGs.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Shakira88]

Regarding the observership with your family doctor it won't help you stand out. What really counts are electives, which unfortunately you already said you can't get. If you have the free time to do an observership by all means go for it because it can't hurt and at least it demonstrates interest in Canada, but it won't improve your application and you won't be able to get a good reference from it. The one thing about family doctors is that most residencies don't trust their reference. They don't know if your family doctor is just writing something good because you know them well and unless you are applying to family medicine it won't help you much.

Just ace your rotations in the US, people from the Caribbean make it back to Canada, you just need to be really good.

I would focus my efforts on the US, if you finish your residency in the US you can still come back to Canada with just a brief 1 year probation period which isn't bad at all.

Thanks for letting me know!

 

[thsc]

Hey All!

Since I'm a pre-med, forgive me if this question seems a little ignorant; I read most of the posts and the return of service agreement got me curious....do all IMG positions have such a contract associated with them?

 

[Ultramarathoner]

This original poster Aria2012 is very negative.

I am Canadian, did all my medical education in the USA along with 2 fellowships. I passed all the USA and Canadian (yes i did all the LMCC and Royal College) exams and now happily working in western Canada. So it can be done. You just have to work hard and want it bad.

 

[MissHP]

Hi everyone,
I'm about to start my 4th year of my 5-year undergrad med degree in Australia. I'd really like to do my residency in Canada (Alberta if possible) with the future intention of migrating there.
Is it a lost hope, is it worth the huge investment of time and money for what seems like an impossible chance for IMGs when I have a pretty straightforward path through to a fellowship training program set out for me here at home in Australia?
I do have a few small advantages (well, hopefully), would any of the following count for much?
1. About 5 years ago I did 6 months of secondary schooling in Newfoundland
2. I have family there who would be willing to support me in any way
3. I'm incredibly young, I started med school straight after high school and will be 21 when I graduate as a doctor
4. In my fifth year of med school I can do an elective overseas and I can complete this in Canada
5. My long distance partner (we don't quite qualify as common law partners) was born in and has never left Alberta
6. I am quite good at French

Other than this, I realise that even taking the time to do the MCCEE, the NAC etc, it's a pretty hopeless case for me to dream of getting permanent residency to even apply for a residency postgrad training anywhere in Canada, isn't it?

 

[AStark]

To confirm, you are an Australian citizen and do not have either Canadian citizenship or permanent residency?

If this is the case, your prospect of obtaining a residency position in Canada is zero, as I can't imagine that Australia would sponsor you as a visa trainee.

Now, depending on the specialty you enter, you may be able to do a post-residency fellowship in Canada. Certainly if by that time you have obtained permanent residency then it will be easier. But you are not eligible to enter CaRMS as it stands and it's unlikely (or impossible) you'd be able to establish permanent residency in the time available.

 

[caribbbeanboy]

HI i am a Foreign Medical Graduate (maybe not IMG but FMG)

I have graduated from the University of The West Indies and have 4 years of training post medical degree. With the MRCP (uk )qualification I am qualified as an Internal Medicine specialist at home.

I have been seeking a postgraduate fellowship position in Canada and have spoken to and met with many program directors. I being a foreigner am not able to apply through the match - CARMS and hence I have not written the MCCEE, MCQEE exams.

Most of the responses have been an outright "NO" or that the additional positions are kept for Middle Eastern/Gulf State graduates as they have funding and give additional stipends to certain faculty members. Unless you personally know the directors, It would seem virtually impossible to get into a 2 year fellowship in Canada. I am still trying and one last University is attempting to give me a position , however fitting me in to their program is difficult as they have 3 residents/fellows and space is a major problem for most Universities.

I would like to know as Foreign Graduates how we can help each other and even appeal to these Universities that we do need help as not everyone has the same opportunities where they live.

Please comment, Thanks

 

[Medstart108]

double post

 

[amr elfiky]

hi , i'm a new IMG .i read your post and did some googling about the residency in Canada for IMGs .it looks like it's close o impossible .but i heard that this was a couple of years ago and things now are different .and that IMGs now have a reasonable chance of a residency in Canada , not like the US of course .is that true ?

 

[ConfusedChemist]

hi , i'm a new IMG .i read your post and did some googling about the residency in Canada for IMGs .it looks like it's close o impossible .but i heard that this was a couple of years ago and things now are different .and that IMGs now have a reasonable chance of a residency in Canada , not like the US of course .is that true ?

Not even close
its worse