İmpossibility??

[mertt]

Hello everyone!
Since I started to try to learn the Canadian medical residency matching process, i realized something. Everyone in the forums who obviously know how the system works talks really hopeless for IMGs. I mean, before i started to study for the MCCEE, i think i am about to give it up just because of the desperate conservations among the members in the forums.

Is it really impossible? Even for those who did very well in MCCEE and did a clinical rotation in Canada?

I've read that some comments which says according to do statistics, the possibility to be placed is around %5 for IMGs. Is it true? (please say NO 🙂 )

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[shouldigomd]

It is hard. If you mention the word IMG on these forums you will get immediate hate by people who know nothing about it. My suggestion is to go look at match lists for SGU,Ross,AUC,etc. There are usually a few SGU on the list who get into Canada for family or internal. Connections vs grades... who knows but those are the stats. The question is really how many Canadians are applying to Canada. Many of my canadian friends are only doing ERAS in America.

 

[Medstart108]

Hello everyone!
Since I started to try to learn the Canadian medical residency matching process, i realized something. Everyone in the forums who obviously know how the system works talks really hopeless for IMGs. I mean, before i started to study for the MCCEE, i think i am about to give it up just because of the desperate conservations among the members in the forums.

Is it really impossible? Even for those who did very well in MCCEE and did a clinical rotation in Canada?

I've read that some comments which says according to do statistics, the possibility to be placed is around %5 for IMGs. Is it true? (please say NO 🙂 )

Its difficult, you can look at the stats for CaRMS.

But you have to remember that the stats do not describe you personally. The match rate is going to be higher for those who:

Did Clinical Electives - They will have stronger reference letters from Faculty in Canada and an elective evaluation indicating their clinical performance in Canada

Applying to less competitive specialties - You can see the statistics based on specialty, generally Family, Peds, Psych, IM are considered more achievable in Canada

Scored well on the NAC OSCE - Very important for residency program directors

Scored well on the MCCEE - Important as well

Did medical school in an English speaking country - This goes along with a cultural issue, those who did clerkship in English speaking countries will have an advantage

Apply broadly - People who are open to going anywhere are more likely to match

Raised in Canada - Culturally and on Language they will be more fluent and preferred (this will not be stated on any website, but is true)

Have Research - Again if you have research, demonstrate interest in research or have significant research accomplishments this will help

If you hit many or all of these, your match rate will be significantly higher and if you don't, your match rate will be lower than average. The average is pretty low, around 10% overall. However, for Canadians who studied abroad the match rate has been higher (somewhere around 30-60% depending on the school).

 

[mertt]

Thank you all for your answers. So the way that needs to be followed by those who aspire to get matched in Canada is
-an elective
-reference letters
-high scores in MCCEE and NAC
-and some other activities

if i fulfill this list, i'm gonna probably have probably more chance. And if everthing goes all right (interviews etc.), my match possibility will be around %10. Is that it? Am i right?

 

[leviathan]

When I was finishing medical school 5 years ago the IMG match rate was like 5-10% , but if you looked at the subgroup of applicants who had just graduated medical school the year they were applying it was 50%. Of the remaining 50% who were unmatched in Canada I have to imagine that most still got a job in the United States, or did residency in Australia or wherever they trained.

The stats might be completely different now, but that's just for a frame of reference from 5 years ago. For things like the MCCEE back then, some residencies like ALL the Ontario family med residencies had cutoffs in the 450 range (which is 99th percentile). There was a huge skew though because you have some physicians who are very long out of medical school and from schools with dubious training who pull the average down. As an examiner for the NAC-OSCE, I can say the same is true that there is a very wide variation in competency for people taking that exam.

I agree with your plan. Do extremely well on the MCCEE and NAC-OSCE, do electives in Canada and get strong reference letters from faculty members at those sites, and you'll have a very good shot of matching, much much higher than 10%. If you do poorly on the exams, electives, or otherwise, then your chances will be much lower.

 

[Medstart108]

Thank you all for your answers. So the way that needs to be followed by those who aspire to get matched in Canada is
-an elective
-reference letters
-high scores in MCCEE and NAC
-and some other activities

if i fulfill this list, i'm gonna probably have probably more chance. And if everthing goes all right (interviews etc.), my match possibility will be around %10. Is that it? Am i right?

If you fufill all those your match rate should be higher than 10%. The average is around 10%, but not everyone will have all those things above, your match rate might be higher and of course it depends on your specialty.

 

[mertt]

That's been very helpful. Thank you so much guys!