Looking to practice in US

[drvfedorov]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on SDN so please forgive me if this thread is not properly formatted.

I have just graduated with my undergrad at a canadian university and I am waiting for my MCAT scores to be released. This year will most likely be an OFF year where I will be getting myself involved in a lot of extra curricular activities (research, starting a charity, and shadowing MDs/DOs).

I wanted some advice on what the best place for me to do my MD degree would be if I WANT to live and practice in the US for my future? Currently I am looking into DO schools, Caribbean (Big 4), Ireland and Australia (Syd, UofQ, Melbourne). What international school would give me the best chances on returning to the US? My eyes are currently set on becoming a DO because I believe that the philosophy taught in this education is most suited for me. However, I would like some backups.

I do not believe that my GPA (around 77% based on top 90 credits or 72% overall) is high enough for US MD schools. My GPA took a huge hit in 1st year due to personal/family problems but since then they have been trending upwards (finish on the deans honour list in my last year). Unfortunately, my first year also happened to be the year I took majority of my science courses. I have above average or average EC from what I have seen in other applicants.

Thank you very much to everyone on these boards, it has helped me tremendously over the past couple of years!

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[ConfusedChemist]

DO>>>>>>>>>>international
Seriosuly. This has been answered on here a thousand times before. But especially as a Canadian, stay the hell away from the Caribbean,aussie, etc

 

[Medstart108]

DO is better than international for US residencies no question, but in terms of coming back to Canada for residency, DO is no better than IMG in most provinces, particularly the big ones like Ontario.

So far, i've never met a DO graduate Canadian resident, but I have met several from Ireland, Australia and the Caribbean.

 

[drvfedorov]

Thank you for your responses! However, I think you guys may have misunderstood my questions. I do not want to return to canada, I wish to remain in the US. In that case if DO school does not work out, then would Caribbean school be the next best choice if i wish to practice in the US?

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Thank you for your responses! However, I think you guys may have misunderstood my questions. I do not want to return to canada, I wish to remain in the US. In that case if DO school does not work out, then would Caribbean school be the next best choice if i wish to practice in the US?

no.....I assumed you wouldn't be getting back to Canada as an IMG. I was talking US. It's going to get very, very risky in the coming few years
google search 'health canada SON restrictions 2015' consider the effect on family/IM
You'll see what I mean

 

[drvfedorov]

oh got it. thank you for that information, I will research it now.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

oh got it. thank you for that information, I will research it now.

basically regardless of it you match or not, Canada will only let <300 Canadians do a family residency in the US next year. It used to be unlimited. And, it's only decreasing numbers. And as a DO, you are an IMG to Canada, but you are of course, not an img to the US. If you go caribean, it becomes very diffiuclt to match to the US because you are not only an IMG, but also international to the US, and you make it more complicated and expensive for them to train you. So they need to want you. And they don't tend to want IMGs from the carribean that much
Thus, DO>>caribean. and MD>>>DO

 

[torontopharm]

If US MD/DO doesn't work out, the next schools in the list that have high NRMP match % is UQ-O/Israeli schools/big 4 etc. I *heard* Irish schools match at ~70%, but you need to look into that more, and consider the fact that you not being a EU citizen might be problematic later in case you don't match.

In any case, as ConfusedChemist alluded to, all of this becomes a moot point if you aren't able to get the necessary Visa required to do your residency in the states. In other words, i wouldn't pick a foreign school over US MD/DO, especially since the SON restriction. I have friends in US MD and DO schools and even they've been freaking out about this new rule change.

72% might be too low for DO schools as well. You wanna be at least ~3.2 to be in the game. Just re-take a few of your C/D/F's and apply DO 🙂