Mayo VS Toronto , Neurosurgery ??

[NeuroSurgeon101]

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hi ,

I'm a 3rd year medical student from King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah , Saudi Arabia

I have a special interest in neurosurgery and neuroscience, also, I'm doing a

research in brain repair aiming to do neurotransplantation in future.


My qeustion is, which program is better regarding neurosurgical training:

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, it accepts IMG, it has a proud history in the field

OR

University of Toronto, it accepts IMG funded by them selves or their government , as prof. James Rutka ( chairman of neurosurgical department in toronto ) he said that they have the best program in North America



I hope to have an answer...

 

[Dr Who]

Choose Mayo, dont even waste your time thinking about it. Mayo is waaay more known than Toronto and is accepted as one of the best programs in the US.

 

[Arb]

Neuroscience and neurosurgery in Toronto is regarded as one of the best if not THE best in North America. Its program was recently considered by those in the neuro field to be better than Hopkins but of course it is subjective. However, I would go to Mayo because you probably will NOT find a job as a neurosurgeon in Canada.

 

[Retinamark]

Neuroscience and neurosurgery in Toronto is regarded as one of the best if not THE best in North America. Its program was recently considered by those in the neuro field to be better than Hopkins but of course it is subjective. However, I would go to Mayo because you probably will NOT find a job as a neurosurgeon in Canada.

No comparison. The Mayo Clinic is the largest private hospital in the world. The quality of the facilities is mindblowing. It has more MRI machines than the whole of Canada! The annual budget is something like 4 billion dollars. The integration between different sub-specialties is the best in the world - everything is co-ordinated so smoothly. The only downside is the location in the middle of nowhere.
I'm sure Toronto is extremely good, but there is only one Mayo Clinic & I wouldn't give up an opportunity to train at Mayo

 

[NeuroSurgeon101]

Retinamark, Arb & Dr Who

thank you for your replies.

It seems like Mayo Clinic is the best according to your posts.

However, I need you to put in mind that finding a job as a neurosurgeon is

not a problem in our health system in Saudi Arabia especially when you an

excellent academic standing , research , electives in US or Canada.

It goes like the following :

Medical school here is 6-year program that MUST be followed by an

internship year to get the degree of MBBS.

Upon completion of the program , I'll enroll in a residency training program

here in my country, regarding neurosurgery , I would spend six month period

then I'll have to pass an examination to be eligeble to the scholarship, which

provide funding for my abroad training.

Finally, upon completion of residency & fellowship training and recieving the

FRCS(c) (( if Canada is choosen))
OR
ABNS
FACS (( if US is choosen ))

I will be :

an attending physician starting with the level of assistant professor.




SO, FINDING JO IS NOT THE PROBLEM , Arb


So, after this detailed demonstration of the career track,

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS BETTER ???????????

 

[Retinamark]

still mayo

 

[brightblueeyes]

UofT may be better (I really don't know)...but Mayo is better known.

 

[Arb]

Yes. Like I said, "better" is subjective. Both are well respected by those in the field so you can't go wrong. I don't know which is more well known...Americans I have to admit are less incline to be knowledgable about foreign institutions so I would ask a more diverse group. How about considering where you want to live? Toronto has 5(?) world class hospitals and is truely cosmopolitan. Which of the three Mayo Clinic do you want to go? Arizona is soooo hot right now.

 

[sunnyjohn]

Yes. Like I said, "better" is subjective. Both are well respected by those in the field so you can't go wrong. I don't know which is more well known...Americans I have to admit are less incline to be knowledgable about foreign institutions so I would ask a more diverse group. How about considering where you want to live? Toronto has 5(?) world class hospitals and is truely cosmopolitan. Which of the three Mayo Clinic do you want to go? Arizona is soooo hot right now.

Good advice.

 

[pitman]

both are excellent, tops in fact. beyond that, why care about reputation? like Arb said, go for other factors like LOCATION, since your life doesn't stop while you're training. Toronto is a large city with everything to offer, Rochester (where the OP specified) is quite small and COLD -- does that matter to you?

 

[brightblueeyes]

...It [Mayo] has more MRI machines than the whole of Canada! ...

As great as the Mayo clinics are...umm...you might want to recheck your numbers. 😉

 

[sunny123]

both are excellent, tops in fact. beyond that, why care about reputation? like Arb said, go for other factors like LOCATION, since your life doesn't stop while you're training. Toronto is a large city with everything to offer, Rochester (where the OP specified) is quite small and COLD -- does that matter to you?

Toronto gets pretty darn cold in the winter as well... We're only a few degrees of latitude north of Rochester.

 

[pitman]

ah, if only latitude were the only factor -- rochester is much colder in the winter, indeed downright FRIGID.

 

[desiguy8179]

also do not underestimate visa issues if you plan to come to US being from saudi arabia,u will have tough time due to current security papanoia

 

[rush2]

ontario is pretty tight with their IMG policies... i really don't know the details, but def. something you should consider. i know a few IMGs who couldn't match in canada and are consequently trying to get licensed in the US.

good luck!! and UT is great... and toronto doesn't get THAT cold...

 

[Blake]

There are 2-3 neurosurgery residents at Toronto coming from Saudi Arabia. Send them an email 🙂

From what a few residents at my school told me, U of T is a powerhouse of neurosurgery. I know a PGY-2 interviewed there and he was amazed with the faculty and the residents. It's the ''main'' surgery department and they have world-class attendings and research. Definitely can't go wrong with that. Toronto is also a great city. By the way, I don't think they filled their quotas for neurosurgery interns last year, so there's always hope for IMGs.

Good luck

 

[winstonm]

Toronto has the largest programs on the continent. Since practicing in Canada isn't a concern (the previous poster is correct in stating it is hard to get a job here) I would go for Toronto and believe me when I say that my status as an incoming med student at UofT isn't influencing this (I'm sure Mayo is better at some things, just not neuro).

I've said this many times, you have to take the opinions of premeds on this board with a grain of salt whenever US institutions are compared to foreign ones (I saw a post that claimed Mount Sinai was a better institution than McGIll 🙄 ).

 

[Retinamark]

As great as the Mayo clinics are...umm...you might want to recheck your numbers. 😉

Well I would be happy to stand corrected, but that is a very commonly repeated phrase. Are you basing your scepticism on any facts there? Maybe someone in radiology could tell us for sure.

 

[brightblueeyes]

...It [Mayo] has more MRI machines than the whole of Canada! ...

As great as the Mayo clinics are...umm...you might want to recheck your numbers. 😉

Well I would be happy to stand corrected, but that is a very commonly repeated phrase. Are you basing your scepticism on any facts there? Maybe someone in radiology could tell us for sure.

Are you for real?

Maybe these people who believe this because it's "a commonly repeated phrase" believe anything if it's repeated often enough. (There seems to be a lot of that going around.)

Canada does have a shortage of MRIs. But even back in 2003 they had over 150 and the number is supposed to have grown significantly since then. So unless you're claiming that the Mayo Clinic has more than 150 MRIs (or better yet, more than whatever the current number is) then, no, it doesn't have more MRIs than Canada.

BTW, Ontario alone used to have more than 50 MRIs.

 

[Retinamark]

fine, I am happy to stand corrected.
Maybe it was the case once, but it must have been a long time ago.