Switching into US Ophtalmology from Canada PGY-1 non-Ophtho program

[gotrumpet]

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Do any of you guys know what the process is, or the difficulty, of switching from a Canadian residency program into Ophthalmology PGY-2 in the US, is?

FYI PGY means residency year #

Thanks

 

[JR]

Welcome to the forum!

As a graduate of a foreign medical school you are considered an FMG (foreign medical graduate). To have a shot at Ophtho residency you'd have to successfully take and pass USMLE Step I-III, apply and obtain an ophthalmology spot as well as do an internship in the US (medicine, surgery or transitional). Because of the competitiveness factor, historically, FMGs have a tough time matching into ophthalmology programs (only 30 or so are able do this per year). The ones that do are typically prominent ophthalmologists in their home countries and/or researchers with international reputation.

BTW, thanks for explaining what PGY means 🙂

Do any of you guys know what the process is, or the difficulty, of switching from a Canadian residency program into Ophthalmology PGY-2 in the US, is?

FYI PGY means residency year #

Thanks

 

[Visioncam]

Graduates of Canadian medical schools are not considered FMG as far as licensure and getting into a residency. They are on equal footing as Americans though Americans are reportedly discriminated against if they apply to many of the Canadian programs.

 

[gotrumpet]

Graduates of Canadian medical schools are not considered FMG as far as licensure and getting into a residency. They are on equal footing as Americans though Americans are reportedly discriminated against if they apply to many of the Canadian programs.

Thanks for clarifying that for me. I wasn't aware that canadians were on equal footing with Americans as eg. first year interns wanting to switch into Ophtho.

Would any of you have any links, threads (couldn't find any after a search) or recommend where I should go to look for more info on this? There aren't that many spots in Ophthalmology for Canadians. I wonder if they still look at undergrad marks, and how important USMLE is. Geez, steps 1-3? That seems like a lot of tests, is this absolutely required for transfer into Ophtho after graduating from medical school?

And also, I wasn't aware that Americans didn't have equal footing with Canadians. Do you mean switching into programs? I think that's because most of Canadian schools are funded by the government, and even for a Canadian it's hard because you usually need 5 years of funding to bring it over to another program, otherwise you're out of luck. Other than that, I'm not too sure on the FMG situation in Canada, cuz I've never heard of Americans wanting to apply to Canadian residencies as the system is different, and it takes longer to do residency in Canada (by at least a year).

 

[gotrumpet]

edited (mistake)

 

[JR]

I have checked my sources and you are correct, all 17 Canadian medical schools are ACGME acredited (live and learn!). However, Canadians usually get into trouble with visas (J-1, H1, etc., etc.). Many residency programs will inquire about your visa status when you apply; I am pretty sure this information is also considered when the rank list is put together.

You can find more useful info on this and many other subjects here:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=89

Hope this helps

Graduates of Canadian medical schools are not considered FMG as far as licensure and getting into a residency. They are on equal footing as Americans though Americans are reportedly discriminated against if they apply to many of the Canadian programs.

 

[gotrumpet]

I have checked my sources and you are correct, all 17 Canadian medical schools are ACGME acredited (live and learn!). However, Canadians usually get into trouble with visas (J-1, H1, etc., etc.). Many residency programs will inquire about your visa status when you apply; I am pretty sure this information is also considered when the rank list is put together.

You can find more useful info on this and many other subjects here:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=89

Hope this helps

Thanks for the info. I actually know about the VISA thing cuz I've talked to other people who matched to the US.

Would anyone have any info specifically for switching into Ophthalmology as a resident and not a graduating medical student, as a Canadian?

Also would anyone know which USMLE exams I need to take eg. step1, 1 and 2, etc?

THANKS!