U.S. MD in Canada residency -- please comment.

[ana]

My friend wants to do an ortho residency in Montreal. Can anyone give information? My friend has a family and will be bringing two elderly parents. My questions:

1. Will the family be eligible for health care?

2. Husband is also in the health profession. How hard will it be to get him licensed? He speaks some French but is very rusty.

3. What is the tax rate in Canada?

4. How much is housing?

5. How do French Canadians feel re. Americans and the largely English speaking?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

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[tussy]

I am a Canadian medical student, and my expertise end there, but given that, I will try to answer your questions as best I can.

Firstly, in order to be eligible for health care in Canada I believe one must be at the very least a "landed immigrant". Simply moving to Canada does not necessarily give you that status.

Second: Licencing for American physicians varies from province to province and from specialty to specialty. He person involved would have to contact the provincial licensing body to see if he is eligible.

Tax rate - very high!!! That's all i can say! (we have to pay for the publically funded education and health somehow).

Housing - again varies from place to place. Probably is comparible to the US.

Montreal has two medical schools - universite de montreal and McGill University. McGill is the English one. McGill residents are still encouraged to take conversational french courses if they are not fluent, but it is not a pre-requisit. There are English areas in the city and english speaking typically go to an english speaking physician and same for french.

Finally - McGill's ortho program is extremely competative. Also, unless your friend has external funding, they probably do not qualify to participate in the Canadian match. Check out www.carms.ca for more info on Canadian residencies.

 

[ana]

thanks tussy. actually, my friend has already signed acontract and was actually signed outside the match and for a variety of reasons was obviously thought to be a highly desireable candidate, and is somehow getting a salary from them, although it seems much lower to me than comparable salary here in the u.s.

my friend will be in canada for at least 5 years and perhaps longer if they like it and decide to immigrate (the whole family is going). the spouse is also a health professional from a very good school in California. please define "landed?" Does this include long term work visa? Or do you have to be a permanent resident? These are not people looking for a handout, just reasonable working and living conditions.

[This message has been edited by ana (edited April 25, 2001).]

 

[tussy]

Ana,

I really don't know the details of work visas and health coverage. If you try the site www.canada.gc.ca you should be able to find the answers.

Starting salaries for PGY1s in Canada are around 35,000 (canadian). That is about 18,000 USD. The tax rate is also higher than in the us, so you are right - it is not very much money.

Congrats to your friend. McGill ortho is a very good program and you are right - your friend must have been an excellent candidate to get a position outside of the match.

 

[doc2003]

$35000 CDN = $23000 US but you'll be living in Canada so does that really matter? Also, McGill is an exception for residencies. It uses CaRMS as well as the NRMP to fill spaces.