U.S. med student seeking to transfer to Canadian med school

[mikewhite]

Hi all,
Well I am a U.S. med student that unfortunately failed too many exams and is now being dismissed from his school. I finished all the basic sciences so I am now looking into switching to a caribbean school and starting clinical rotations and eventually graduating as an IMG.
The administration of my med school was very unsympathetic to numerous extenuating circumstances but at least they say that they will support me in pursuing a medical education.
So why am I writing a post in this forum? Because I am a Canadian!!! Born in beautiful Toronto where people are much nicer and friendlier. I lined in U.S> my whole life which explains my being in a U.S. school.
Well my question is....Can I get into a Canadian med school with my record? Do they accept transfer students even? Do they do clinical rotations in Canada or the U.S.? Lastly what are the advantages of going to a Canadian mad school over transfering to a caribbean med school?
Any information will be appreciated 🙂
Thanks,
Mike

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[trustwomen]

I don't know of any Canadian med schools that accept transfer students, though there may be a few; I'd suggest going on their websites and finding out. Please note that it's actually harder to get into Canadian schools than US schools, so I doubt they'd be terribly receptive to someone who has flunked out... sorry. Plus, many of them (I can vouch) are less understanding of "extenuating circumstances" than American schools.

The Caribbean is, indeed, the standard "second chance" in situations like this. Some Canadians choose to go to Europe (Ireland or Poland) instead; it all depends on where you want to practice afterwards. Best of luck, either way.

 

[gregMD]

Hi all,
Well I am a U.S. med student that unfortunately failed too many exams and is now being dismissed from his school. I finished all the basic sciences so I am now looking into switching to a caribbean school and starting clinical rotations and eventually graduating as an IMG.
The administration of my med school was very unsympathetic to numerous extenuating circumstances but at least they say that they will support me in pursuing a medical education.
So why am I writing a post in this forum? Because I am a Canadian!!! Born in beautiful Toronto where people are much nicer and friendlier. I lined in U.S> my whole life which explains my being in a U.S. school.
Well my question is....Can I get into a Canadian med school with my record? Do they accept transfer students even? Do they do clinical rotations in Canada or the U.S.? Lastly what are the advantages of going to a Canadian mad school over transfering to a caribbean med school?
Any information will be appreciated 🙂
Thanks,
Mike

given the fact that you failed out of a US med school, i'd say that your chances at a Canadian med school are no better than zero.

Ask any Canadain, and they'll tell you that getting into med school in canada its a bitch as it is, and thats with top MCAT scores and excellent GPAs.... looks like you're headed to the caribbean.

 

[hoomsy]

given the fact that you failed out of a US med school, i'd say that your chances at a Canadian med school are no better than zero.

Ask any Canadain, and they'll tell you that getting into med school in canada its a bitch as it is, and thats with top MCAT scores and excellent GPAs.... looks like you're headed to the caribbean.

or ask any american..."it's a bitch!!!! canada is tough!"

honestly if you got urself into med school i'm sure u can get urself out of this mess.

good luck

hoomsy

 

[McGillGrad]

You hear that sound? That is the sound of people not giving a crap about a person that beat the odds and landed a spot in American med schools and screwed himself.

Please note: I am not here to judge, just to observe.

 

[akinf]

Sorry guy, but your chances are nil. Getting into a Canadian med. school is hard enough as it is; but flunking from a US, then trying to transfer to a Canadian school is not going to happen. I suggest you check out the Caribbean, if they'll take you. Sorry about flunking out though, I assume you must have very good reasons for failing med. school. Good luck with everything though.

 

[trustwomen]

You hear that sound? That is the sound of people not giving a crap about a person that beat the odds and landed a spot in American med schools and screwed himself.

Please note: I am not here to judge, just to observe.

That's a little harsh. I actually like the Canadian forum because people here are NOT mean like in some of the other SDN forums. We told the OP the truth, but most of us didn't do it in a mean way.

 

[mac_kin]

That's a little harsh. I actually like the Canadian forum because people here are NOT mean like in some of the other SDN forums. We told the OP the truth, but most of us didn't do it in a mean way.

I actually find that its the Canadian students who are overly arrogant and rude. And also less willing to share advice and help each other out than most of the American students I know.

 

[McGillGrad]

I actually find that its the Canadian students who are overly arrogant and rude. And also less willing to share advice and help each other out than most of the American students I know.

So you have come to this conclusion from your years of going to both Canadian and American medical schools?

 

[akinf]

I actually find that its the Canadian students who are overly arrogant and rude. And also less willing to share advice and help each other out than most of the American students I know.

That's a bit judgemental. I hope you didn't come to that conclusion just from internet posts, because if you did, then I may have to also make a sweeping generalization about the misinformed and know-it-all american.

 

[mac_kin]

That's a bit judgemental. I hope you didn't come to that conclusion just from internet posts, because if you did, then I may have to also make a sweeping generalization about the misinformed and know-it-all american.

No I definitely came to this conclusion a while back. Being a Canadian citizen and going to Canadian schools has opened my eyes to the types of students there are. Now dont get me wrong I'm NOT saying that I feel this way about ALL Canadian students. But I find that when I meet people who are polite, who share knowldege, and enjoy having intelligent conversations once in a while, they are not usually Canadian.
From attending programs, schools, and working the US I have found that people are generally (again not ALWAYS - b/c nothing is ALWAYS) more polite and helpful.

I dont know, maybe its just the people I've met. I'm sure all the apparent know-it-alls in this thread are actually nice ppl.

 

[trustwomen]

No I definitely came to this conclusion a while back. Being a Canadian citizen and going to Canadian schools has opened my eyes to the types of students there are. Now dont get me wrong I'm NOT saying that I feel this way about ALL Canadian students. But I find that when I meet people who are polite, who share knowldege, and enjoy having intelligent conversations once in a while, they are not usually Canadian.
From attending programs, schools, and working the US I have found that people are generally (again not ALWAYS - b/c nothing is ALWAYS) more polite and helpful.

I dont know, maybe its just the people I've met. I'm sure all the apparent know-it-alls in this thread are actually nice ppl.

Ah, but you are talking about students you know personally, and I was referring to the SDN forums, where those on the Canada forum are generally much kinder and more supportive than those the pre-allo forum (though I'll admit the non-trads are nice also). And I suspect most current and future doctors have "know-it-all" tattooed on their hiney, it's almost congenital...(hey, maybe he means me!...checks hiney...yep, there it is) 😛 I am a nice person though, if that helps.

I think it might just be people you've met. I've known many nice Canadians and many nice Americans (my SO is American, I "imported" him when I came home). However, the assh*le Canadians I've met are NOTHING compared to the assh*le Americans. There may be (proportionally) just as many, but the difference in intensity is nothing short of astounding. (Then again, I may have had a disproportionate amount of exposure to religious fundamentalists and extreme right-wingers; I worked in the abortion rights movement in the States!)

 

[cheer_up]

(my SO is American, I "imported" him when I came home).

A nice job you did, trustwomen, with "importing" your American SO home with ya. 😀 I know of a few Americans (who are my Canadian friends' husbands, and boyfriends), all of whom are just so adamant when it comes to settling in Canada. Maybe you could give my friends a few good tips 😛

 

[trustwomen]

A nice job you did, trustwomen, with "importing" your American SO home with ya. 😀 I know of a few Americans (from my Canadian friends' husbands, and boyfriends), all of whom are just so adamant when it comes to settling in Canada. Maybe you could give my friends a few good tips 😛

Mine finds GWB scary, so that helped. Plus, he is Hispanic (born in the States from immigrant parents) and the racial/immigration tension is just exploding down there right now... Improved quality of life also helped, but the biggest challenge was getting him to accept the fact that he wouldn't earn as much money (he's in IT, and the field is much more restrained in Montreal than it was in NYC).

Basically, I would advise your friends to let their lovers know that the "American Dream" - prosperity, stability, safety, and community - is now easier to achieve in Canada!

 

[cheer_up]

Mine finds GWB scary, so that helped. Plus, he is Hispanic (born in the States from immigrant parents) and the racial/immigration tension is just exploding down there right now... Improved quality of life also helped, but the biggest challenge was getting him to accept the fact that he wouldn't earn as much money (he's in IT, and the field is much more restrained in Montreal than it was in NYC).

Basically, I would advise your friends to let their lovers know that the "American Dream" - prosperity, stability, safety, and community - is now easier to achieve in Canada!

Thanks trustwomen!!
Yeah, I agree with you on the salary issue. Most of them have a problem with earning less due the high taxes. Others have an issue with the cold weather. I think some of them think we live like the Eskimos up here 🙄
It's a good thing that your "SO" came to Canada to be with you. It shows that he's quite committed to you, which is always a great thing. Anyway, wishing the two of you all the very best now and for the rest of your lives together. 🙂
BTW, what is GWB?

 

[trustwomen]

Thanks trustwomen!!
Yeah, I argree with you on the salary issue. Most of them have a problem with earning less due the high taxes. Others have an issue with the cold weather. I think some of them think we live like the Eskimos up here 🙄
It's a good thing that your "SO" came to Canada to be with you. It shows that he's quite committed to you, which is always a great thing. Anyway, wishing the two of you all the very best now and for the rest of your lives together. 🙂
BTW, what is GWB?

George W. Bush 😀

 

[cheer_up]

George W. Bush 😀

Yup, that's right....who or what else could it be??? I figured that out while doing the dishes 5 minutes later. 😀 So I'm either slow with abbreviations or that it's late at night and so my brain is not working properly. I came back to erase the question, but I guess you got here before I did. Thanks anyway 🙂

 

[akinf]

No I definitely came to this conclusion a while back. Being a Canadian citizen and going to Canadian schools has opened my eyes to the types of students there are. Now dont get me wrong I'm NOT saying that I feel this way about ALL Canadian students. But I find that when I meet people who are polite, who share knowldege, and enjoy having intelligent conversations once in a while, they are not usually Canadian.
From attending programs, schools, and working the US I have found that people are generally (again not ALWAYS - b/c nothing is ALWAYS) more polite and helpful.

I dont know, maybe its just the people I've met. I'm sure all the apparent know-it-alls in this thread are actually nice ppl.

Which Canadian school did you go to, for how long, and in what program?

 

[BlondeCookie]

I agree that the chances are slim, but that is also the case transferring within the USA if you were to do that. From what I understand med school adcoms only consider transfers for extenuating circumstances. Thos circumstances may vary from school to school. Could be things like family emergencies, being away from significant other, etc. Don't be discouraged. I don't agree with other trying to dissuade you from persuing this. Yes, granted you're chances are slim, but you should definitely call some schools to see what they say.