Working in Canada

[Casey]

I am about to start med school this fall. Through the application process I have heard a lot about students who apply to Canadian schools. While I want to train in the US, there is a possibility that my husband might receive a job offer in Canada later on (his family is from there). My question concerns the move from work in the US to work in Canada. Does lisencing directly carry over or would I have to take a new set of tests or residency requirements?

Thanks for the help.

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[moo]

No, unfortunately you have to go thru a whole new battery of tests. Working in Canada if you graduated from a US school is much more difficult than vice versa. For example, I heard of a Harvard trained doctor who could not practice here until he passed a series of licensing exams. It can definitely be done, as I know of many US trained doctors here but it's a lot of hassle.

 

[tussy]

It really depends on your specialty and how much in demand you are. If they really want you, they will go out of their way to cut thru the red tape and get you hired.

 

[GCS:3]

It really depends on the field. A board certification in the US may or may not carry over. For example, an Internist in the states only has to do a 3 year residency. In Canada it's 5 years. So in order to be certifiable north of the border, you'd have to do another 2 years of fellowship.
An R3 on my last rotation is doing just that. He did med school at UMich, and his first 3 years of Medicine at McGill. Took USMLE I, II, and III, and now he's going to do a fellowship in heme/onc at MD Anderson in Houston. After that he'll be able to work on either side of the border. Most places will recognize either USMLE's or LMCC's, provided you've done sufficient training to be board eligible.

 

[Thewonderer]

Have you thought about applying to Canadian schools? It is easier to go from Canada to the US after you finish residency than the other way around.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Moving to General Residency Issues Forum...