Advice for my situation needed (Caribb, UK etc.)

[rankin]

Hey all,

3.3, 31R, great extra-curriculars/leadership etc.

I would love to get into a US med school but I don't think its very likely (maybe if I applied very early on, ie. as soon as apps opened?).

The next step is caribbean/uk/ireland etc. What do you think is my best bet for coming back either for residency in something like family practice or coming back post-residency (to say Ontario).

For post-res in fam med I spoke with the college of physicians and surgeons of Ontario and they seemed to suggest that as long as you completed a ACGME (accredited) US residency that you could come to Canada to sit the fam med licensing exam in ontario without the EE or QE1or2 (but you would need to join a certain quality assurance program).

What do you think I should do in terms of school choices in caribb and elsewhere given my goals?

Thanks so much.

[rankin]

Sorry to double post but anyone?

[tenordoc]

No one can tell you what to do. You have respectable stats, but not amazing ones. Unless you're sleeping with the right people, your chances in Canada are negligable. But you know that.

I can't say about US schools, but I do know that my stats are similar, and I have colleagues who thought that had I applied to US schools, I might have gotten in. That should definately be your next step.

IMO, your rank of offshore schools should be:

US
UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ
Caribbean
Other

But there are a lot of factors that play into this. Carib schools are designed for training students for the US system. If that's what you want, then consider that. The Commonwealth schools don't have the same focus on USMLE, so there is more independent work required. IMO, you should write the USMLE's so you can apply for US residencies. There are so few Canadian ones available for IMGs, you'd be stupid to have that as your only option.

You should plan on writing the MCCQE's as well. They are fairly similar to the USMLE 2 and 3, so won't require much extra studying, and will make your application much easier.

From what I understand, it's pretty difficult, if not impossible, for a non-resident to get a residency spot in Australia and the UK, but not as difficult in NZ.

You need to do your own research, look at a bunch of websites, read a bunch of policy documents.

As for residency in Canada, it's certainly possible but unlikely. Somewhere around 10% of IMG's that applied for a residency spot in Canada last year got one. So you have approximately a 1 in 10 chance of doing a residency in Canada. I have been told that your chances go up if you are a native Canadian who went abroad for training (rather than an immigrant), speak English or French fluently, understand the culture, and have connections, but have no data or evidence to back up that assertion. YMMV Your chances definately go up if you do rotations in Canada during medical school (which is a major pain in the rear to set up, but which can be done).

These are a few random thoughts. Do keep asking questions, but remember, the right decision is going to be different for everyone. Trust your instincts, and when it comes to Carib schools especially, caveat emptor.

[dt]

No one can tell you what to do. You have respectable stats, but not amazing ones. Unless you're sleeping with the right people, your chances in Canada are negligable. But you know that.

...


who you sleep with is important.... lol.

[rankin]

Thanks Tenor I'm very curious though as to why you place the UK above the caribbean. I certainly want to do residency in Canada but I would not be averse to doing it in the US and then applying to write the Canadian board (I would also have to enroll in a program so it could get a bit messy in Ontario) but certainly if I have completed an ACGME residency I believe I can return as a family physician in Ontario.

So why then is UK a better option? I don't understand this. I've read about the north atlantic bridge program but I have yet to seen anything that indicates they are placed above caribbean students in terms of residency in Canada; and as you mentioned they don't prepare you for the USMLE and moreover I don't want to practice in the UK. Why would this be a better option for me?

Thanks again.

[DiscoDoc]

I think you nailed it right there. If you want US rotations, prep for the USMLE and a US residency, the Caribbean might be better.

[tenordoc]

My general impression was that the UK was better, based on something I'd read. In doing a bit more digging, I realized that the Royal College makes a distinction based on where you might have done post graduate training.

Jurisdiction Approved Training (http://rcpsc.medical.org/residency/certification/img_page2_e.php)

So the trick is to do post-graduate work in the US, or one of the countries listed above; ie a residency.

I do think that there is much less of a stigma associated with European schools, which might help you if you're applying for a residency in Canada. I'm doing the Carib thing, and planning on applying to both US and Canadian residency programs.

[rankin]

So is a US residency not considered international within the Jurisdiction Approved Training of RPSC because its not listed here.

[tenordoc]

If you do some digging, a US residency is basically on par with Canadian. In other words, if you did a residency in the US, as long as it's the same length as a Canadian one, you're fine.

[rankin]

I was told by one US psych resident (whom I don't know personally) that Caribbeans students often have difficulty gaining US residency (in more competitive residencies) because the US government subsidizes the universities for each US med grad they accept into residency and get nothing (no subsidy) for a caribbean student.

Is there any truth to this?