Uncertain steps for the future! I want to go back to Canada!

[medstudent2009]

Hi! Im a Canadian citizen born and raised from Manitoba! i decided in 2004 to pursue medicine in a hungarian med. school! University of Debrecen! its very popular and one of the better recognized schools in eastern europe. its a 6 year program and im finishing my fifth year in the next month or so! i began thinking about possible ways to enter back to canada!

some of my peers are planning to take usmle's. should i be doing this also? my main question is what steps should i follow in order to find a placement in canada? who should i meet? who should i talk to? (eg.. somebody from University of Manitoba? a doctor i kno that is part of the college of physicians and surgeons of manitoba ) Is there any info to get me started that i can somehow squeeze into the CARMS and actually get what i want? should i worry bout taking USMLE's then MCCEE etc?

I heard that if i already had some residency and clinical experience i would be in a better situation? is it true? if thats the case then should i do a short residency program here... so that canada will allow me easier access?

somebody please help me get started with gathering usefull information... it would be much appreciated. im thanking u in advance for any help you can provide! im sure that once upon a time everybody else was just as confused and uncertain as me:confused:. thank you!

[tenordoc]

Hi! Im a Canadian citizen born and raised from Manitoba! i decided in 2004 to pursue medicine in a hungarian med. school! University of Debrecen! its very popular and one of the better recognized schools in eastern europe. its a 6 year program and im finishing my fifth year in the next month or so! i began thinking about possible ways to enter back to canada!

Congrats! I assume that you want to return to Canada to practice.

some of my peers are planning to take usmle's. should i be doing this also? my main question is what steps should i follow in order to find a placement in canada? who should i meet? who should i talk to? (eg.. somebody from University of Manitoba? a doctor i kno that is part of the college of physicians and surgeons of manitoba ) Is there any info to get me started that i can somehow squeeze into the CARMS and actually get what i want? should i worry bout taking USMLE's then MCCEE etc?There are essentially two pathways to achieving licensure in Canada:

1. Do a residency in Canada.

2. Do a residency in the US.

The first option is difficult, as there are so few residency spots open to IMG's. For more information on this, check out the CARMS website. You will need to take the MCC exams (the MCCEE, MCCQE1, and MCCQE2). For more info, check out the MCC website as well.

The second option is easier. For this option, you will have to take the USMLE exams, and (to return to Canada to practice after your residency) take the MCC exams as well. If you would like to practice in Ontario, the USMLE will transfer (although to obtain a visa in the US, you will have to write the MCCEE anyway).

I heard that if i already had some residency and clinical experience i would be in a better situation? is it true? if thats the case then should i do a short residency program here... so that canada will allow me easier access? Nothing that I have read suggests that any postgrad training anywhere other than Canada or the US would be of any benefit for obtaining a residency position in North America. What would be of benefit is some clinical experience in either the US or Canada. Check with your school about the possibility of arranging a visiting student elective in Canada or the US. You will likely have to arrange this yourself. Do a google search for "visiting international student elective" and the name of the school you're interested in, you should find a website with the procedures, etc. for setting something like this up.

somebody please help me get started with gathering usefull information... it would be much appreciated. im thanking u in advance for any help you can provide! im sure that once upon a time everybody else was just as confused and uncertain as me:confused:. thank you!Check out CARMS, MCC, the various med school websites you're interested in doing electives, and the IMG Canada website. That should give you enough info to start with. Also, check out the various Colleges (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons/Royal College of Family Physicians; both national and provincial colleges) and read their descriptions of how to obtain licensure. Once you've taken a look at these websites, and dug into them, you should have more than enough info to start planning.

Good luck.

[TheDoctor]

FYI, your school must appear on the FAIMER website or you won't be able to get a license...

[slickster]

Do a google search for "visiting international student elective" and the name of the school you're interested in, you should find a website with the procedures, etc. for setting something like this up.

Check out CARMS, MCC, the various med school websites you're interested in doing electives, and the IMG Canada website. That should give you enough info to start with. Also, check out the various Colleges (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons/Royal College of Family Physicians; both national and provincial colleges) and read their descriptions of how to obtain licensure. Once you've taken a look at these websites, and dug into them, you should have more than enough info to start planning.

Good luck.

Hi, I'm a student from Toronto, about to begin at the SOM at SGU in August. Well specifically the FTM program. My end goal is to come back to Canada to practice, or more specifically Ontario. I know its still waaaaay to early for me to worry about these things, and I have two years of basic sciences to get through but I just wanted to get a general idea on where to retrieve information.

In addition to the websites listed above, what are the main websites I should look at for eventually practicing in Ontario? Is there a traditional timeline for carribean students to write the board exams (i.e. both the USMLE and MCCEE, MCCQE1, etc..) assuming I would like to do the 12 week clinical electives in Canada?

[Tipton]

http://www.cpso.on.ca/uploadedfiles/policies/policies/policyitems/Acceptable.pdf?terms=usmle

According to one of our grads who is starting resdiency at U of T in a few weeks every Canadian should plan on taking MCCEE whether they are planning on applying for residency in the US or Canada.

[tenordoc]

In addition to the websites listed above, what are the main websites I should look at for eventually practicing in Ontario? Is there a traditional timeline for carribean students to write the board exams (i.e. both the USMLE and MCCEE, MCCQE1, etc..) assuming I would like to do the 12 week clinical electives in Canada?

Contact Health Force Ontario, they have a section specifically for Canadians Studying Abroad, and have laid all this out. If you sign up with them, they will assign you a person to answer your questions, etc.

For more Ontario specific information, look at the Ontario page on the img-canada website, look at the college of physicians and surgeons of ontario and the college of family physicians of ontario, and look at the residency requirements for the ontario schools on the Carms website.

[TheDoctor]

There's also img-canada(dot)ca, but I find/found that page difficult to follow. Healthforce Ontario (and I since you're at SGU) are your best resources. I sent you a PM.

[slickster]

Thanks very much for the replies. All these websites are great information. I'll have to go through them with a fine tooth comb, thats for sure.

I'll have to develop my time line for the journey ahead..