Preamble
In Canada, getting in medical school is tough, especially if you are in Ontario, and many good candidates (that would make fine physicians) do not manage to gain an offer of admission. Many unsuccessful candidates look elsewhere in the pursuit of their dream. This guide explores some of the options out there and pulls together some collected wisdom and a few links.
I hope that this guide will do two things (1) show people that there are a few feasible options for excellent candidates Canadian med schools didn't have a place for, and (2) make people aware that there are a number of dubious for-profit medical schools that will take your money and are unlikely to lead to certificate of registration in Canada.
Older versions of this document are further down in the thread. This post is the most up-to-date. See the "Edited by: UTMed07 at:" date at the bottom to ascertain when it was last up-dated.
Summary of Options
United States of America - not considered as 'foreign' by Canadian medical colleges (licensing bodies)
Pros - most like Canada - same accreditation body (LCME), re-entry into Canada easiest
Cons - high tuition ($30,000 US/year), US health care culture (?)
Caribbean Schools
Pros - low tuition ($5-27K US/year), low cost of living, schools designed for re-entry into the US
Cons - many considered dubious (cater to US medical school rejectees)
Irish Medical Schools
Pros - good schools
Cons - high tuition (22,325 Euro/year)
Australia & New Zealand
Pros - good schools
Cons - high tuition ($25,000-35,000 AU/year), far away
Eastern European Schools
Pros - many well established schools, low tuition, some schools offer programs in English
Cons - need to learn a new language, adjustment to a different culture
Others?
Understanding Licensure (in Canada)
To practice medicine (independently) in Canada one needs a certificate of registration (also known commonly as a "license"). Certificates of Registration are granted by the provincial medical colleges.
In Ontario the licensing body is the CPSO (College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario). Licensure (for Ontario) is described here. A list of other provincial licensing bodies is found here. Ontario is generally considered to be the most difficult place to obtain a Certificate of Registration (if one has done medical school outside of the USA and Canada).
My advice - read the rules from the source.
Dubious Medical Schools
There are a significant number of dubious medical schools. They feed off of people that dream of medicine, but could not gain admission in Canada and the US. If you are considering a foreign medical school I urge you to do some research.
The American Association of International Medical Graduates (AAIMG) is worth a look. However, I do NOT think the AAIMG is credible. That said, it is probably illustrative of what some of the Caribbean schools are like and that sometimes things in Caribbean aren't above the board.
Another site worth checking is the World Health Organization. They maintain a list of medical schools based on submissions of the national governments. If a medical school in a country does not appear in the World Directory of Medical Schools it is not recognized as a medical school by the government in that country.
The Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) has the following warning:
Cost
Foreign medicals schools can be expensive.
Tuition in the US is around $30,000 US/year. Data from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) for public schools is here (2003 data), private schools is here (2004 data). If you assume the cost of living is $10K/year (not a conservative estimate) after four years your wallet is missing $160,000 US.
Irish schools are 22,365 Euros/year. With the current exchange rate (1 Euro = 1.34 US dollars) -- the cost is not much different than US schools on a per year basis. Overall they are more expensive, as medical school (for someone with advanced standing) in Ireland is five years.
Is Australia a tuition heaven? No. The Australian Medical Students Association seems to be fighting the same battle Canadian medical students (outside of Quebec) are fighting.
An Australian Medical Students Association page explains -
Monash University is one school I took a closer look at. They charge $34,000 AU. Current exchange rates show the Australian dollar is about 6% lower than the Canadian one. Medical school in Australia is not a cheap option. New Zealand doesn't appear to be cheaper. In Auckland the domestic fees are $9856 [NZ]... the international fees aren't listed.
How can one pay for medical school?
(1) Loans - CanHELP, BMO Financial + others.
(2) The MD/PhD option. If you like research this may be the way to go. A general description is here. Admissions is competitive. One school that lays it out on their web page is Upstate University -
Closing Comments
If you do medical school outside of Canada there is no guarantee you'll be able practice medicine here. The Canadian Federation of Medical Students has the follow statement:
The reality is not pretty. Medical education abroad is associated with risk and can be very expensive.
Selected Links
- Irish Medical Schools - a page describing the Irish Medical Schools.
- Australian Medical Council - the accreditation body for medical schools in Australia & NZ. A list of medical schools.
- IMG Ontario - describes the process International Medical Graduates must go through to get a Certificate of Registration.
- ValueMD.com - a discussion board that specializes in Caribbean and other foriegn medical schools for people hoping to practise in the USA. It claims to be "the best site for answering your questions about medical school education."
- CaribbeanMedicine.com - a page written by a Canadian medical school post-interview rejectee that went to the Caribbean for med school. I think the Open Letter he wrote is worth skimming through.
- Large numbers of would-be Canadian MDs migrating Down Under - CMAJ, Oct 29, 2002; 167(9).
- Shut out at home, Canadians flocking to Ireland's medical schools - and to an uncertain future - CMAJ, Mar 21, 2000; 162(6).
Afterword
Why did I write this?
I had some difficult getting in to med school and explored other options. I think it is important to understand what options are out there and what the limitations and difficulties associated with them are. I feel that some people who dream of practicing medicine in Canada are conned out of a lot of money and given false hope.
Who am I?
I'm the author of the (unofficial) UT Meds Admissions FAQ. As my login suggests, I'm a medical student at the University of Toronto. God and faculty willing, I'll be graduating in 2007.
In Canada, getting in medical school is tough, especially if you are in Ontario, and many good candidates (that would make fine physicians) do not manage to gain an offer of admission. Many unsuccessful candidates look elsewhere in the pursuit of their dream. This guide explores some of the options out there and pulls together some collected wisdom and a few links.
I hope that this guide will do two things (1) show people that there are a few feasible options for excellent candidates Canadian med schools didn't have a place for, and (2) make people aware that there are a number of dubious for-profit medical schools that will take your money and are unlikely to lead to certificate of registration in Canada.
Older versions of this document are further down in the thread. This post is the most up-to-date. See the "Edited by: UTMed07 at:" date at the bottom to ascertain when it was last up-dated.
Summary of Options
United States of America - not considered as 'foreign' by Canadian medical colleges (licensing bodies)
Pros - most like Canada - same accreditation body (LCME), re-entry into Canada easiest
Cons - high tuition ($30,000 US/year), US health care culture (?)
Caribbean Schools
Pros - low tuition ($5-27K US/year), low cost of living, schools designed for re-entry into the US
Cons - many considered dubious (cater to US medical school rejectees)
Irish Medical Schools
Pros - good schools
Cons - high tuition (22,325 Euro/year)
Australia & New Zealand
Pros - good schools
Cons - high tuition ($25,000-35,000 AU/year), far away
Eastern European Schools
Pros - many well established schools, low tuition, some schools offer programs in English
Cons - need to learn a new language, adjustment to a different culture
Others?
Understanding Licensure (in Canada)
To practice medicine (independently) in Canada one needs a certificate of registration (also known commonly as a "license"). Certificates of Registration are granted by the provincial medical colleges.
In Ontario the licensing body is the CPSO (College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario). Licensure (for Ontario) is described here. A list of other provincial licensing bodies is found here. Ontario is generally considered to be the most difficult place to obtain a Certificate of Registration (if one has done medical school outside of the USA and Canada).
My advice - read the rules from the source.
Dubious Medical Schools
There are a significant number of dubious medical schools. They feed off of people that dream of medicine, but could not gain admission in Canada and the US. If you are considering a foreign medical school I urge you to do some research.
The American Association of International Medical Graduates (AAIMG) is worth a look. However, I do NOT think the AAIMG is credible. That said, it is probably illustrative of what some of the Caribbean schools are like and that sometimes things in Caribbean aren't above the board.
Another site worth checking is the World Health Organization. They maintain a list of medical schools based on submissions of the national governments. If a medical school in a country does not appear in the World Directory of Medical Schools it is not recognized as a medical school by the government in that country.
The Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) has the following warning:
Quote:
Applicants should be aware that enrolling in dubious, proprietary, for-profit medical schools opened specifically to cater to rejected applicants to medical schools in Canada or the USA is highly unlikely to be a path to practicing medicine in Canada. [Boldface is CFMS']
Cost
Foreign medicals schools can be expensive.
Tuition in the US is around $30,000 US/year. Data from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) for public schools is here (2003 data), private schools is here (2004 data). If you assume the cost of living is $10K/year (not a conservative estimate) after four years your wallet is missing $160,000 US.
Irish schools are 22,365 Euros/year. With the current exchange rate (1 Euro = 1.34 US dollars) -- the cost is not much different than US schools on a per year basis. Overall they are more expensive, as medical school (for someone with advanced standing) in Ireland is five years.
Is Australia a tuition heaven? No. The Australian Medical Students Association seems to be fighting the same battle Canadian medical students (outside of Quebec) are fighting.
An Australian Medical Students Association page explains -
Quote:
...international medical students which start at $25,000 [AU]/year and are up to $35,000 [AU], the cost of a full-fee paying degree in medicine is likely to cost a minimum of $100,000 [AU] and probably closer to $175,000 [AU] or more.
Monash University is one school I took a closer look at. They charge $34,000 AU. Current exchange rates show the Australian dollar is about 6% lower than the Canadian one. Medical school in Australia is not a cheap option. New Zealand doesn't appear to be cheaper. In Auckland the domestic fees are $9856 [NZ]... the international fees aren't listed.
How can one pay for medical school?
(1) Loans - CanHELP, BMO Financial + others.
(2) The MD/PhD option. If you like research this may be the way to go. A general description is here. Admissions is competitive. One school that lays it out on their web page is Upstate University -
Quote:(3) Wealthy parents and/or relatives.
Students admitted to the program with full funding support receive tuition remission and a stipend for the period of their training. During all years of training, the stipend totals $19,282/year.
Closing Comments
If you do medical school outside of Canada there is no guarantee you'll be able practice medicine here. The Canadian Federation of Medical Students has the follow statement:
Quote:
Although Canadian citizens will always have the right to return to and work in Canada, Canadians contemplating enrolment in a foreign medical school should know that any limitations on recognition of foreign earned MDs apply to qualification earned abroad by citizens AS WELL AS BY NON-CITIZENS of Canada. Strong motivation, determination and adequate academic preparation are in themselves NO GUARANTEE that a Canadian citizen who attends a foreign medical school will be able to train or practice medicine in Canada in the future.
The reality is not pretty. Medical education abroad is associated with risk and can be very expensive.
Selected Links
- Irish Medical Schools - a page describing the Irish Medical Schools.
- Australian Medical Council - the accreditation body for medical schools in Australia & NZ. A list of medical schools.
- IMG Ontario - describes the process International Medical Graduates must go through to get a Certificate of Registration.
- ValueMD.com - a discussion board that specializes in Caribbean and other foriegn medical schools for people hoping to practise in the USA. It claims to be "the best site for answering your questions about medical school education."
- CaribbeanMedicine.com - a page written by a Canadian medical school post-interview rejectee that went to the Caribbean for med school. I think the Open Letter he wrote is worth skimming through.
- Large numbers of would-be Canadian MDs migrating Down Under - CMAJ, Oct 29, 2002; 167(9).
- Shut out at home, Canadians flocking to Ireland's medical schools - and to an uncertain future - CMAJ, Mar 21, 2000; 162(6).
Afterword
Why did I write this?
I had some difficult getting in to med school and explored other options. I think it is important to understand what options are out there and what the limitations and difficulties associated with them are. I feel that some people who dream of practicing medicine in Canada are conned out of a lot of money and given false hope.
Who am I?
I'm the author of the (unofficial) UT Meds Admissions FAQ. As my login suggests, I'm a medical student at the University of Toronto. God and faculty willing, I'll be graduating in 2007.
, so perhaps these potential extra years are not actually lost in the end. At any rate, for those considering the IMG route - there is a lot of great information on this board. Consider your options carefully and the very real risks involved. However, in the end, if a Canadian ticket remains elusive and you have a passion to achieve your goal no matter what obstacles are thrown in your way, and you desire a "shortage" specialty such as rural Family Practice - then going the Australian and/or Irish route is a very viable option with alternative paths back to Canada that will allow you to satisfy your dream. The extra blood, sweat and tears involved in going the IMG route can be much easier to take than a lifetime living with regret for sacrificing a dream.
