How I studied for the exams – part 1
What books and resources should you be using to study for your Canadian exams? For details about what exams are needed, including recent changes being implemented by the MCC for 2019, read my previous post about Canadian exams 101.
You basically have to worry about 2 exams: the MCCQE1 (which is a written exam of MCQ and short answer question) and the NAC OSCE (which is an OSCE that tests your bed side clinical skills). Let tackle them each seperately
As the landscape changes I am guessing schools will probably put more importance on the MCCQE1 score rather than the NAC OSCE as that will give them a much larger range to work with. This is pure conjecture on my part. Nevertheless as a candidate you should treat both these exams very seriously.
This post is about how to prepare for the MCCQE1. For the NAC OSCE preperation, stay tuned for my next post. Continue reading “How I studied for the exams – part 1”
Canadian exams 101
Another major aspect of your application for residency in Canada will be planning for and acing your Canadian qualifying exams. This is an area fraught with uncertainty, stress and lack of clear information and was probably among the most stressful times in my journey as an IMG.
The landscape about the qualifying exams for IMGs in Canada is rapidly changing in the last few years and so I want to take this opportunity to go over the most current information , curated from the MCC website in Aug 2018 and then talk about how one can go about preparing for these exams effectively and ensure you get a kick ass score! Continue reading “Canadian exams 101”
USA vs Canada for IMGs
This is among the top 3 questions I get asked about IMG-ing: How different is the landscape for IMGs in Canada compared to the US. While this question has many facets to it including but not limited to geography, politics and personal situation, below are some facts that I have gathered to compare the two systems.
Please note that for the purposes of this article I am strictly speaking about applying for a residency position. Physicians with pre-existing post-graduate training have other avenues they can explore in Canada. Also the information below is “at a glance” and the numbers are rough, for the sake of providing an approximation. Exact numbers may be different when you decide to apply.
Canada
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USA
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Number of programs
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Only university programs. There are 17 medical universities in Canada that offer post grad medical training. If you exclude French programs, that shortens that number to 13-14 universities
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Both universities and community hospital offer post grad training which translates to hundreds of programs available to apply to
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Who can apply?
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Only Canadian citizens or Permanent residents. Must be graduates of medical school on World Directory of Medical Schools published by FAIMER
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Theoretically anyone who has completed the USMLEs. People can match and work on a number of visa combinations. Dont ask me more, the US visa system is too complicated for my brain
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How it works
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In first round, IMGs can only apply for seats earmarked for IMGs. All unmatched seats from first round are opened to both IMGs and CMGs in the second round. Please note there are some provincial differences in SK and QB
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All seats are open to both IMGs and local graduates. Some programs do make distinctions on how many IMG applicants they may take in total but on paper I believe every seat is open for application
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Exams required
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Keeps changing. At the time of writing this article, MCCQE1 and NACOSCE are mandatory. The MCCEE is being phased out. Updates at https://www.mccevolution.ca/international-students-graduates/assessment-overview/
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USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and CS. Step 3 is optional
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Total approx exams costs
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$3735 CAD
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$2550 USD
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Word on the street
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“Impossible” to match as IMG
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Hard but worth the effort
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Success rate
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20% IMGs matched after both rounds in 2018 as per CARMS
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56.5% IMG matched as per ECFMG in 2018
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What is an IMG?
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Immigrants to Canada who were physicians in their country of origin and want to get licensed to practice in Canada
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Canadians, who grew up in Canada and were unable to get in to medical school in Canada so get into an international medical school and are looking to come back to Canada for post-graduate training.