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Premed Outside of Canada?


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I'm going into grade 12 next year and I have the possibility of becoming an EU student. I was thinking of going to a university in the EU (France, Ireland, or Germany) so that I can save a lot of money on tuition. Plus in Ireland undergrad degrees are only 3 years so I could take a gap year without feeling like I "missed out" (which isn't really something I feel anyways). I was wondering if this would harm my chances of getting into a medical school in Canada? I am an Ontario resident and my place of residency would mostly likely not change due to healthcare (I am type 1 diabetic and probably won't transfer my doctors over to wherever I am studying). Would I still be able to apply to Canadian schools as a Canadian resident or would I be considered an international applicant?

Thank you. 

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I know some universities don't accept undergrads if not from Canada, so its best to check with the school. 

Even if you are an EU citizen, there are "rules" to determine what qualifies individuals for EU and international fees, so it may be a bit more complicated as there are usually residence requirements.

What about doing med school in the EU? Then you dont even have to have an undergrad. Coming back may be challenging but is manageable.

Also, would be good to check how residence is based when applying to Canadian schools if studying abroad even if you are Canadian, I m not sure having "healthcare" stipulates living in a place.

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Just now, Frederick Sanger said:

To be fair, with the significantly low match rate of IMGs (even if Canadian citizens) who pursued medicine outside, the success rate is very very low. It is limited to a few specialties and likely will be near impossible where many people like to pursue their residencies (ie Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, etc). 

Yeah for this reason I don't want to go into medicine outside of Canada. If I'm going to be a doctor I want to be a doctor in Canada (though I'm open to other careers). I really do not want to become an IMG and from what I've heard being a doctor in Ireland is hell, though I'm probably wrong about that. I'm not too sure about France though. I have cousins in France, though I'm not too pumped about the racism there (I'm half West African). 

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1 minute ago, Frederick Sanger said:

 I agree with your initial remarks: it is must safer to try to pursue a competitive career where you have a better success rate in matching than going abroad. On the condition, that your ultimate goal is practicing medicine in Canada. Yes, the process is difficult and there is a bottleneck, but once you pass, the odds of making it out are significantly higher. Good luck in your pursuits! 

So back to my question; would it be unwise to study outside of Canada? Should I just take a gap year and differ my acceptances (or reapply) and go from there? 

Thank you so much for your response! 

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17 minutes ago, tebabeba said:

Yeah for this reason I don't want to go into medicine outside of Canada. If I'm going to be a doctor I want to be a doctor in Canada (though I'm open to other careers). I really do not want to become an IMG and from what I've heard being a doctor in Ireland is hell, though I'm probably wrong about that. I'm not too sure about France though. I have cousins in France, though I'm not too pumped about the racism there (I'm half West African). 

.

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1 hour ago, tebabeba said:

So back to my question; would it be unwise to study outside of Canada? Should I just take a gap year and differ my acceptances (or reapply) and go from there? 

Thank you so much for your response! 

You could always choose a Canadian university and do study abroad. Most students who want to travel do this; you dont have to take a full year of courses and it's looked at positively on med apps (exposure to other cultures, independence, ability to adapt to new environments). Another point to think about, the grading system is very different in a lot of the EU countries (like the UK) and you might end up with lower marks then if you studied in Canada when you consider the conversions. Also I'm not sure what your specific immigration situation would be but it's worth it to mention that if you move with a student visa many countries will consider you an international student and charge intl fees. Ultimately if you want to practice medicine in Canada your best bet is to study here. If you feel you want to take a gap year (and are financially stable enough to do so) then take one. The biggest lie people tell you is that to get into medicine you have to do the typical 4 years super intense uni route. You do what's right for you. 

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8 minutes ago, 3rdtimesthecharm said:

You could always choose a Canadian university and do study abroad. Most students who want to travel do this; you dont have to take a full year of courses and it's looked at positively on med apps (exposure to other cultures, independence, ability to adapt to new environments). Another point to think about, the grading system is very different in a lot of the EU countries (like the UK) and you might end up with lower marks then if you studied in Canada when you consider the conversions. Also I'm not sure what your specific immigration situation would be but it's worth it to mention that if you move with a student visa many countries will consider you an international student and charge intl fees. Ultimately if you want to practice medicine in Canada your best bet is to study here. If you feel you want to take a gap year (and are financially stable enough to do so) then take one. The biggest lie people tell you is that to get into medicine you have to do the typical 4 years super intense uni route. You do what's right for you. 

Thank you for this. I think I'm going to take a gap year abroad and work then come back to Canada for uni. I'm not too considered about my marks so applying in a year won't be that big of a deal. Thank you for this; this really helped. 

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Ensure you have full course load in each school year (Sept-Apr) such that you maintain eligibility for weighted wGPA calculations that many Canadian Med Schools have.  Taking a gap is OK - just don't break up complete undergrad years to do it.

If you want Canadian medical school you should plan to do a Canadian undergrad as path of least resistance.

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49 minutes ago, Meridian said:

Ensure you have full course load in each school year (Sept-Apr) such that you maintain eligibility for weighted wGPA calculations that many Canadian Med Schools have.  Taking a gap is OK - just don't break up complete undergrad years to do it.

If you want Canadian medical school you should plan to do a Canadian undergrad as path of least resistance.

So if I took a gap year I'd have to take a full course load? Why can't I just take a gap year? I'm really confused... 

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