UK Imperial Medicine graduate residency in Canada

[bellelurette]

Hi, 

I am doing the 6 years MBBS program at Imperial college London. I wish to do my residency training in Canada, preferably Quebec. 

I read that in order to be eligible to the CARMS matching program, my diploma needs to be recognized by, at least, one of the provinces. To do so, I'll have to pass the MCCQE part I and II or the ECOS and the MCCQ part I. Does this guarantee a place in a residency program in Canada? It also seems that I can only take the MCCQE part II after getting my diploma and completed one year of postgraduate clinical training (so it's no longer possible to do my residency in Canada??). To save time, is it best to take the ECOS? 

All advice are welcome!! 

Best, 

Morganne 

[JohnGrisham]

4 hours ago, bellelurette said:

Hi, 

I am doing the 6 years MBBS program at Imperial college London. I wish to do my residency training in Canada, preferably Quebec. 

I read that in order to be eligible to the CARMS matching program, my diploma needs to be recognized by, at least, one of the provinces. To do so, I'll have to pass the MCCQE part I and II or the ECOS and the MCCQ part I. Does this guarantee a place in a residency program in Canada? It also seems that I can only take the MCCQE part II after getting my diploma and completed one year of postgraduate clinical training (so it's no longer possible to do my residency in Canada??). To save time, is it best to take the ECOS? 

All advice are welcome!! 

Best, 

Morganne 

There is no gaurantee of a residency placement, especially for international medical graduates(IMG). Feel free to use the search function and read threads about IMGs and CaRMS.

Also, you must be a Canadian Permanent resident or citizen to apply for residency in Canada. Do you have either of those statuses? Otherwise you must first figure out a way to immigrate to Canada and gain status, before you can even consider applying as an IMG for one of very few spots. 

That said, if you are aiming for quebec - you presumably have some French language? If that is the case, it *might* help you out increase your odds. As well Quebec tends to have its own specific processes as well and requirements, so you will need to look directly into that with the source. 

I had to google "ECOS" and it seems it is the OSCE(english version of the acronym), and i think its referring to the NAC OSCE which IMGs have to take in most provinces. 

You generally need to take NAC OSCE and MCCQE1I(also known as LMCC part 1) in order to apply for residency in Canada. You would not need to take MCCQE part 2  yet, and would do so after you have already matched to a residency in Canada.

 

[bellelurette]

On 5/23/2020 at 5:34 PM, JohnGrisham said:

There is no gaurantee of a residency placement, especially for international medical graduates(IMG). Feel free to use the search function and read threads about IMGs and CaRMS.

Also, you must be a Canadian Permanent resident or citizen to apply for residency in Canada. Do you have either of those statuses? Otherwise you must first figure out a way to immigrate to Canada and gain status, before you can even consider applying as an IMG for one of very few spots. 

That said, if you are aiming for quebec - you presumably have some French language? If that is the case, it *might* help you out increase your odds. As well Quebec tends to have its own specific processes as well and requirements, so you will need to look directly into that with the source. 

I had to google "ECOS" and it seems it is the OSCE(english version of the acronym), and i think its referring to the NAC OSCE which IMGs have to take in most provinces. 

You generally need to take NAC OSCE and MCCQE1I(also known as LMCC part 1) in order to apply for residency in Canada. You would not need to take MCCQE part 2  yet, and would do so after you have already matched to a residency in Canada.

 

Dear Mr Grisham, 

Thank you for your detailed answer!

I was born in Quebec so I don't have any problem with having the residency. I am also fluent in French. 

I read that we had to either take the NAC OSCE (sorry for the lack of translation!) or MCCQE (http://www.cmq.org/page/en/reconnaissance-equivalence-diplome.aspx). Do we have to take both? And does the rank university one graduates from is taken into account when applying for a residency placement? I know that Imperial is one of the top universities for medicine and I was wondering if this could open doors for me. 

Is there a quota for IMGs? Why is it so difficult to get a placement? 

Also, would it be easier to move to Canada once I have completed my postgraduate studies and have chosen a speciality? Are some specialities more easily 'exportable'? 

Thank you again for your help

Kind regards, 

Morganne

[bearded frog]

https://www.carms.ca/match/r-1-main-residency-match/eligibility-criteria/

You must take the NAC and the MCCQE1.

Residency applications are usually holistic, so they may or may not take your medical school institution into account.

https://www.carms.ca/match/r-1-main-residency-match/program-descriptions/

There are IMG quotas except in quebec where CMG and IMG applicants are combined. It's difficult because there are many more applicants for the few IMG spots, relative to CMG applicants/spots.

Whether it would be easier to come for residency or post-residency depends on the strength of your application and your desired specialty. For instance, if you are otherwise a competitive applicant it might be very reasonable to be accepted as an IMG for family medicine, which would make the licence process straightforward. However if you say only wanted orthopaedic surgery for instance, it might be extremely difficult to match as an IMG, would theoretically be easier to get licensed here once you're certified in the UK/US, but you'll have to do some research into Quebec's, or whatever province you'd eventually like to work in, requirements for licensing those who have done residency abroad, and if the equiv lent residency qualifies. At the very least you may have to take the Royal college board exams in addition to your local board exams.