Pathway 4 for Internal Medicine Physicians? Value of chief year/fellowship?

[Saradoc]

Hi there,

Looking for some experienced insight. I graduated from a three year internal medicine residency last year in the States and since then have become board certified in the US.

I am Canadian and need to go back to Ontario for personal reasons. 

I am pathway 4 eligible. I know a lot of family physicians who are doing this pathway but not any internists. Because IM residency in the States is 3 years vs 4 years in Canada, the information I am gathering is that this pathway is not as easy to pursue for internists. I am being told that it is better to do fellowship/chief year to make up for the 1 year shortage of training in the States before pursing pathway 4. Does anyone have any insight on this?  Has anyone completed pathway 4 with the three year residency and been able to secure employment thereafter or is doing the additional year recommended?
 

[JohnGrisham]

1 hour ago, Saradoc said:

Hi there,

Looking for some experienced insight. I graduated from a three year internal medicine residency last year in the States and since then have become board certified in the US.

I am Canadian and need to go back to Ontario for personal reasons. 

I am pathway 4 eligible. I know a lot of family physicians who are doing this pathway but not any internists. Because IM residency in the States is 3 years vs 4 years in Canada, the information I am gathering is that this pathway is not as easy to pursue for internists. I am being told that it is better to do fellowship/chief year to make up for the 1 year shortage of training in the States before pursing pathway 4. Does anyone have any insight on this?  Has anyone completed pathway 4 with the three year residency and been able to secure employment thereafter or is doing the additional year recommended?
 

The two I know that did US IM, all did a 4th year fellowship, and then came back to Canada.  You're going to run into a lot of beauracracy even with the 4th year, so I can only imagine the extra beauracracy of not doing the 4th year. Do the 4th year!  Licensing processing times are astronomical anyways, so its not going to happen anytime soon.

[Saradoc]

2 hours ago, JohnGrisham said:

The two I know that did US IM, all did a 4th year fellowship, and then came back to Canada.  You're going to run into a lot of beauracracy even with the 4th year, so I can only imagine the extra beauracracy of not doing the 4th year. Do the 4th year!  Licensing processing times are astronomical anyways, so its not going to happen anytime soon.

Thanks for your response. Can you elaborate further regarding the kind of bureaucracy and hurdles one might face?