GIM vs ID as US trained resident?

[abcdoc]

Current Canadian PGY-2 in IM residency in the US with plans to come back to canada after residency. Currently debating doing ID fellowship- I've always loved the material but am worried there will not be enough job opportunities for me particularly in the big cities (ie GTA) as someone who is US trained + DO. 

I also really love general medicine and am receiving excellent training in both in-patient and out-patient medicine and could see myself being happy doing a mix of both. From what I can tell, theres lots of opportunities across the country for GIM work and with the new CPSO pathway should hopefully make it easier to come back with just 3-years of IM under my belt (as opposed to 4). Now that I no longer *need* fellowship for licensing, I'm not sure its worth spending the extra time to do it if it means more years spent in the US and less job prospects down the road perhaps.  

Can anyone provide perspective on what ID practice in Canada looks like and what the job market is like? Also if anyone has successfully transitioned from 3-year IM training straight to practice in Canada with just ABIM? 

TIA! 

[Samic1988]

Hi,

I do not think you can practice GIM with 3 years in Canada, CPSO new pathway just has removed supervision whereas you still need to be board certified which requires 4 year’s minimum. But I am not sure about it

[plsaccept]

Based on the CPSO page it seems to say that you can practice GIM as long as you're certified by the american boards (which only require the 3 years). 

[Samic1988]

I know a GIM who is currently working at Southlake, he came from us with american board’s certification and went through 4th year at UofT and then started practicing, (it was 3 years ago)

[futureGP]

U probably wont find many ppl that did pathway A as it is fairly new.

 

that said, i’d be careful as this probably only applies to Ontario since you’re referring to CPSO policy.

For ID, you probably won’t have that much difficulty finding jobs in the GTA. ID is one of these fields with low supply due to low # of training programs. But having canadian connections will probably make it easier (completing ID training in Canada). Most ID practice in Canada is hospital-based with hospital consults and hospital based ID clinics for general ID/TB and also working as ASP/IPAC consultant of sort for the hospital. 
 

Can’t think of any good community private ID practice as 

1. Pay isn’t great so no incentive

2. competition is high for travel medicine)

 

The positive of doing an extra fellowship is you can always resort to doing GIM if you don’t want to do ID. And it would be easier to write the royal college for IM as now ull be eligible as uve had 5 years of IM training (RC will count 1 of 2 years u do ID in)