Getting Residency in Family Medicine

[PTstudent]

Hello,

 

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what the odds of getting a family medicine residency in Canada if you graduated from SABA medical school an American based Carribean school. What are your odds if you are willing to go anywhere in Canada to do it .. like anywhere.

[aneliz]

Odds of getting a family medicine residency spot = best odds of any specialty

Odds if you are willing to go anywere = even better

 

Odds of getting any residency spot as an IMG = not great

Odds as a Canadian citizen fluent in English = better

 

Hard to give you exact stats... maybe the school in question has match stats for its grads

 

Short answer - by considering family anywhere in Canada, you have the absolute best odds of matching as an IMG... but the match rate for IMG's is still miserable.

[annieuk]

Odds of getting a family medicine residency spot = best odds of any specialty

Odds if you are willing to go anywere = even better

 

Odds of getting any residency spot as an IMG = not great

Odds as a Canadian citizen fluent in English = better

 

Hard to give you exact stats... maybe the school in question has match stats for its grads

 

Short answer - by considering family anywhere in Canada, you have the absolute best odds of matching as an IMG... but the match rate for IMG's is still miserable.

 

Hi Aneliz,

 

I just wanted to ask whether if applying to BC for family medicine is competitive (and how competitive when compared with FM in other provinces) for a Canadian like myself who graduated from a British med school and has been working in the UK for over a year? And roughly how bad are the odds, like 1 in 10 applicants? (just so I have some mental preparation for what I'm going to be facing!) Unfortunately I didn't do an elective placement in Canada but is there anything I can do to maximise my chances at the moment?

 

I'd be really grateful for any opinion or advice as I don't know anyone back in Canada who's medical and knows the system! Thank you!

[Satsuma]

Hey,

 

If you go the the CARMS website (carms.ca) you will probably find the info you are looking for. To get match statistics you need to first click on operations and then statistics.

[smakie]

Is it easy to get a family med residency as a grad from the states? Are US grads considered IMGs?

[extrachromasome]

Hi Aneliz,

 

I just wanted to ask whether if applying to BC for family medicine is competitive (and how competitive when compared with FM in other provinces) for a Canadian like myself who graduated from a British med school and has been working in the UK for over a year? And roughly how bad are the odds, like 1 in 10 applicants? (just so I have some mental preparation for what I'm going to be facing!) Unfortunately I didn't do an elective placement in Canada but is there anything I can do to maximise my chances at the moment?

 

I'd be really grateful for any opinion or advice as I don't know anyone back in Canada who's medical and knows the system! Thank you!

 

Despite all of your friends and relatives who are probably saying to you "BC is crying out for doctors you'll have no problem coming back for residency" the truth is otherwise. Assuming you are a Canadian citizen or resident:

 

You can't apply to BC in the first round without doing a 6 month assesment period first. It varies by year (check stats on CaRMS) but usually BC family med spots fill in the first round. BC is popular amongst Canadians, including Quebecers, so often there is nothing left to apply to in the 2nd round. So odds are not good at all for FM in BC. Alberta will no longer consider non-Alberta residents at all, even after the 2nd round. East of Alberta, however, there are opportunities.

[shaydz]

US grads are not considered IMGs. They compete in the same pool as the Canadian applicants.

[smakie]

Thanks for your reply!

 

So generally, it wouldn't be too hard to get residency in FM I'm guessing.

[Talon01]

..it depends on where you go.

 

Some programs are very competitive in terms of family: a few of the BC programs and the Toronto one spring to mind.

 

Now, if you don't mind doing family in Labrador or Saint John NB(worst place on Earth - the smell, the xenophobia...God!) you'll find a spot easily.

 

And the 'reversing falls' are a rip off!