Ross Vs SGU? cradlecrotch, or anyone else, feedback please.

[Guest AG]

Hi there,

I've been accepted for the Ross and SGU class starting Sept '03, and was wondering about residency after graduating. I've been doing a lot of research on this topic, and it looks to me as though it is eventually possible, but only after a long fight with a lot of governing bodies.

Are there any Canadians at Ross or SGU, or in fact anyone who knows about the difficulties for Canadians, that have any suggestions or tips?

I would really appreciate your comments.

Cheers.

[Guest cradlecrotch]

YES, there are plenty of Canadian at Ross and SGU. Every year, a good number of Cdns graduate from Caribbean schools, and guess what? They consistently land US residencies. It does not require any sort of a long fight or battle...none of the hardships that you are imagining.

 

Now, you are correct that Canadian graduates must obtain a visa (H1-B preferably, but J-1 will also work alebit it with extra problems later down the road). It is very possible to get this visa, and it's much more common today than in the past, however only certain hospitals are willing to do it. What this means is that your choice of location will be restricted. That being said, these are still dozens of hospitals open to you.

 

Since you're looking suggestions/tips, here's one: do well on the USMLE step 1. With a low score, you'll be hard-pressed to secure an H1-B. With a high score, you'll open all sorts of doors, some in places you wouldn't expect.

 

Also, you should know that the situation is no easier for graduates of even the most prestigious foreign schools. In fact, it seems to me that you would be at a disadvantage attending an Irish, Australian, etc school, since the curriculum is not US-based, and you'll spend no time rotating in US hospitals. Caribbean is the best bet.