Being a Canadian IMG - breaking down the match numbers

[trymeover]

Who said anything about Irish IMGs? The tone around here may be that it's exceptional, but I wouldn't call 50% 'exceptional'. I'd say it's a reasonable shot though! A coin flip is better than how things were only maybe 5 years ago...

 

Edit: Oh, if you were referring to Irish grads, I heard a rumour that basically 100% are matching in Canada afterwards. I wouldn't be surprised if it was true, but at the same time I'd try to verify that info and if true, how many classes actually did this. If only once or twice, it could have just been a fluke.

 

Oh, should I have said Canadian IMGs? As in International Medical Graduates who are Canadian (that finished med school in Ireland).

 

I don't know where this rumor came from, because I know a Canadian who went to do medschool in Ireland and he said it's not easy at allll. He said matching is just as difficult as the Caribbean, but there's lesser people there due to the impossible cost to studying, so the rate seems better statistically even though it's just as difficult as the Caribbean.

 

He actually said that it would've been better going to the caribbean because most people from there go to the states and get the same matches that carib kids do anyway. And this all happens more importantly at a much lesser price.

[leviathan]

Oh, should I have said Canadian IMGs? As in International Medical Graduates who are Canadian (that finished med school in Ireland).

The term that everyone is throwing around is CSAs, or Canadians studying abroad.

 

 

He actually said that it would've been better going to the caribbean because most people from there go to the states and get the same matches that carib kids do anyway. And this all happens more importantly at a much lesser price.

Well the Caribbean is good in the sense that you do all of your clerkships in the US so you end up making lots of contacts, so it's not very hard to match there. You also have a much easier time doing electives or even cores in Canada when you're still on this side of the pond, which helps for matching at home. Of course the downside is the stigma attached to the schools, and making sure you pick a school with a good track record and reputation, and avoid the sketchy ones.

[VanMD]

The term that everyone is throwing around is CSAs, or Canadians studying abroad.

 

 

 

Well the Caribbean is good in the sense that you do all of your clerkships in the US so you end up making lots of contacts, so it's not very hard to match there. You also have a much easier time doing electives or even cores in Canada when you're still on this side of the pond, which helps for matching at home. Of course the downside is the stigma attached to the schools, and making sure you pick a school with a good track record and reputation, and avoid the sketchy ones.

 

Doing rotations in the US is HUGE. Irish schools may provide better clinical training... but it makes no difference when you go to apply for residency in the USA. The main thing they are concerned about is US experience and reference letter.

 

This information comes from info shared with me by 5 friends in Irish med schools. However some do manage to do 1 or 2 rotations in the states but it is still not the same. Another thing that is happening is some Irish students are not doing so well on the steps. The teaching they are getting is exceptional, it is just not geared towards step 1 and 2.

 

Irish grads are better looked upon when they apply to Canadian residency. Or so I was told.

[iheartmed]

I am wondering how the very increased numbers of Canadian grads in 2012/2013 will affect the match rates of Canadian international grads....