Kaktie Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 Hi Guys, Long time lurker, first time poster. I'm a Canadian IMG from Ontario, set to start an IM residency in the US in July. Did all my visa paperwork, and talked about 'Pathway 4' in my Action Plan. To those of who you don't know it, its basically a way of getting a license to practice Medicine in Ontario without taking the RCPSC Exams. You need to be board certified by a US Specialty board, and then practice for a year under supervision in ON. Was talking to the lady at Health Force Ontario and her advice for me was to stay a Generalist if I wanted a job back in Ontario. I asked her specifically about a Pulmonary/Critical-Care Fellowship in the US, its a three year program and you get boarded in both, and then coming back to Ontario to practice as a Pulmonologist (Respirologist) & Intensivist, and even though I could get licensed, she said it wouldn't be 'marketable'. Not sure what to make of this, wanted to get some feedback from those of you out there....is this true? I always figured once you had a license to practice from the provincial college, you're good to go. Does having a license under pathway 4 but not being RCPSC certified in the specialty make you unemployable? (I'm talking about Community Hospitals here, not UHN or something fancy) Any thoughts/suggestions are appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mourning Cloak Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 I'm a Canadian IMG from Ontario, set to start an IM residency in the US in July. Did all my visa paperwork, and talked about 'Pathway 4' in my Action Plan. To those of who you don't know it, its basically a way of getting a license to practice Medicine in Ontario without taking the RCPSC Exams. You need to be board certified by a US Specialty board, and then practice for a year under supervision in ON. Was talking to the lady at Health Force Ontario and her advice for me was to stay a Generalist if I wanted a job back in Ontario. I asked her specifically about a Pulmonary/Critical-Care Fellowship in the US, its a three year program and you get boarded in both, and then coming back to Ontario to practice as a Pulmonologist (Respirologist) & Intensivist, and even though I could get licensed, she said it wouldn't be 'marketable'. Pathway 4 is not full licensure; it's a restricted license that the province can choose to offer you, if they need you. Unlike full, unrestricted licensure (which, if you quality for, provinces can't really deny you without really good cause), the Fourth Pathway is basically asking Ontario, "Please, will you let me in? Can you use me? Do you want me?" Ontario is under no obligation to grant you a restricted license . . . they may, if they decide it's worth their while. That's where "marketable" comes in. The Health Force Ontario rep is trying to warn you that if Ontario doesn't need a respirologist & intensivist at the moment you apply, you won't be offered a license. Generalists, obviously, are far more in demand, and would be more likely to be welcomed. See the various threads on the doc situation in Canada: http://premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56480&highlight=glut http://premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60302&highlight=glut http://premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60302&highlight=glut http://premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59899&highlight=glut http://premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58087&highlight=glut I always figured once you had a license to practice from the provincial college, you're good to go. Does having a license under pathway 4 but not being RCPSC certified in the specialty make you unemployable? (I'm talking about Community Hospitals here, not UHN or something fancy) If you have your LMCC and Royal College, you are more likely to get a license from Ontario. As far as job go, hospitals are obviously going to choose someone with the Royal College over someone who doesn't have it. While you may be able to get a license without the Royal College exams, remember that licensure is only the first step. Additional credentialling requirements are usually required by the individual health regions / hospitals when you apply for privileges (many regular ordinary hospitals require their specialists to be FRCPCs; some of them will hire you without it, but require you to pass the exams within a certain period of time). If you have your heart set on practicing in a particular health region or at a particular hospital, it would be wise to inquire with them what their credentialling requirements are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaktie Posted March 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Really Appreciate the Info....thanks for taking the time to reply had a chance to read through the threads you linked and the CIHI / RCPSC Info....really interesting stuff Definitely flies in the face of the 'doctor shortage' mantra I remember hearing... Much more nuanced than I thought Any Canadian IMGs out there think this would dissuade them from pursuing a fellowship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.