Licensing Exams

[Guest JS28]

Hi there,

Could someone explain what sort of licensing exams Canadian med students have to write before graduation? I've heard of the USMLE, but is that only for the States? Also, is CARMS a sort of matching agency? What are the key things (required of the applicant) are suggested for first choice placements? (e.g. marks in med school, extracurriculars, work experience?)

 

Is this how everything works?

3-4 years - Undergrad med program

At the end of 4 years - have to write a qualifying exam and apply for residency positions (through CARMS?)

If the student completes all his/her courses and aces the qualifying exam, is he/she now considered a doctor of medicine?

Upon successful placement at a hospital, the new doc (?) does a number of years of residency (e.g. 2 years for a GP, more years for specialists, etc)? After completion of this, the doctor can become a specialist (or a GP). Now, does he/she have to write any more exams after this before he/she can set up practice in Ontario?

 

Thanks a lot for answering my questions.

 

p.s. I also want to thank Ian and the moderators and all the other applicants who have been so willing to engage in this sort of discussion!

[Guest Ian Wong]

The USMLE has three parts, or "Steps". Step 1 is usually written after Med 2, Step 2 written at the end of Med 4, and Step 3 written after the first year of residency. It's a US exam, so Canadian med students don't have to write it unless they want to get licensed to work in the US.

 

We write the LMCC board exam, which has two parts. The first part is written at the end of Med 4, and the second is written after the first year of residency.

 

CaRMS is the agency that coordinates matching into a residency position after med school graduation. Matching occurs near the end of Med 4.

 

So, the timeline is 3-4 years of med school (3 if you're in Calgary or McMaster, 4 everywhere else), match into a specialty via CaRMS, write the LMCC exam Part One, start residency, after the first year of residency write the LMCC Part Two, finish residency, write the Royal College exam specific to that specialty, graduate as a specialist.

 

The Royal College exam is the one that tests you only on your specialty, and if you pass that, then you can apply to the College of Physicians and Surgeons for a license to practise medicine on your own. Then you need to talk to the Ontario government to get a billing number from OHIP so that once you see patients, the government will pay you for each patient seen.

 

There's lots of additional information in the CaRMS forum below.

 

Ian

UBC, Med 4

[Guest JS28]

Thanks for the info, Ian!

[Guest Ian Wong]

Moved out of the General Premed forum into the CaRMS forum...

 

Ian