Best MED SCHOOL FOR IMG?

[broom]

It is between 10-20% in Ontario and even lower in the GTA. The GTA is a huge factory for premeds and at the same time misses all the regional loyalties everywhere else in Canada. SWOMEN at Western. Northern Ontario at Northern Ontario SOM etc etc. All the other Ontario medical schools allow open season for all applicants across Canada whereas all other provincial med schools reserve 90% of their spots for their own province.

 

Its about time that all these restrictions should be eliminated. The US doesn't have these restrictions with the exception of fees in state schools, and does perfectly fine distributing its students across the country. But to have so many provincial restrictions just ends up discriminating against the GTA and to a lesser extent BC. It is also ironic that those areas happen to be where many minorities live.

 

The comparison to US is a false analogy. Canada has a very different geographic distribution than the states, wherein most of the Canadian population is near the US border. This is for several reasons, including weather and economic factors. There are many rural areas very far from the US border who are subject to a lack of care especially when it comes to primary care. If one must go for major surgery, going to a nearby big city is understandable, but one should not need to travel a considerable amount to get to a primary care physician.

 

It is also true that big cities, especially in the GTA, has by sheer numbers many more successful students. If we assume that 5% of all students are outstanding, but the GTA has a significantly greater population than Edmonton (for example), the GTA will have more outstanding applicants. The problem is that a student who ranks at even 90th or 80th percentile can be a great doctor and serve a rural area, but are getting pushed out of medical schools by GTA applicants.

 

The current model to keep medical students in rural areas is not by way of forcing them — this is unpleasant for both physicians and doesn't allow for ideal patient-doctor visits. Ideally, primary care physicians really get to know their patients over many years and can use that to provide greater care. I don't think that forcing physicians to stay in a province for 20 years is ideal. I think the assumption that Canadian schools make is that you have spent several years living in a place you start to develop roots there and want to stay. This is not always the case, but I think that for the most part it is true.

 

Canada is really not trying to discriminate against minorities, but I think that serving Canadian patients who live in rural areas should take precedence for the country. If a person who is a minority was so inclined, I feel that many rural areas in Canada would gladly accept them into their workforce and economy.

[Dayne67]

The comparison to US is a false analogy. Canada has a very different geographic distribution than the states, wherein most of the Canadian population is near the US border. This is for several reasons, including weather and economic factors. There are many rural areas very far from the US border who are subject to a lack of care especially when it comes to primary care. If one must go for major surgery, going to a nearby big city is understandable, but one should not need to travel a considerable amount to get to a primary care physician.

 

It is also true that big cities, especially in the GTA, has by sheer numbers many more successful students. If we assume that 5% of all students are outstanding, but the GTA has a significantly greater population than Edmonton (for example), the GTA will have more outstanding applicants. The problem is that a student who ranks at even 90th or 80th percentile can be a great doctor and serve a rural area, but are getting pushed out of medical schools by GTA applicants.

 

The current model to keep medical students in rural areas is not by way of forcing them — this is unpleasant for both physicians and doesn't allow for ideal patient-doctor visits. Ideally, primary care physicians really get to know their patients over many years and can use that to provide greater care. I don't think that forcing physicians to stay in a province for 20 years is ideal. I think the assumption that Canadian schools make is that you have spent several years living in a place you start to develop roots there and want to stay. This is not always the case, but I think that for the most part it is true.

 

Canada is really not trying to discriminate against minorities, but I think that serving Canadian patients who live in rural areas should take precedence for the country. If a person who is a minority was so inclined, I feel that many rural areas in Canada would gladly accept them into their workforce and economy.

 

 

The US analogy is not false. I live in the US and attend med school here. I even have permanent residence here. There are plenty of states and plenty of districts (rural and urban) that are under-served. States fund their medical schools and it's that extent of funding that determines how low tuition is for instate applicants and just how much the class composition is going to be exclusively instate as well. There is definitely preference for instate applicants but for the most part, it is not nearly as much as what is practiced by non-Ontario schools in Canada.

 

I think that GTA applicants are getting kind of ripped off. Why should we as tax payers fund the education of non-Ontario residents in our medical schools? Especially since these applicants come from provinces that wholeheartedly express instate bias against us. I am not against the preference given to locales of NOSM and SWOMEN. I understand their rationale for trying to find applicants who will practice medicine there. And they are afterall, also Ontario residents.

[missmathematics]

I think that GTA applicants are getting kind of ripped off. Why should we as tax payers fund the education of non-Ontario residents in our medical schools? Especially since these applicants come from provinces that wholeheartedly express instate bias against us. I am a little less against the preference given to locales of NOSM and SWOMEN. I totally understand their rationale for trying to find applicants who will practice medicine there. And they are afterall, Ontario residents.

 

I could not have said it better myself.

[NLengr]

I think that GTA applicants are getting kind of ripped off. Why should we as tax payers fund the education of non-Ontario residents in our medical schools? Especially since these applicants come from provinces that wholeheartedly express instate bias against us. I am a little less against the preference given to locales of NOSM and SWOMEN. I totally understand their rationale for trying to find applicants who will practice medicine there. And they are afterall, Ontario residents.

 

I could not have said it better myself.

 

Actually since Ontario is now a have not province, they get equalization.

 

In a way, other provinces are paying for Ontario students education and OOP students in Ontario from have provinces are funding their own education. How's that for mental gymnastics....

[Dayne67]

 

Actually since Ontario is now a have not province, they get equalization.

 

In a way, other provinces are paying for Ontario students education and OOP students in Ontario from have provinces are funding their own education. How's that for mental gymnastics....

 

If only things were that simple......A more thorough analysis says otherwise....

 

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/12/21/kelly-mcparland-report-says-ontario-is-big-loser-in-broken-equalization-program/

 

Ontario gets payments now but it dishes out still way way way more than it receives. In other words, it is subsidizing the medical education of not only OOP students attending their schools but also of OOP attending schools outside of Ontario....

[jerkoutnow2]

If only things were that simple......A more thorough analysis says otherwise....

 

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/12/21/kelly-mcparland-report-says-ontario-is-big-loser-in-broken-equalization-program/

 

Ontario gets payments now but it dishes out still way way way more than it receives. In other words, it is subsidizing the medical education of not only OOP students attending their schools but also of OOP attending schools outside of Ontario....

 

according to the article, they also pay for IPs in other provinces

[apache]

honestly, the oop students from ontario... have to admit better than the average albertan admission

 

however, what do you do with absolutely exceptional, albeit less common percentage-wise alberta applicant...

 

The comparison to US is a false analogy. Canada has a very different geographic distribution than the states, wherein most of the Canadian population is near the US border. This is for several reasons, including weather and economic factors. There are many rural areas very far from the US border who are subject to a lack of care especially when it comes to primary care. If one must go for major surgery, going to a nearby big city is understandable, but one should not need to travel a considerable amount to get to a primary care physician.

 

It is also true that big cities, especially in the GTA, has by sheer numbers many more successful students. If we assume that 5% of all students are outstanding, but the GTA has a significantly greater population than Edmonton (for example), the GTA will have more outstanding applicants. The problem is that a student who ranks at even 90th or 80th percentile can be a great doctor and serve a rural area, but are getting pushed out of medical schools by GTA applicants.

 

The current model to keep medical students in rural areas is not by way of forcing them — this is unpleasant for both physicians and doesn't allow for ideal patient-doctor visits. Ideally, primary care physicians really get to know their patients over many years and can use that to provide greater care. I don't think that forcing physicians to stay in a province for 20 years is ideal. I think the assumption that Canadian schools make is that you have spent several years living in a place you start to develop roots there and want to stay. This is not always the case, but I think that for the most part it is true.

 

Canada is really not trying to discriminate against minorities, but I think that serving Canadian patients who live in rural areas should take precedence for the country. If a person who is a minority was so inclined, I feel that many rural areas in Canada would gladly accept them into their workforce and economy.

[Edict]

Hey, just curious. What would you guys recommend is the best medical school for an IMG to graduate from in order to have the highest chances of matching in Canada/US? Lets say top 3 schools? Worldwide med schools considered; Caribb, Europe, Australia, etc.

 

Thanks!

 

Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh.

 

They don't prepare you jack for matching back, but they offer you their reputation which will take you around the world and back.

 

Not to mention if you are smart enough to get into these schools, you're smart enough to do well on the USMLE on your own

 

P.S. muse87, i don't understand your english at all.