Matching Process for IMGs

[uwodesperate]

All my potential IMG friends keep telling me that if family medicine is what i plan on doing then i should just go abroad (given that i am not successful with the admissions process in Canada) because family medicine residency spots are guaranteed for ANY IMGs... is this credible information??? What is the difference between the CaRMs matching process for CMGs and IMGs?

[A-Stark]

No one is ever guaranteed any residency spot anywhere. IMGs can apply for a few dozen spots in programs across the country in the first iteration of CaRMS but frequently must compete against unmatched CMGs in the second iteration. It's a tough slog, for sure, and short of doing perfectly on the USMLE (hard to do!) you will not have much of any control over where you go, assuming you're able to match at all (and you have more chance of not matching). It's also getting harder, reportedly, to match in the US.

 

Have you applied to med school more than once in Canada?

[uwodesperate]

No... This upcoming year will be my first time applying... (my only real shot is Western or McMaster... due to very weak ABS...)

 

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?p=803694#post803694

Above is a thread which roughly outlines my application, so far...

How much of a chance do you think I have for Western? I wish I had decided on medicine from the very beginning... I deeply regret it now!!

 

One more question, do CMGs that didn't match during the 1st iteration have the upper hand over IMGs during the 2nd iteration??

[ellorie]

Your application seems fairly solid except for your 9 in VR - that's going to hurt you at Mac because the VR score is something like 1/3 of the pre-interview score.

 

Western you will probably meet the interview cutoffs because you are SWOMEN. After that it all depends on how well you interview.

 

Your best bet if you don't get in this year is to rewrite the MCAT and increase your VR.

[uwodesperate]

i see! thank you for the suggestions!

 

if you don't mind me asking... were you part of any competitive sport activities (varsity etc)?? i was only part of intramurals and recreational sport activities since i don't have the athleticism

[ellorie]

Sports? Not me!

 

The way I see it, there is no "required" element of your extracurriculars/non-academic portion. It's all about the whole, and what it conveys about you. I had no research and not many extracurriculars but really extensive volunteering and I was fine.

[uwodesperate]

your posts are like music to my ears lol

 

anyhow, i will just keep working at it! i am well aware that there are no shortcuts in life to anything worth achieving, especially a career in medicine!

 

(i pmed you by the way)

[A-Stark]

No... This upcoming year will be my first time applying... (my only real shot is Western or McMaster... due to very weak ABS...)

 

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?p=803694#post803694

Above is a thread which roughly outlines my application, so far...

How much of a chance do you think I have for Western? I wish I had decided on medicine from the very beginning... I deeply regret it now!!

 

One more question, do CMGs that didn't match during the 1st iteration have the upper hand over IMGs during the 2nd iteration??

 

I can't speak to Western directly, but I'd put the IMG route out of your mind until you apply at least twice to Canadian schools. You have a solid undergrad GPA and *obviously* can handle the MCAT exceptionally well. Work on your interviewing skills, keep up with other activities, and possibly bump up that VR and you should be good.

 

As for the 2nd iteration, I'd say that CMGs on average have some advantage over IMGs, but possibly not over the best IMGs. The match reflects our choices more than our abilities, which is why it can often seem so unfair (and it is), but there are always a few people who don't work well with others or the like. Don't worry about that at this point though.

[johndoe88]

No... This upcoming year will be my first time applying... (my only real shot is Western or McMaster... due to very weak ABS...)

 

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?p=803694#post803694

Above is a thread which roughly outlines my application, so far...

How much of a chance do you think I have for Western? I wish I had decided on medicine from the very beginning... I deeply regret it now!!

 

One more question, do CMGs that didn't match during the 1st iteration have the upper hand over IMGs during the 2nd iteration??

 

Don't just apply to a few schools in Ontario. If you're willing to go abroad and spend 50k a year on tuition apply all over Canada....at least 2 years.

 

Your mcat is ridic good. UManitoba where I am heavily weighs the MCAT. They also drop a fair chunk of your lowest credits. Even if you're an OOP you have a good shot. Compared to my classmates who are OOP (I am as well), you are at least amongst the best.

 

Don't just assume you want family med. Things change so fast in medical school that tunneling in solely for safety is not a good enough reason. If you don't get in in Canada then maybe it's worth a shot elsewhere. Your MCAT is also good enough that you should try to apply to a few US schools. It doesn't hurt to apply when the opportunity cost of going abroad is such an astronomical number with such a low chance of matching outside of family.

[NLengr]

Don't just apply to a few schools in Ontario. If you're willing to go abroad and spend 50k a year on tuition apply all over Canada....at least 2 years.

 

Your mcat is ridic good. UManitoba where I am heavily weighs the MCAT. They also drop a fair chunk of your lowest credits. Even if you're an OOP you have a good shot. Compared to my classmates who are OOP (I am as well), you are at least amongst the best.

 

Don't just assume you want family med. Things change so fast in medical school that tunneling in solely for safety is not a good enough reason. If you don't get in in Canada then maybe it's worth a shot elsewhere. Your MCAT is also good enough that you should try to apply to a few US schools. It doesn't hurt to apply when the opportunity cost of going abroad is such an astronomical number with such a low chance of matching outside of family.

 

If family. IMG matching to family isn't a sure thing right now and it's gonna get much harder come 2015+.

[Don'tBdenied]

RE: IMG and matching. I am a 2012/2013 grad and got an FM spot back home this year from Australia. In my opinion AUS is the best chance of coming home, because of match rates and because there is a viable track you can follow in Australia that, at least at this point, can bring you back as a fully qualified GP.

 

That being said, there were many of my colleagues who DID NOT GET INTERVIEWS and of those who did, several did not match. I didn't match in my home province despite being 'assured' by all there that it was a lock.

 

There were also over 100 foreign students in Australia without jobs this year. Eventually the government fronted up 10 million and it was settled, but governments don't have an extra 10 million every year.

 

What is more, IMG's in each and every province as of 2014 will be required to sit a NAS-OSCE exam which is only administered in Canada, which will completely mess up any time line you have for trying to get a CaRMS match in your 1st year out. From now on, it will be many more exams to sit and less spots (img spots are the gap between cmg grads and spaces and the number of cmg's is increasing and number of residency spots IS NOT increasing at the same rate).

 

The CSA/IMG route is not looking like the best option anymore. The year I started overseas any CSA/IMG basically just walked back into Canada in FM or IM or even harder specialities to match. Now, it is very very tough to match at all.

[leviathan]

RE: IMG and matching. I am a 2012/2013 grad and got an FM spot back home this year from Australia. In my opinion AUS is the best chance of coming home' date=' because of match rates and because there is a viable track you can follow in Australia that, at least at this point, can bring you back as a fully qualified GP.

 

That being said, there were many of my colleagues who DID NOT GET INTERVIEWS and of those who did, several did not match. I didn't match in my home province despite being 'assured' by all there that it was a lock.

 

There were also over 100 foreign students in Australia without jobs this year. Eventually the government fronted up 10 million and it was settled, but governments don't have an extra 10 million every year.

 

What is more, IMG's in each and every province as of 2014 will be required to sit a NAS-OSCE exam which is only administered in Canada, which will completely mess up any time line you have for trying to get a CaRMS match in your 1st year out. From now on, it will be many more exams to sit and less spots (img spots are the gap between cmg grads and spaces and the number of cmg's is increasing and number of residency spots IS NOT increasing at the same rate).

 

The CSA/IMG route is not looking like the best option anymore. The year I started overseas any CSA/IMG basically just walked back into Canada in FM or IM or even harder specialities to match. Now, it is very very tough to match at all.[/quote']

 

The NAC-OSCE exam requirement has been pushed back to 2015, but your point still stands for anyone that hasn't already started med school. Hopefully they will expand the number of spots + dates available, and also remove the requirement to have already passed the MCCEE. The main hurdle is that it's difficult to write the MCCEE, wait for the results, and then apply to do the NAC-OSCE AND write it before the November deadline. All of this has to be in your final year of medical school or already be graduated, which makes it virtually impossible unless you take a year off.