Im In The Us

[RadCdn]

Hey Everyone,

 

I'm an IM resident in the US, originally from Canada. I have 2 questions:

 

1) How many additional years do I have to do in order to work as an internist in Canada? Now I've heard of a 5 year requirement to write the GIM boards in Canada. Can someone refresh me on this.

 

2) In the US, IM docs often work in primary care. My question is, if I decide to do this in Canada, is the billing any different from a family doctor?

 

Thanks for all you input. I really appreciate it.

 

 

[keith_015]

1) Can't comment. Don't know.

 

2) IM in Canada are not primary care the same way the US is. You are referred to IM here. As such billing is way different.

[RGK]

RadCdn, can you please answer my questions :

 

1) Does a CMG have to write the USMLE's in order to be eligible to apply for US residency ?

 

2) What are the chances of a CMG matching into top notch US programs such as mass general, johns hopkins, mayo clinic with regards to IM residency ? 

 

Thanks in advance

[leviathan]

Hey Everyone,

 

I'm an IM resident in the US, originally from Canada. I have 2 questions:

 

1) How many additional years do I have to do in order to work as an internist in Canada? Now I've heard of a 5 year requirement to write the GIM boards in Canada. Can someone refresh me on this.

 

2) In the US, IM docs often work in primary care. My question is, if I decide to do this in Canada, is the billing any different from a family doctor?

 

Thanks for all you input. I really appreciate it.

So it's still kinda confusing, but here's my take.

 

1. There used to just be one pathway to GIM, and that was to complete 1 extra year and then write the RCPSC Internal Medicine board examination. Now GIM is a 2 year fellowship, so you complete 2 years in the fellowship. In your first year of fellowship you get the RCPSC in Internal Medicine. After your second year, you take another exam and get a second RCPSC certification in General Internal Medicine (not just Internal Medicine). 

 

If you have 4 total years of training from the US, you should still be eligible to get the RCPSC Internal Med certification. The question is depending on the job market, it may or may not be possible to find employment with only that level of training, as silly as that is!  

 

2. As keith said the billing codes are all different. GIM is compensated much better in Canada than the US, believe it or not. 

[leviathan]

RadCdn, can you please answer my questions :

 

1) Does a CMG have to write the USMLE's in order to be eligible to apply for US residency ?

 

2) What are the chances of a CMG matching into top notch US programs such as mass general, johns hopkins, mayo clinic with regards to IM residency ? 

 

Thanks in advance

This isn't really relevant to the thread, but the answer to #1 is yes, and #2 is extremely slim, unless you have amazing letters from local faculty, tons of research, and 99th percentile board scores. As someone who only had the third facet in my application (well, i had good letters but not from ivy league faculty), I got zero interviews from any of those programs. 

[NLengr]

So it's still kinda confusing, but here's my take.

 

1. There used to just be one pathway to GIM, and that was to complete 1 extra year and then write the RCPSC Internal Medicine board examination. Now GIM is a 2 year fellowship, so you complete 2 years in the fellowship. In your first year of fellowship you get the RCPSC in Internal Medicine. After your second year, you take another exam and get a second RCPSC certification in General Internal Medicine (not just Internal Medicine). 

 

I still think that was one of the more foolish decisions the College has made. It makes little sense to me and appears to be mostly Credentialism.

[A-Stark]

Agreed. It's frankly bizarre that the College felt it necessary to create two paths to what amounts to the exact same thing in community practice. There have always been graduate degrees and post-residency fellowships for those academically-inclined, and it's very questionable whether an additional year of residency fills that purpose in any distinctive way. 

[keith_015]

 

 

If you have 4 total years of training from the US, you should still be eligible to get the RCPSC Internal Med certification. The question is depending on the job market, it may or may not be possible to find employment with only that level of training, as silly as that is!  

 

 

I don't think the Royal College accepts foreign training for IM at par. Same goes for ER.

[shimshim]

I am doing IM residency in USA, is 3 years. 3 for GIM/ Hospitalist/ Primary care. 

 

I want to come back, I love Canada, me and my partner both love Canada more than any City in states we visited, I just do not understand what is all these rules, and laws trying to hold us back. There is pathway 4 or Pathway 3, but they all want 1 year extra. 

 

Should I just say screw 1 year extra do Cardio or GI , since I can not even find a job as a hospitalist right now, I am calling, no one offering anything . And the whole clinic thing, I really want to have my own clinic. 

 

Can I have a clinic if I do fellowship, will I be able to get funding from TD-Bank or something. 

[RGK]

shimshim...can you kindly answer the questions I posted above ? I would really like to get answers from someone inside the system. Thanks

[shimshim]

shimshim...can you kindly answer the questions I posted above ? I would really like to get answers from someone inside the system. Thanks

 

Yes you have to do USMLE. 

 

Also the chance is very low if you have not done an elective in those places. 

 

My advice to you stay in Canada. 

[leviathan]

I don't think the Royal College accepts foreign training for IM at par. Same goes for ER.

Can't speak for emerg but they do accept US training for internal medicine. The catch is that IM is 3 years in the US, so you have to complete an extra 4th year before being eligible. Some people just do an extra chief resident year in IM, others do a 1 year fellowship in something. 

 

Of course now this might all change when the college starts requiring this 5 year business for GIM, but cant say for sure yet.

[shimshim]

Can't speak for emerg but they do accept US training for internal medicine. The catch is that IM is 3 years in the US, so you have to complete an extra 4th year before being eligible. Some people just do an extra chief resident year in IM, others do a 1 year fellowship in something. 

 

Of course now this might all change when the college starts requiring this 5 year business for GIM, but cant say for sure yet.

 

There is talk to Increase the IM in US to 4 years as of 3 years from now. But with this whole affordable health care act, I think it will not work. No money. 

[shimshim]

anyways I will apply for fellowship in Canada and US now , i figured it out