Practicing Medicine In The Us - A More 'affordable' Path With The Canadian In Mind

[Innovo]

I am posting this here because I am assuming most (many at least) of the people reading this section wish to eventually practice medicine in the United States, but are somewhat disadvantaged given they are non-US citizens, primarily Canadians, but this also applies to others around the world. 

 

For the Canadians, in the interest of your money, I would personally advise against applying to US medical schools on a J1 student visa. Not only does this visa not promise to you any form of citizenship (unless of course you fall in love with an American and obtain a Green card, in which case power to you if this is your plan), but it will put you in the exact same boat as those of us who plan to graduate from a Canadian medical school and further seek to practice in the US. Oh, and one more thing, you would have spent somewhere along the lines of 4-5 times more on school/living* as opposed to if you had finished med school in Canada. 

 

 

Instead a better outline for those of you Canadians who wish to practice medicine and live in the US is as follows:

 

1. Finish undergraduate studies at your Canadian institution of choice

 

2. Apply to and complete medical school at your Canadian institution of choice

 

3. This is the point where you need to begin researching the options available to you to start your medical career in the United States,and it begins with residency.  it is important to look into writing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) first, as you will need to have passing scores in order to begin a residency program. 

 

Take a look at this link for further information on the US residency path as a Canadian and some more information regarding the USMLE: http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/medicine/student_affairs/thinkingoftheus.html

 

4. Understand that as a Canadian, you are at a slight disadvantage. You will need to seek out a residency program that fills out Visa applications/paperwork for IMGs. There are two in particular. J1 and H1B. The J1 path is easier to file for and obtain, and you can become an American citizen going the J1 route, but it is slightly more difficult and involves servicing under served communities in the US for 3 years/going back to Canada (or your home country) for 2 years after completing training. What you really want is the H1B visa (or an American spouse, ideally). The H1B visa is slightly more difficult to obtain because it means a lot of unnecessary paperwork for the issuing Residency program (they can much more easily obtain an American MD/DO grad). Persistence is key here. 

 

Here is a list of American Residency Programs offering Visas to IMGs and the types of Visas offered: 

 

http://www.valuemd.com/imgfriendlyhospitals.php

 

 

Some residencies in Florida filed for 20-25 H1B visa in 2012 alone! Considering the amount of Canadians that want do this is is much less than other IMGs (many simply wish to stay in Canada), these are promising numbers. 

 

5. Your H1B visa lasts 6 years. After which you can apply for permanent residency. At this point you will know of the options available to you. You are on the way to becoming an American citizen, congrats!

 

 

Any more details you feel I should add, let me know!

[ArchEnemy]

I am posting this here because I am assuming most (many at least) of the people reading this section wish to eventually practice medicine in the United States, but are somewhat disadvantaged given they are non-US citizens, primarily Canadians, but this also applies to others around the world. 

 

For the Canadians, in the interest of your money, I would personally advise against applying to US medical schools on a J1 student visa. Not only does this visa not promise to you any form of citizenship (unless of course you fall in love with an American and obtain a Green card, in which case power to you if this is your plan), but it will put you in the exact same boat as those of us who plan to graduate from a Canadian medical school and further seek to practice in the US. Oh, and one more thing, you would have spent somewhere along the lines of 4-5 times more on school/living* as opposed to if you had finished med school in Canada. 

 

 

Instead a better outline for those of you Canadians who wish to practice medicine and live in the US is as follows:

 

1. Finish undergraduate studies at your Canadian institution of choice

 

2. Apply to and complete medical school at your Canadian institution of choice

 

3. This is the point where you need to begin researching the options available to you to start your medical career in the United States,and it begins with residency.  it is important to look into writing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) first, as you will need to have passing scores in order to begin a residency program. 

 

Take a look at this link for further information on the US residency path as a Canadian and some more information regarding the USMLE: http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/medicine/student_affairs/thinkingoftheus.html

 

4. Understand that as a Canadian, you are at a slight disadvantage. You will need to seek out a residency program that fills out Visa applications/paperwork for IMGs. There are two in particular. J1 and H1B. The J1 path is easier to file for and obtain, and you can become an American citizen going the J1 route, but it is slightly more difficult and involves servicing under served communities in the US for 3 years/going back to Canada (or your home country) for 2 years after completing training. What you really want is the H1B visa (or an American spouse, ideally). The H1B visa is slightly more difficult to obtain because it means a lot of unnecessary paperwork for the issuing Residency program (they can much more easily obtain an American MD/DO grad). Persistence is key here. 

 

Here is a list of American Residency Programs offering Visas to IMGs and the types of Visas offered: 

 

http://www.valuemd.com/imgfriendlyhospitals.php

 

 

Some residencies in Florida filed for 20-25 H1B visa in 2012 alone! Considering the amount of Canadians that want do this is is much less than other IMGs (many simply wish to stay in Canada), these are promising numbers. 

 

5. Your H1B visa lasts 6 years. After which you can apply for permanent residency. At this point you will know of the options available to you. You are on the way to becoming an American citizen, congrats!

 

 

Any more details you feel I should add, let me know!

 

Thanks very much for posting this. It is very helpful of you.

[JohnGrisham]

I am posting this here because I am assuming most (many at least) of the people reading this section wish to eventually practice medicine in the United States, but are somewhat disadvantaged given they are non-US citizens, primarily Canadians, but this also applies to others around the world.

 

For the Canadians, in the interest of your money, I would personally advise against applying to US medical schools on a J1 student visa. Not only does this visa not promise to you any form of citizenship (unless of course you fall in love with an American and obtain a Green card, in which case power to you if this is your plan), but it will put you in the exact same boat as those of us who plan to graduate from a Canadian medical school and further seek to practice in the US. Oh, and one more thing, you would have spent somewhere along the lines of 4-5 times more on school/living* as opposed to if you had finished med school in Canada. [/size

I

 

Instead a better outline for those of you Canadians who wish to practice medicine and live in the US is as follows:

 

1. Finish undergraduate studies at your Canadian institution of choice

 

2. Apply to and complete medical school at your Canadian institution of choice

3. This is the point where you need to begin researching the options available to you to start your medical career in the United States,and it begins with residency. it is important to look into writing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) first, as you will need to have passing scores in order to begin a residency program.

 

Take a look at this link for further information on the US residency path as a Canadian and some more information regarding the USMLE: http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/medicine/student_affairs/thinkingoftheus.html

 

4. Understand that as a Canadian, you are at a slight disadvantage. You will need to seek out a residency program that fills out Visa applications/paperwork for IMGs. There are two in particular. J1 and H1B. The J1 path is easier to file for and obtain, and you can become an American citizen going the J1 route, but it is slightly more difficult and involves servicing under served communities in the US for 3 years/going back to Canada (or your home country) for 2 years after completing training. What you really want is the H1B visa (or an American spouse, ideally). The H1B visa is slightly more difficult to obtain because it means a lot of unnecessary paperwork for the issuing Residency program (they can much more easily obtain an American MD/DO grad). Persistence is key here.

 

Here is a list of American Residency Programs offering Visas to IMGs and the types of Visas offered:

 

http://www.valuemd.com/imgfriendlyhospitals.php

 

 

Some residencies in Florida filed for 20-25 H1B visa in 2012 alone! Considering the amount of Canadians that want do this is is much less than other IMGs (many simply wish to stay in Canada), these are promising numbers.

 

5. Your H1B visa lasts 6 years. After which you can apply for permanent residency. At this point you will know of the options available to you. You are on the way to becoming an American citizen, congrats!

 

 

Any more details you feel I should add, let me know!

Your post has errors. You don't attend medical school on a j1, you attend it on the f1 student visa. I will post corrections and thoughts after work.

[JohnGrisham]

I am posting this here because I am assuming most (many at least) of the people reading this section wish to eventually practice medicine in the United States, but are somewhat disadvantaged given they are non-US citizens, primarily Canadians, but this also applies to others around the world. 

 

For the Canadians, in the interest of your money, I would personally advise against applying to US medical schools on a J1 student visa. Not only does this visa not promise to you any form of citizenship (unless of course you fall in love with an American and obtain a Green card, in which case power to you if this is your plan), but it will put you in the exact same boat as those of us who plan to graduate from a Canadian medical school and further seek to practice in the US. Oh, and one more thing, you would have spent somewhere along the lines of 4-5 times more on school/living* as opposed to if you had finished med school in Canada. 

 

 

Instead a better outline for those of you Canadians who wish to practice medicine and live in the US is as follows:

 

1. Finish undergraduate studies at your Canadian institution of choice

 

2. Apply to and complete medical school at your Canadian institution of choice

 

3. This is the point where you need to begin researching the options available to you to start your medical career in the United States,and it begins with residency.  it is important to look into writing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) first, as you will need to have passing scores in order to begin a residency program. 

 

Take a look at this link for further information on the US residency path as a Canadian and some more information regarding the USMLE: http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/medicine/student_affairs/thinkingoftheus.html

 

4. Understand that as a Canadian, you are at a slight disadvantage. You will need to seek out a residency program that fills out Visa applications/paperwork for IMGs. There are two in particular. J1 and H1B. The J1 path is easier to file for and obtain, and you can become an American citizen going the J1 route, but it is slightly more difficult and involves servicing under served communities in the US for 3 years/going back to Canada (or your home country) for 2 years after completing training. What you really want is the H1B visa (or an American spouse, ideally). The H1B visa is slightly more difficult to obtain because it means a lot of unnecessary paperwork for the issuing Residency program (they can much more easily obtain an American MD/DO grad). Persistence is key here. 

 

Here is a list of American Residency Programs offering Visas to IMGs and the types of Visas offered: 

 

http://www.valuemd.com/imgfriendlyhospitals.php

 

 

Some residencies in Florida filed for 20-25 H1B visa in 2012 alone! Considering the amount of Canadians that want do this is is much less than other IMGs (many simply wish to stay in Canada), these are promising numbers. 

 

5. Your H1B visa lasts 6 years. After which you can apply for permanent residency. At this point you will know of the options available to you. You are on the way to becoming an American citizen, congrats!

 

 

Any more details you feel I should add, let me know!

Alright so as promised, my rebuttal:

 

"but it will put you in the exact same boat as those of us who plan to graduate from a Canadian medical school and further seek to practice in the US'

 

- This is completely wrong. A Canadian who attended a US medical school is FAR better off than a Canadian who attended school in Canada, for matching specifically in the US. - Thinking otherwise is nonsense. A US grad has all of their clinicals in the US, and has a US style education, which is fairly different. You are very mistaken to think otherwise.

 

3. This part about "passing scores" is also COMPLETELY wrong. You need competitive USMLE scores to get a US residency. As a Canadian who did medical school in Canada, you will be at a big disadvantage compared to a Canadian at a US school, where the curriculums are more in line with board prep. 

 

4. YOU DO NOT BECOME A US CITIZEN VIA THE J1 Visa. PERIOD. You can get around the 2 year return to home country clause, by serving in a rural underserved area for 3 years. But that in no way means you get american citizenship. You would then have to find someone to sponsor your for H1B, or get another J1 and keep extending it.  

 

THE H1B is the only visa for the path of citizenship, and yes is much more difficult to obtain.

 

 

 

Final Remarks: If you want to do residency in the US, go to a US school. If you want to residency in Canada, go to a Canadian school. While there is ease of practicing in either or from each place, after you complete residency, at the residency level it isn't as comparative to swap around. 

 

 

Please remember to fact check your posts before posting false and misleading information. While yes, going to a Canadian school would be far cheaper, that is the only benefit. Otherwise you are at a disadvantage compared to your peers who attended US based schools.

[JohnGrisham]

"For the Canadians, in the interest of your money, I would personally advise against applying to US medical schools "

What I really think you are trying to say is "don't apply, so i have a better chance of getting in"

[DarkGhost]

Alright so as promised, my rebuttal:

 

"but it will put you in the exact same boat as those of us who plan to graduate from a Canadian medical school and further seek to practice in the US'

 

- This is completely wrong. A Canadian who attended a US medical school is FAR better off than a Canadian who attended school in Canada, for matching specifically in the US. - Thinking otherwise is nonsense. A US grad has all of their clinicals in the US, and has a US style education, which is fairly different. You are very mistaken to think otherwise.

 

If you know upfront that you want to live and practice in the States, then I agree, it's far more advantageous to go there for your medical education.  However, if you want to keep your options open, there are ways to make yourself more competitive as a Canadian medical student.  Clerkship exchange programs or international clinical/research electives, and visiting scholar programs (for PhD holders or MD/PhD students) are a few that come to mind. 

[JohnGrisham]

If you know upfront that you want to live and practice in the States, then I agree, it's far more advantageous to go there for your medical education.  However, if you want to keep your options open, there are ways to make yourself more competitive as a Canadian medical student.  Clerkship exchange programs or international clinical/research electives, and visiting scholar programs (for PhD holders or MD/PhD students) are a few that come to mind. 

Agreed. 

[mamba24]

I am posting this here because I am assuming most (many at least) of the people reading this section wish to eventually practice medicine in the United States, but are somewhat disadvantaged given they are non-US citizens, primarily Canadians, but this also applies to others around the world. 

 

For the Canadians, in the interest of your money, I would personally advise against applying to US medical schools on a J1 student visa. Not only does this visa not promise to you any form of citizenship (unless of course you fall in love with an American and obtain a Green card, in which case power to you if this is your plan), but it will put you in the exact same boat as those of us who plan to graduate from a Canadian medical school and further seek to practice in the US. Oh, and one more thing, you would have spent somewhere along the lines of 4-5 times more on school/living* as opposed to if you had finished med school in Canada. 

 

 

Instead a better outline for those of you Canadians who wish to practice medicine and live in the US is as follows:

 

1. Finish undergraduate studies at your Canadian institution of choice

 

2. Apply to and complete medical school at your Canadian institution of choice

 

3. This is the point where you need to begin researching the options available to you to start your medical career in the United States,and it begins with residency.  it is important to look into writing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) first, as you will need to have passing scores in order to begin a residency program. 

 

Take a look at this link for further information on the US residency path as a Canadian and some more information regarding the USMLE: http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/medicine/student_affairs/thinkingoftheus.html

 

4. Understand that as a Canadian, you are at a slight disadvantage. You will need to seek out a residency program that fills out Visa applications/paperwork for IMGs. There are two in particular. J1 and H1B. The J1 path is easier to file for and obtain, and you can become an American citizen going the J1 route, but it is slightly more difficult and involves servicing under served communities in the US for 3 years/going back to Canada (or your home country) for 2 years after completing training. What you really want is the H1B visa (or an American spouse, ideally). The H1B visa is slightly more difficult to obtain because it means a lot of unnecessary paperwork for the issuing Residency program (they can much more easily obtain an American MD/DO grad). Persistence is key here. 

 

Here is a list of American Residency Programs offering Visas to IMGs and the types of Visas offered: 

 

http://www.valuemd.com/imgfriendlyhospitals.php

 

 

Some residencies in Florida filed for 20-25 H1B visa in 2012 alone! Considering the amount of Canadians that want do this is is much less than other IMGs (many simply wish to stay in Canada), these are promising numbers. 

 

5. Your H1B visa lasts 6 years. After which you can apply for permanent residency. At this point you will know of the options available to you. You are on the way to becoming an American citizen, congrats!

 

 

Any more details you feel I should add, let me know!

 

As a Canadian M3 at a US medical school, I can say that your habits determine how expensive your education here will be. I'm on the same RBC credit line as some of my friends at UBC med and my balance at this point is lower than theirs. Granted they like to live in Yaletown, own a car, and take vacations, but what I'm saying is that at the end of the day it comes down to frugality and money management, just like anything else.

 

In speaking to affordability, I just want to point out that getting into a Canadian med school is harder than getting into a US med school. Applying to US med schools will give a premed so many more options, and the premium they pay is made up for the fact that they don't have to take gap years reapplying to Canadian schools. Yes, US tuition is far more expensive, but when you factor in the fact that you earn an attending salary sooner if you get that acceptance letter first try, you probably end up saving money at the other end.

 

Your USMLE Step 1 experience will be so much better if you go to a US med school because you'll actually be prepared for it after the first two years. Also, passing these exams is not really enough if you want to get into a solid residency program in the US, you have to do well. Point is, going to a Canadian med school just to save money, then somehow taking your USMLEs at some point seems like a poor strategy. It's doable, and plenty of people match to the US having saved thousands of dollars on tuition in Canada, but I'm sure it's tough to squeeze these exams in.

 

Finally I have to point out that the OP is full of errors. ubc2012 pointed out many of them but I'll reiterate that as a Canadian at a US med school you're on an F-1 visa. The F-1 also has something called OPT which covers you for up to one year after you graduate, so you don't actually need a J1 or H1B for your intern year. There is no disadvantage of needing a visa when applying for residencies, this is a myth. All the Canadians in the match this year at my school were successful in matching to great programs in the specialties of their choice. I think this whole visa disadvantage thing stems from Canadian Caribbean/Irish grads, obviously it's way harder for them to convince a residency program director to sponsor their H1B.