DO degree and opportunities in Canada

[cheruka]

Hi,
I am a 4th yr DO student. I am trying to decide if I should participate in the AOA (DO) match or not. The question I have is- if I opt for a MD residency and take ABFM (fam med boards on the MD side), will I be able to work in Canada? What about a DO residency and ABOFM? I am trying to do Family medicine.
Thanks!

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[cbest]

Do NOT enter the AOA match! Canada doesn't recognize AOA training. Plus, AOA programs don't offer or know how to manage J1 or H1B visas. Only enter the ACGME match!

 

[cheruka]

Thanks for the response. I am a US citizen, so no worries about visas. I do want to have the option to practice in Canada open (there are areas where I would love to live and practice at least for some years). Some of the dual residencies allow you to board sertify in both AOA and ACGME. I am assuming that would probably work too. Does anyone know any downside of being dually board certified?

 

[cbest]

As long as the residency has ACGME accreditation you should be good to go. Given that you're applying to a less competitive specialty, you should have absolutely no trouble getting a spot in an ACGME program.

 

[MontereyMD]

In Canada DO's are considered IMG's.
In order to obtain a Canadian medical licence you not only have to take the USMLE but you need to obtain the Canadian LMCC by taking the MCCEE, MCC1 and MCC2.
Then after that you need to be a Canadian citizen.
Look at cpsbc.ca for the details.

 

[Giemsa]

Hey Monterey

If you don't mind my asking, where did you complete your residency? Were you pleased with the program (in general)?

 

[MontereyMD]

I grew up in Canada

 

[Giemsa]

Sweet! That must have been great.

 

[docnotsopc]

In Canada DO's are considered IMG's.
In order to obtain a Canadian medical licence you not only have to take the USMLE but you need to obtain the Canadian LMCC by taking the MCCEE, MCC1 and MCC2.
Then after that you need to be a Canadian citizen.
Look at cpsbc.ca for the details.

This is not an accurate statement. Im sorry but it needs to be corrected.

In terms of applying for Canadian residency positions through CaRMs, IMGs and DOs are in completely different applicant pools

IMGs have a their own stream where 3000 IMGS compete for something like 200-300 spots

DOs get lumped into CMG (with Canadian MD/US MD grads). This is straight off the CaRMs website and I know a DO grad whos been through the process to obtain residency in Canada last year.

Now, thats not to say that US trained DOs have a shoe-in into any Canadian residency they want. Its still ultimately up to the program directors who will 90% of the time favor a Canadian MD im sure. And yes for sure US trained DOs have to write the canadian board exams

 

[cbest]

I thought the carms match stream for DOs varied from province to province. For example, BC allowed DOs to compete with in the same stream as CMGs but Saskatchewan differed. I'd double and triple check with carms!

 

[yesno]

Can someone tell me what happens if you are a DO, u.s. citizien, not a canadian PR, and wnat to practice medicine in canada after completing a residency in the u.s.? Is the 3yr acgme FM program good enough? Then dont have to take any canadian exams as long as you are "board certified in the u..s"? How about other specialties? I understand that anesthesia is 4yrs in usa and 5 in canada, so what if you do acgme residency+fellowship in usa, would you be eligible for canadian board certification? And what is the job market like in canada for different specialties, including FM, Anesthesia, General IM, and various IM subspecialteis? And if you do IM + noncompetitive fellowship like endocrinology in usa, would you be eligible to work as an endocrinologist in canada?

And also what are your thoughts on Montreal? Do you need to speak french to work there? How is the overal physician job market in Montreal as compared to other cities?

 

[septoplasty]

Can someone tell me what happens if you are a DO, u.s. citizien, not a canadian PR, and wnat to practice medicine in canada after completing a residency in the u.s.?

No Idea how you're planning to just move to Canada without a visa etc.?

I'd imagine that RCPSC would have a linear requirements for board certifications, requiring you to take the canadian exams all over, all for which you have to be a Canadian citizen/PR for.

And also what are your thoughts on Montreal? Do you need to speak french to work there? How is the overal physician job market in Montreal as compared to other cities?

Montreal = French peeps. I'd imagine its a requirement to speak the language considering you won't be able to communicate with 99% of your population without a translator.

 

[cleothecat]

Re Licensure in canada.

We oly accept allo residencies up here. So as a DO if you want to practice in canada must do an allo residency, not a DO residency.

re getting a job here. For rural opportunities in Ontario even US citizen docs will get a sweet deal

 

[Germanada]

For Quebec (that incl. Montreal) you will have to pass a very hard French exam to be allowed to practice here long term. Not 99% of the population is unilingual Francophone as septoplasty suggested, many people here are bilingual. However, French is a requirement to practice here.

Having said that, good luck finding a position in Montreal. You can't just open shop. There is a PREM (essentially a permission to practice from the Quebec government) system where the Quebec government allocates the number of spots for new physicians in different specialties to different places in Quebec.... there are even too few PREMS for all the local Quebec grads who want to practice in Montreal to practice in the city, so it would probably be tougher for a unilingually anglophone U.S. DO (sorry, I don't mean to be mean, just figured I'd be honest)

 

[cheruka]

Re Licensure in canada.

We oly accept allo residencies up here. So as a DO if you want to practice in canada must do an allo residency, not a DO residency.

re getting a job here. For rural opportunities in Ontario even US citizen docs will get a sweet deal

Thanks for your response. I did not participate in the DO match. I just matched into an ACGME residency. So, I guess I do have a shot at working in Canada. We shall find out in 3-4 yrs.