First year IMG at Aussie uni looking to apply for surgery back in Canada

[mennat]

Hi,

I'm a Canadian studying medicine in Australia in my first year. I knew getting an internship position back home would be difficult, but given personal reasons, I chose to study medicine abroad, graduate earlier, then either come back to Canada, or the States to practice.

Excuse me being a novice on this, but I was wondering what my chances of getting an internship in gen surgery back in Canada would be, how rural I would have to go in order to do the internship I want. Also, gen surgery is just the start. I want to get into a competitive specialty, like ortho, ophthalmology, onco, or even pediatric, after gen surgery, and I know that's a blind reality, but realistically, how can I get into them, and what would I have start doing in order to prepare for that process in 3 year's time? What would my chances of that be, and should I just be better off applying for family med?

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[Cdn mo]

I am not sure what the process would be. I am considering going to medical school in Australia the upcoming term.

But I wanted to ask you, what are your chances of getting a competitive intern in Australia as IMG. Can you comment on that please?

I am sure some others here would be able to help you

Thank you in advance.

 

[Barks]

Hey mennat,

I've just been accepted to the University of Wollongong so I can't speak from personal experience but looking at the CaRMS statistics, this is what I see.

I was wondering what my chances of getting an internship in gen surgery back in Canada would be

In 2011, there were 249 IMGs who applied for a match in general surgery with a total of 1565 IMGs applying in the first round.

In Canada, there are 8 GS positions that are IMG dedicated. Of those who applied to GS, 59 of them chose GS as their first choice; 9 were matched. 49 IMGs who chose GS as their first choice went unmatched.

In total, 19% of IMGs matched to a residency in the first iteration of R1. This leaves 81% unmatched but keep in mind, this includes IMGs that applied thourgh CaRMS and took positions elsewhere and also includes students from Caribbean universities that may not be as competetive as those from the UK or Australia.The second iteration yielded 82 more matches to put the total match rate at 24%.

If we look at Oceania/Pacific Islands specifically, we see that there were 46 IMGs participating in the 1st and 2nd iteration of R1 and 25 matched (54%).

With all of this in mind, when looking forward to trying to match into a competetive residence, I think you will have to keep a couple of things in mind. First, it's a numbers game. You are going to need the grades and exam scores to match to one of the competetive spots. So, study hard and prepare well for your exams. Second, start trying to nail down somewhere to go for your electives now. Find where you want to match to, talk to them, and try to establish a relationship. It is going to be crucial to have good reference letters to match into one of the types of residencies that you're thinking of. Last, stay positive. It's definitely do-able. People match into general surgery, ophthamology, pediatrics, etc. every year. You just have to put the work in.

Hope that helps somewhat.

Cheers!

 

[mennat]

I am not sure what the process would be. I am considering going to medical school in Australia the upcoming term.

But I wanted to ask you, what are your chances of getting a competitive intern in Australia as IMG. Can you comment on that please?

I am sure some others here would be able to help you

Thank you in advance.

Hi Cdn mo,
You're second in line for residency spots in Australia. First it goes to Australians or PR holders, then if the positions are not filled, it goes to us.