Question for future Canadian IMGs...

[park0235]

I am Canadian and studying in an Australian medical school. After I graduate I am hoping to do a residency in the USA. I was told by one of my clinical tutors who is also a Canadian IMG praticing in Australia that I may run into some hurdles after completing graduate medical residency training in the USA with respect to getting a job/work visa. For those Canadians studying overseas and considering doing their residency in the USA and eventually working there after residency, what are your thoughts on this? I would prefer people who are only Canadian citizens, not US/Can dual, or hoping to marry an American, to answer this question. However, if you are not in the above criteria, your input is also welcomed.

Cheers.

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[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by park0235
I am Canadian and studying in an Australian medical school. After I graduate I am hoping to do a residency in the USA. I was told by one of my clinical tutors who is also a Canadian IMG praticing in Australia that I may run into some hurdles after completing graduate medical residency training in the USA with respect to getting a job/work visa. For those Canadians studying overseas and considering doing their residency in the USA and eventually working there after residency, what are your thoughts on this? I would prefer people who are only Canadian citizens, not US/Can dual, or hoping to marry an American, to answer this question. However, if you are not in the above criteria, your input is also welcomed.

Cheers.

This is true you will have some licensing problems with US education. The reason is that most US programs are one year less than the Canadian equivalent ...I have "heard" that ppl. can get an extra year in residency but I have yet to see any licensed and practicing doctors from the US working in Canada.

If you want to stay in the US though you can apply for an H1B visa which is much easier to get than the J1 visa. The problem is that this will limit your options in terms of some programs...b/c most programs do not want the extra paperwork involved with these visas.

 

[the_wiseguy]

hey park,

i'm a canadian IMG who graduated from flinders in dec. 2002 (sounds like you're probably at flinders).

i am in the process of applying for residency in the US and yes there are hurdles...it's long and complicated- basically if want to go into internal medicine you should be fine- getting the right visa is the tricky part. if you play your cards right you can get the ever-sought-after H1, however it probably won't be at a "choice" program. if you want to get into any other specialty (except maybe FP) it gets stickier, as the competition increases....

best thing you can do for yourself is ace your boards, do some rotations in the US (and get good reference letters there) and maybe do some meaningful research in med school....

by the way, how's flinders been keeping?