***Living in Toronto***

[Rossei]

I'm a PR (didn't land yet ) and I'm planning to settle down in Ontario specifically Toronto, but i'm open to move elsewhere if it's in my best interest.
I have a bachelor degree in Pharmaceutical sciences. I was thinking about making a career shift by going to a medical school and trying to be a licensed doctor in Canada.

I need info about if any scholarships are available for medical students and loans as well.

Yes, both scholarships and loans are available to Medical students.

I would also like to know how long does it take to be a licensed doctor (ex. family doctor)

3 - 4 years of undergrad (which you have) + 3 - 4 years of M.D. program + 2 - 6 years of paid residency (min 2 years for GP, 4 - 6 years for Specialists) + Any additional time for MCC exams + Additional years for post-grad studies (if applicable)

Some Key Factors:

• A total of 21,588 applications from 6,586 individuals was received by all 6 Medical schools in Ontario for a target class size of 960 only for 2018 calendar year. So, it's highly competitive.
• Application process starts a year before school term begins and it's controlled by OMSAS
• Prerequisites often include high CGPA from science-based undergrad, good MCAT score, TOEFL score (for ESL applicants), Work+Volunteer experiences etc.
• Geographical preference is often given to local residents (who did high school in Ontario). Some schools will consider new immigrants as "residents" once they lived in Ontario for a minimum of 3 - 4 years.
• Academic excellence, work/volunteer experience, references, autobiography etc. carry lot of value in selection process, hence it's hard for a new immigrant to accumulate on these points
• Foreign credentials need to be evaluated by WES before application
• Tuition is very high in most med schools. For example, Schulich School of Medicine at Western Uni will cost you $115,000 in tuition only for 4-year med program.

 

[canuck78]

A couple of corrections. Med school is 4 years. Residencies vary between 2-5 years. 2 years for GP. Residencies are paid but basically cover cost of living especially for the first couple of years of residency. Fellowships are almost mandatory now for specialist so add on 1-2 years for post grad programs for specialist.

 

[Rossei]

A couple of corrections. Med school is 4 years. Residencies vary between 2-5 years. 2 years for GP. Residencies are paid but basically cover cost of living especially for the first couple of years of residency. Fellowships are almost mandatory now for specialist so add on 1-2 years for post grad programs for specialist.

- If I'm not mistaken, the MD program at Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in McMaster Uni is a 3-year program. Hence, I said 3 - 4 years.
- For residency, you're right, I should have said 2 - 6 years actually. For specialty, it varies from 4 to 6 years with most having 5 years residency requirement. I believe that Internal medicine and pediatrics are 4-year programs whereas some surgical residencies last even 6 years.
- I also said to add additional years for post-grad studies which mean fellowship n all. A wanna be doctor should know lot better.

 

[canuck78]

Think MAC used to be 4 years but it is always the outlier. Some of my best friends are surgeons (plus GP and paeds) and I've been through the whole process since application with them. Medical school has changed a lot though and enrollment has skyrocketed. Don't know how all these graduates are going to find work or even find residency spots. Unless you want to work in smaller centres or be a family doctor it is actually pretty hard to find a permanent job. Pick your specialty very carefully if you get in. Count fellowships as necessary now if you want to be a specialist. Actually recently 2 fellowships are what I have been noticing from most graduates and we're not talking about only neurosurgeons. Medicine is just getting more specialized.

My recommendation to anyone considering medical school is if you can imagine yourself in another profession do that instead. It is a very long and demanding process with no guarantees in the end. For example my friend is a plastic surgeon who can no longer operate because of bad wrists. The college was not helpful at all and even though she won tons of surgery awards. She was basically kicked to the curb.

 

[Ahmed_adel107]

Getting into medical school in Canada is extremely difficult. Unless you have excellent marks and MCAT scores and have done lots of volunteer work you will probably not be accepted. I would suggest you have a plan b.

It takes 4 years of medical school and 2 years of residency to complete family medicine. There are not many scholarships you will habe to take out loans. Average tuition is 20k a year without living expenses. You may want to try the northern medical school which only admits family doctors. Many Canadian applicants end up applying many times or going to medical school in another country so I would have another plan. You wouldn't be able to apply until the next year and should be planning your application for the Sept 2018 admission right now.

Yes, both scholarships and loans are available to Medical students.


3 - 4 years of undergrad (which you have) + 3 - 4 years of M.D. program + 2 - 6 years of paid residency (min 2 years for GP, 4 - 6 years for Specialists) + Any additional time for MCC exams + Additional years for post-grad studies (if applicable)

Some Key Factors:

• A total of 21,588 applications from 6,586 individuals was received by all 6 Medical schools in Ontario for a target class size of 960 only for 2018 calendar year. So, it's highly competitive.
• Application process starts a year before school term begins and it's controlled by OMSAS
• Prerequisites often include high CGPA from science-based undergrad, good MCAT score, TOEFL score (for ESL applicants), Work+Volunteer experiences etc.
• Geographical preference is often given to local residents (who did high school in Ontario). Some schools will consider new immigrants as "residents" once they lived in Ontario for a minimum of 3 - 4 years.
• Academic excellence, work/volunteer experience, references, autobiography etc. carry lot of value in selection process, hence it's hard for a new immigrant to accumulate on these points
• Foreign credentials need to be evaluated by WES before application
• Tuition is very high in most med schools. For example, Schulich School of Medicine at Western Uni will cost you $115,000 in tuition only for 4-year med program.

Thank you so much for the information. It was very useful to know all that.
The only problem for me would the volunteering work because i didn't land yet in Canada, which would mean i will have to waste a lot of time even before starting studying medicine.
I kinda had my hopes up when the idea of studing medicine came to me, as to be a licensed pharmacist takes about 2-3 years and I never liked this profession in my home country, and it's not as promising in canada these days either.

wish I will find a good way to start a new satisfying life for me in Canada.

 

[canuck78]

1 yr of volunteer work would likely not be enough anyways. You always have the option to move to a more rural location where pharmacists are better compensated.

 

[Dsoliman]

Hi

Thank you so much for the information. It was very useful to know all that.
The only problem for me would the volunteering work because i didn't land yet in Canada, which would mean i will have to waste a lot of time even before starting studying medicine.
I kinda had my hopes up when the idea of studing medicine came to me, as to be a licensed pharmacist takes about 2-3 years and I never liked this profession in my home country, and it's not as promising in canada these days either.

wish I will find a good way to start a new satisfying life for me in Canada.

Hi Dr. Ahmed,

I'd like to ask you - since you had already passed through this experience- what was the evaluation of the bachelor degree in the EE? was it master or bachelor degree, as this will affect dramatically my points. and did you evaluate the documents in PBEC ?

 

[canuck78]

Hi



Hi Dr. Ahmed,

I'd like to ask you - since you had already passed through this experience- what was the evaluation of the bachelor degree in the EE? was it master or bachelor degree, as this will affect dramatically my points. and did you evaluate the documents in PBEC ?

You have o find someone from the same country and same degree in order to compare.

 

[MEB]

Good Day Guys,
I am an Engineer (more than 10 yrs + experience / holder of several internationally recognized Vendor certificates in the field of work ), and just in the middle of PR process and plan to move to Canada may be by 2nd Q 2018 and work as an IT professional we are family of 4 (2 Adults +4 yrs old boy and 10 yrs old girl),would like to know more customized details like :
1)What is the average Pay for IT infrastructure professionals with more than 10 + yrs exp. in Ontario
2)Saw the Cost of Apartments/houses yes , but if its precisely a 3 bed room flat or small 3 bedroom town house (both not inside / yet not so far from city center) ..how much in average would that cost ?
3)How much in average is both the first deposit /post installment and monthly installment for getting a German Car ,say for example VW Passat ,what about for example a Japanese/Korean 4X4 like Pajero ,Hyundai ,Mazda ,etc...
4)Any information regarding Costs .Facilities ,availability and requirement for Social/sports clubs ?
5)Average Pay for miscellaneous monthly medical drugs (say strepsils , Catafast,Panadol ,Flagyl ,motilium,etc...)
6)Medical expenses outside covered insurance ,like dental crowns ,Optical analysis, etc...
7) How are common residential issues like electrical issues and plumbing handled ?what are the associated average extra costs ?

Sorry to ask lot's of Q's (and many may appear naïve ) but may be cause I am totally not aware yet of the entire aspects of residing in Canada,I am trying to grab as much information as possible from the start before its too late to plan well...

 

[emceemouli]

You can also visit this site for more information. I just created this after I came to canada based on my experience

https://sites.google.com/site/newcanadianimmigrants/information-for-new-comers-to-canadaa

Hope it helps.

 

[Rossei]

Good Day Guys,
I am an Engineer (more than 10 yrs + experience / holder of several internationally recognized Vendor certificates in the field of work ), and just in the middle of PR process and plan to move to Canada may be by 2nd Q 2018 and work as an IT professional we are family of 4 (2 Adults +4 yrs old boy and 10 yrs old girl),would like to know more customized details like:

1) What is the average Pay for IT infrastructure professionals with more than 10 + yrs exp. in Ontario

If I'm correct, IT Infrastructure Professional refer to System/Network/IT Security Admin-Manager or IT Consultant jobs. The general range of salary is perhaps 60K - 90K annually. Managers get 100K - 120K. It heavily depends on the company size, growth and its IT infrastructure. With 10+ years of experience, you can expect a 75K+ job in GTA.

2) Saw the Cost of Apartments/houses yes, but if its precisely a 3 bed room flat or small 3 bedroom town house (both not inside / yet not so far from city center) ..how much in average would that cost?

You didn't mention whether you will buy or rent. If you intend to rent and ready to commute 30 - 60 min each way to work; then you can find a 3-bed apartment with $1300 - $1900/month. A townhouse would probably cost you $1500 - $2300/month. However, a luxury apartment will start from $2500/month.

3) How much in average is both the first deposit /post installment and monthly installment for getting a German Car ,say for example VW Passat ,what about for example a Japanese/Korean 4X4 like Pajero, Hyundai, Mazda etc.

Car loan payment depends on how much you're borrowing, the length of payment period and the APR rate. For a new car, APR is 0% - 3% and for used vehicles, it's normally 5% - 7%. VW Canada is now offering 0% APR for Jetta and 0.99% for Passat. If you don't put any down-payment for example, you will end up paying $458/mo for 60 months for a 2017 Passat 1.8 TSI. The MSRP is $25,745.

BTW, there is no Pajero in Canada. Mitsubishi isn't very common here. If you're looking for an AWD Asian SUV/CUV, these are widely seen on streets:
1. Toyota Rav4/ Highlander
2. Honda CR-V/ H-RV/ Pilot
3. Nissan Rogue/ Murano/ Pathfinder
4. Mitshubishi Outlander
5. Subaru Forrester/ Crosstrek
6. Hyundai Tucson/ Santa Fe
7. Kia Sportage/ Sorento
(I'm a car enthusiast )

4) Any information regarding costs, facilities, availability and requirement for Social/sports clubs?

YMCA membership usually costs $50/month for an adult and around $100-$120/month for a family. An indoor sports would perhaps cost you $100 for a season and an outdoor one will probably double that - just an idea. Membership at a golf club starts around $5000/year.

5) Average Pay for miscellaneous monthly medical drugs (say strepsils, Catafast, Panadol, Flagyl, motilium etc.)

Tylenol is widely used paracetamol in North America. It's perhaps 50c/capsule.

6) Medical expenses outside covered insurance, like dental crowns, Optical analysis etc.

If you work full-time, these expenses are covered partially/fully thru group benefit plan by employer for which a fixed amount is deducted from your salary. Otherwise, for example, tooth extraction cost can vary from $200 to $500 depending on type of anesthesia.

7) How are common residential issues like electrical issues and plumbing handled? what are the associated average extra costs?

If you're renting, the owner or property management will take care of it. However, if you need to call someone urgently for your rented/purchased place, you may have to pay $50 - $80/hour for an electrician or a plumber (+material cost).

 

[MEB]

Thank you so much @Rossei for the rich information provided ..I would like to ask also from your perspective
1)Is it better to rent or own your residential place ?If you will own what are the process related and financial differences ?
2)What about other average estimated costs like TV cable ,Internet ,mobile ,utilities ,etc...?
3)From your perspective for a family of 4 (2 adults ,4 years old boy ,10 yrs old girl),what is the average estimate of groceries and weekly family related outings (like eating in restaurants once ..going for some activities one ,etc..)

Appreciate your extended support .

 

[Rossei]

Thank you so much @Rossei for the rich information provided ..I would like to ask also from your perspective
1) Is it better to rent or own your residential place? If you will own what are the process related and financial differences?

It really depends on city/location, personal situation and financial condition, family needs and at the end individual aspirations. Most people perhaps dream of owning their home one day, especially when you're married and growing family.
Owning a residential place comes with its own perks, especially from a investor's point of view, but that also comes with a huge financial responsibility. Owning your home is always more expensive than renting a place. Because on top of the mortgage, you will be paying for utilities, property tax, home insurance (x10 higher than tenant's insurance), maintenance etc.

I will give you a brief example:
Suppose you're paying $1200/mo to rent a 2-bed apartment. Now you want to move to a $350,000 house. Somehow you managed to pay $50,000 as a down-payment and borrowing the rest as a mortgage.

This will be your monthly cost re: the house:
Mortgage Payment = $1500+
Property Tax = $150 - $350
Utilities (gas, hydro, water) = $300 - $500
Home Insurance = $100
Maintenance = $200 - $500
Home Security (if required) = $100
TOTAL = $2500/mo (minimum)

You can see that it almost doubled from what you used to pay while renting a place. If you're buying a house in GTA, the mortgage payment will be significantly higher as the house price is outrageously high there and so is the return of investment.

I've found a useful online guide on Moneysense if you're interested to buy a house in GTA.

2) What about other average estimated costs like TV cable ,Internet ,mobile ,utilities ,etc...?

See my original post.

3) From your perspective for a family of 4 (2 adults ,4 years old boy ,10 yrs old girl),what is the average estimate of groceries and weekly family related outings (like eating in restaurants once ..going for some activities one ,etc..)

See my original post.

 

[MEB]

It really depends on city/location, personal situation and financial condition, family needs and at the end individual aspirations. Most people perhaps dream of owning their home one day, especially when you're married and growing family.
Owning a residential place comes with its own perks, especially from a investor's point of view, but that also comes with a huge financial responsibility. Owning your home is always more expensive than renting a place. Because on top of the mortgage, you will be paying for utilities, property tax, home insurance (x10 higher than tenant's insurance), maintenance etc.

I will give you a brief example:
Suppose you're paying $1200/mo to rent a 2-bed apartment. Now you want to move to a $350,000 house. Somehow you managed to pay $50,000 as a down-payment and borrowing the rest as a mortgage.

This will be your monthly cost re: the house:
Mortgage Payment = $1500+
Property Tax = $150 - $350
Utilities (gas, hydro, water) = $300 - $500
Home Insurance = $100
Maintenance = $200 - $500
Home Security (if required) = $100
TOTAL = $2500/mo (minimum)

You can see that it almost doubled from what you used to pay while renting a place. If you're buying a house in GTA, the mortgage payment will be significantly higher as the house price is outrageously high there and so is the return of investment.

I've found a useful online guide on Moneysense if you're interested to buy a house in GTA.


See my original post.


See my original post.

Thanks Rossei for your Feedback....

 

[sundar17feb99]

You can also visit this site for more information. I just created this after I came to canada based on my experience

https://sites.google.com/site/newcanadianimmigrants/information-for-new-comers-to-canadaa

Hope it helps.

That one was a wonderful post/site. Thanks a lot.