This is a burning topic in Canadian Immigration matters. I would invite all Immigrants (Prospective and Landed) to share their experiences in this thread for the benefit of the rest of us.
With Canada’s doctor shortage still dire, medical authorities are under constant pressure to let more foreign-trained medical graduates work here as physicians. But two new studies point to a significant roadblock: close to half of those who make it past rigorous screening and into family-medicine post-graduate training fail to pass their certification exams. Researchers say the reasons may lie with the quality — or teaching approach — of overseas medical schools, which sometimes instill a more traditional, doctor-knows-best philosophy.
And the performance of those offshore schools is also an issue for the growing number of Canadian-born students who are getting their medical degrees overseas, after failing to be admitted to schools here, researchers say.
Researchers and officials stress that the findings do not suggest Canada should turn its back on foreign-trained MDs who settle here — especially since they save taxpayers the substantial cost of medical school education — but that more needs to be done to help them become full-fledged Canadian physicians.
Although the two studies, just published in the journal Canadian Family Physician, are the first to expose the problem widely, the phenomenon has been well-known within the medical community, doctors say.
“If you take somebody new to the country and new to the system and throw them into post-graduate training, it’s kind of like throwing them into the deep end of the pool,” said Dr. Paul Rainsberry, education director with the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Some suggested that Canada also consider emulating a U.S. decision announced last week: Starting in 2023, the country will accept international graduates only from schools that have been accredited according to globally accepted standards.
In Canada, only graduates of medical schools in this country and the United States are considered automatically qualified for a residency — the taxpayer-funded, two years of on-the-job training required to become a family doctor and five years to become a specialist.
Others must pass a screening process that typically includes exams and language testing, designed to ensure they have at least the same level of medical knowledge as Canadian graduates.
Sadly the average pass rate for international graduates was 56%, versus 93.5% for the Canadians.
It is estimated that 1,500 Canadians are now studying at overseas medical schools, and are considered IMGs when they come back. They often fare poorly in residency exams, too, said Dr. Rod Andrew, who headed the study. “That’s because many of them are going to medical schools that are just not up to par.”
The international residents’ problems lie in the oral, clinical part of the tests, where examiners pose as patients, and see how the would-be doctors handle the hypothetical cases presented them. It seems many of their medical schools did not teach them the modern North American medical approach, where doctors are encouraged to get patients to “buy in” to their diagnosis and treatment.
“Many international medical graduates … are trained to say, ‘I’m the doctor, this is what you do,’ ” Sounds familiar...isn't it?
Please put in your ideas. Who knows, this could turn out to be the greatest lobby thread we can forward to the Minister some day.
With Canada’s doctor shortage still dire, medical authorities are under constant pressure to let more foreign-trained medical graduates work here as physicians. But two new studies point to a significant roadblock: close to half of those who make it past rigorous screening and into family-medicine post-graduate training fail to pass their certification exams. Researchers say the reasons may lie with the quality — or teaching approach — of overseas medical schools, which sometimes instill a more traditional, doctor-knows-best philosophy.
And the performance of those offshore schools is also an issue for the growing number of Canadian-born students who are getting their medical degrees overseas, after failing to be admitted to schools here, researchers say.
Researchers and officials stress that the findings do not suggest Canada should turn its back on foreign-trained MDs who settle here — especially since they save taxpayers the substantial cost of medical school education — but that more needs to be done to help them become full-fledged Canadian physicians.
Although the two studies, just published in the journal Canadian Family Physician, are the first to expose the problem widely, the phenomenon has been well-known within the medical community, doctors say.
“If you take somebody new to the country and new to the system and throw them into post-graduate training, it’s kind of like throwing them into the deep end of the pool,” said Dr. Paul Rainsberry, education director with the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Some suggested that Canada also consider emulating a U.S. decision announced last week: Starting in 2023, the country will accept international graduates only from schools that have been accredited according to globally accepted standards.
In Canada, only graduates of medical schools in this country and the United States are considered automatically qualified for a residency — the taxpayer-funded, two years of on-the-job training required to become a family doctor and five years to become a specialist.
Others must pass a screening process that typically includes exams and language testing, designed to ensure they have at least the same level of medical knowledge as Canadian graduates.
Sadly the average pass rate for international graduates was 56%, versus 93.5% for the Canadians.
It is estimated that 1,500 Canadians are now studying at overseas medical schools, and are considered IMGs when they come back. They often fare poorly in residency exams, too, said Dr. Rod Andrew, who headed the study. “That’s because many of them are going to medical schools that are just not up to par.”
The international residents’ problems lie in the oral, clinical part of the tests, where examiners pose as patients, and see how the would-be doctors handle the hypothetical cases presented them. It seems many of their medical schools did not teach them the modern North American medical approach, where doctors are encouraged to get patients to “buy in” to their diagnosis and treatment.
“Many international medical graduates … are trained to say, ‘I’m the doctor, this is what you do,’ ” Sounds familiar...isn't it?
Please put in your ideas. Who knows, this could turn out to be the greatest lobby thread we can forward to the Minister some day.
