IMG in Canada : How are you surviving?

[dkmemon]

Practice ready assessment is alternative pathway to get a licence to practice family medicine in Canada.
You can Google PRA in above mentioned provinces to see the details and eligibility criteria.
Pls let me know if you need further information...

 

[sadafkhan]

Hi mates,let me share my experience here.I am a veteran and was very optimistic before moving here rather was excited.I am from Pakistan and much of my experience was in Saudi Arabia.Having a Pakistani passport and discriminating Arabs did force me to immigrate. Trust me the nurses in Saudia are drawing more salaries than we Pakistani and Indians.
Coming back to the topic,I started preparing my exams and it took me 2 and half years to complete my all 4 exams along with IELTS. I advise anyone to forget the residency match and plan for practice ready assessment which is difficult though but possible only if you work out well before exhausting your financial resources. Complete your post graduation training as required in different subjects from your home country and land in a province where you have targeted the practice ready assessment. Pls never land in Ontario as it will ruin you.
I would also suggest physicians never work odd jobs and destroy your career,rather do it only if you can't pursue it here further and looking only for citizenship.
I have had more than 100,000 dollars which I used to live here and never worked here.Now I have applied for PRA and in next 3 months for citizenship.
I will be lucky if I get matched in PRA , otherwise will take Canadian passport and will resume my career in middle East with better pay scales...
I am sorry for a this long comment...

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am from Pakistan worked in Oman and then moved to Canada. after 6 yrs i got canadian citizenship wrote MCCEE but dont know what to do next. I am confused should i sit and clear other exams or better move back home get into training and apply for PRA?

 

[canuck78]

Hi mates,let me share my experience here.I am a veteran and was very optimistic before moving here rather was excited.I am from Pakistan and much of my experience was in Saudi Arabia.Having a Pakistani passport and discriminating Arabs did force me to immigrate. Trust me the nurses in Saudia are drawing more salaries than we Pakistani and Indians.
Coming back to the topic,I started preparing my exams and it took me 2 and half years to complete my all 4 exams along with IELTS. I advise anyone to forget the residency match and plan for practice ready assessment which is difficult though but possible only if you work out well before exhausting your financial resources. Complete your post graduation training as required in different subjects from your home country and land in a province where you have targeted the practice ready assessment. Pls never land in Ontario as it will ruin you.
I would also suggest physicians never work odd jobs and destroy your career,rather do it only if you can't pursue it here further and looking only for citizenship.
I have had more than 100,000 dollars which I used to live here and never worked here.Now I have applied for PRA and in next 3 months for citizenship.
I will be lucky if I get matched in PRA , otherwise will take Canadian passport and will resume my career in middle East with better pay scales...
I am sorry for a this long comment...

Not sure that any Canadian would be thrilled that you are recommending people not work, collect child benefit and seek subsidized housing while you are able to able to work and have significant savings. I hope you will correctly declare your international income if you do return to the middle east and leave your family living in Canada.

I constantly discourage IMG to move to Canada unless they are from a few specific countries. If you want to work as a family doctor in a rural area there may be a chance/ With the increased enrollment in Canadian medical schools it is very hard to match.

 

[forever21always]

I thank you for your replies.
I knew of all the LMCC exam requirements even before coming to Canada. But since arriving here a year ago, and actually sitting for EE and QE1 within the past one year, I am discouraged. The exams are ridiculously difficult in my own view. It is a test of cramming ability and speed. It is is not an exam suited for a doctor who has had 10 years of work experience. What do you IMGs think of these exams? Or is it just me struggling to knack them?
Even after passing them, how hopeful are you to be licensed in Canada?
The Practice Ready Assessments are not easy to come by.
I really want to know from other IMGs in Canada, who among you has succeeded or is on a definitive pathway to becoming a Canadian doctor. And what kind of jobs do you do in the meantime?

I work as a health care aide. I never dreamed to be doing this kind of work and embarrassed to tell my folks about it.

I got no truthful friends in Canada.. The Express Entry for skilled and professional workers is also not truthful. It did not state that the professional regulatory bodies do not actually want to integrate us. They seem to be deliberate bottlenecks. Hence, I am relying on this anonymous forum.
IMGs please respond.

Hi, do not lose hope. U still have a great chance here. Check AAPS website and Humber College website for Clinical research course. It's just one year course and u also get funding from Government if u need. They give internship after course....so job is almost guaranteed. Try it and u will thank me. Just check those websites.

 

[Kanwal_dr]

Hi mates,let me share my experience here.I am a veteran and was very optimistic before moving here rather was excited.I am from Pakistan and much of my experience was in Saudi Arabia.Having a Pakistani passport and discriminating Arabs did force me to immigrate. Trust me the nurses in Saudia are drawing more salaries than we Pakistani and Indians.
Coming back to the topic,I started preparing my exams and it took me 2 and half years to complete my all 4 exams along with IELTS. I advise anyone to forget the residency match and plan for practice ready assessment which is difficult though but possible only if you work out well before exhausting your financial resources. Complete your post graduation training as required in different subjects from your home country and land in a province where you have targeted the practice ready assessment. Pls never land in Ontario as it will ruin you.
I would also suggest physicians never work odd jobs and destroy your career,rather do it only if you can't pursue it here further and looking only for citizenship.
I have had more than 100,000 dollars which I used to live here and never worked here.Now I have applied for PRA and in next 3 months for citizenship.
I will be lucky if I get matched in PRA , otherwise will take Canadian passport and will resume my career in middle East with better pay scales...
I am sorry for a this long comment...

Hello dkmemon!
Practice ready assesment is valid for medicine fields only? I have heard from someone that residencies done from home countries in surgical fields are not accepted. Is it true? And also is it easy to get into this? Like what I have read on their website it seems like it's some supervised practice under Canadian doctor for sometime. So does one get it easily, how much competitive is it? And also which field of medicine is comparatively easier to get into; family medicine, internal medicine or paeds?

 

[dkmemon]

Hello dkmemon!
Practice ready assesment is valid for medicine fields only? I have heard from someone that residencies done from home countries in surgical fields are not accepted. Is it true? And also is it easy to get into this? Like what I have read on their website it seems like it's some supervised practice under Canadian doctor for sometime. So does one get it easily, how much competitive is it? And also which field of medicine is comparatively easier to get into; family medicine, internal medicine or paeds?

PRA is only for family physicians...
It's independent practice and it's dead competetive..Bc and Manitoba accepts only 20 physician a year..I don't know about Alberta...
You can find the details on MCC.ca under NAC PRA..
Hope this answers your question

 

[Kanwal_dr]

Thanku so much for

PRA is only for family physicians...
It's independent practice and it's dead competetive..Bc and Manitoba accepts only 20 physician a year..I don't know about Alberta...
You can find the details on MCC.ca under NAC PRA..
Hope this answers your question[/QUOT

PRA is only for family physicians...
It's independent practice and it's dead competetive..Bc and Manitoba accepts only 20 physician a year..I don't know about Alberta...
You can find the details on MCC.ca under NAC PRA..
Hope this answers your question

Thanku so much for the guidance

 

[Drneethi]

Hi, do not lose hope. U still have a great chance here. Check AAPS website and Humber College website for Clinical research course. It's just one year course and u also get funding from Government if u need. They give internship after course....so job is almost guaranteed. Try it and u will thank me. Just check those websites.

Hey what are the job prospects for CRA in Canada? CRA or healthcare administration, which is a wise alternative career of an IMG??

I am also an IMG planning to migrate to Canada coming July.

 

[canuck78]

Healthcare admin an CRA are both tough fields to get into, Do you have research history? Are you published?

 

[canuck78]

Hello dkmemon!
Practice ready assesment is valid for medicine fields only? I have heard from someone that residencies done from home countries in surgical fields are not accepted. Is it true? And also is it easy to get into this? Like what I have read on their website it seems like it's some supervised practice under Canadian doctor for sometime. So does one get it easily, how much competitive is it? And also which field of medicine is comparatively easier to get into; family medicine, internal medicine or paeds?

If you want to do anything other than family medicine I would strongly discourage you from coming to Canada. Family medicine in rural communities may be possible but HIGHLY competitive and you have to spend time and lots of money passing exams before you see if you can get one of the few spots.

 

[Drneethi]

Healthcare admin an CRA are both tough fields to get into, Do you have research history? Are you published?

No
But wat about pg diploma in healthcare management. Consultancy ppl told me I can get admission for that. But will that be a wise choice?

 

[canuck78]

No
But wat about pg diploma in healthcare management. Consultancy ppl told me I can get admission for that. But will that be a wise choice?

I would suggest that you should be looking at a masters program. You may be able to get into a college course but not sure if you will be satisfied with the employment opportunities after some programs. Where were you thinking of applying? Also visa officers will wonder why you selected that course.

 

[David83]

...
I constantly discourage IMG to move to Canada unless they are from a few specific countries. ....

Interesting. Like what countries and why?

 

[canuck78]

Interesting. Like what countries and why?

Mainly US, UK, Ireland Australia and maybe some western/Nordic European countries.

 

[David83]

Mainly US, UK, Ireland Australia and maybe some western/Nordic European countries.

Why?