Canadian Applying to UK medical school

**hogwarts10** · 04-11-2007, 11:42 PM

[QUOTE=Deltoid;502589]Hey hogwarts,

Also, do you know which provinces class all Canadians (IMG or not) in the same pool? That would be really helpful for me. Thanks.

Hey Deltoid,
Here's the website with all the info. It's quite comprehensive
http://www.carms.ca/eng/r1_eligibili....shtml#ontario

I was wondering if you know how long the return of service is...Also, if you don't mind, what medical school are you at?
thanks!

**Deltoid** · 05-11-2007, 02:30 PM

Thanks for the website link. I've been flicking through the requirements for the provinces and it seems we are still classed as IMG's and not CMG's - despite being Canadian citizens. CMG's are graduates of "LCME/CACMS accredited schools", which by definition only include medical schools in the US and Canada.

So we're still IMG's... hm.

Also, most provinces to run parallel streams for IMG's and CMG's for the first iteration. In other words, we ARE allowed to fight for residency spots in the first iteration (which is great news), but the downside is that we'll still be fighting with other IMG's for these very highly competitive places.

As for the length of Return of Service agreements, here's a quote from the Ontario guidelines:

Return of service agreements are specific to the program in which you are participating. When you are offered a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funded position in the IMG program, Re-entry Program, Repatriation Program or Registration through Practice Assessment (RPA) program, you will be sent an agreement describing the terms and conditions associated with the position you have been offered.

I remember reading in another forum people talking about this being approximately 4-5 years in length. If you want to check that out yourself, read this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=332170

I'm at Liverpool University. Which university are you at?

**hogwarts10** · 05-11-2007, 04:50 PM

Hi Deltoid,

It's unfortunate that we're still classified as IMGs, however, I think that having a parallel stream is not such a bad idea. At least we won't be competing with 2000 CMG's who did their clerkships at their first choice hopsitals and are more likely to get those spots. There's some good news as well regarding the return of service issue. The website states that if IMG's go through the second iteration, they can get matched for IMG as well as CMG spots. If they do indeed get matched to CMG spots, no return of service is expected of them...At least, there is hope to escape the return of service. I personally don't loathe ROS that much, but it becomes a problem when it is the sole condition upon which we (canadians) can come back home for residency, while CMG's are excempt from this requirement...
I've just applied Deltoid! So I'm currently waiting. I got my undergrad degree in neuroscience from U of T, but I also did Alevels, Olevels, etc..
So wish me luck!!!
By the way, sheffield asked me to write the TOEFL! Did you have to write an English test when you first applied?
Sorry for the barrage of questions, but you're the first Canadian med student in England that I found so far!!!
Good luck with your studies!
Farah

**strdr** · 09-11-2007, 05:29 AM

hi everyone
I was doing some research into med schools i'm only first year undergrad but awhile ago i've heard some of student going straight to medical schools in UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Aruba? straight from high school or 1-2years of undergrad.
dont know if any of this is really tru but, since all of u have such great experiences cause ur all very far in your education, i was wondering if you could help me w/ some problems i've been having.
i've been wondering if i could apply to med schools in UK or autralia etc whether they allow u to get in from high school or a year or two of undergrad studdies, wat the requirements are. in high school my marks were mid 80s dont know if thats good enough, but now in university im having a hard time and my marks arent so great even though i'm trying really hard. i need advice should i plough through this year and continue to try really hard until i finish university? or if i could apply and study abroad. i've been having a hard time finding some links, if u know specific links for these applications and med schools that do take in high school students or students that have completed some undergrad studies?
thnx alot reallllllllly appreciate any advice and/or info.

**Deltoid** · 30-11-2007, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by strdr

hi everyone
I was doing some research into med schools i'm only first year undergrad but awhile ago i've heard some of student going straight to medical schools in UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Aruba? straight from high school or 1-2years of undergrad.
dont know if any of this is really tru but, since all of u have such great experiences cause ur all very far in your education, i was wondering if you could help me w/ some problems i've been having.
i've been wondering if i could apply to med schools in UK or autralia etc whether they allow u to get in from high school or a year or two of undergrad studdies, wat the requirements are. in high school my marks were mid 80s dont know if thats good enough, but now in university im having a hard time and my marks arent so great even though i'm trying really hard. i need advice should i plough through this year and continue to try really hard until i finish university? or if i could apply and study abroad. i've been having a hard time finding some links, if u know specific links for these applications and med schools that do take in high school students or students that have completed some undergrad studies?
thnx alot reallllllllly appreciate any advice and/or info.

Hey there, sorry for the late reply but I haven't been checking the forums very often recently.

I'm not sure about Saudi Arabia or Aruba, but I know that all UK medical schools all accept undergraduate applications to their medical school (i.e. straight out of highschool). I'm pretty sure in Australia they have undergraduate entry into medicine as well, but you'll have to check that with an actual Australian person.

If you did apply to the UK, they would definitely look at your highschool results and take them into high consideration. Whether or not they would also look into your ongoing university progress is another question. My guess is that they're highly likely to request a university transcript with your application form, and even if they didn't, you'd be expected to talk about your university experience in your interviews.

Personally I don't really know how they would perceive someone with a half-completed university degree applying for a place into medical school. You're best off emailing the international admissions office for each of the universities you're interested in. They'd be able to give you much better advice.

Hope this helps.

**sweet_lily** · 18-02-2008, 05:57 AM

Originally Posted by Melissa10

check with each school because there is a wide range of GPA scores accepted for Canadian students, ranging from 3.0-3.6. So best bet is to contact each school. I've been doing lots of research myself.

I'll be graduating this year from Ottawa U with a BSc in psych. From what I've found as long as you meet the GPA cut off and have your basic premed science classes, they suggest Bio and Chem a lot (but every school is diff) you stand a chance.

You prob have lots of work experience or volunteer seeing as thats crucial for applications to canadian med schools. Some schools in the UK seem to acknowledge extra curriculars more...but def if you are applying into graduate med courses A101 you need work experience in medically related fields. Some colleges won't accept international students for A101 only the standard A100. So all things to check out.

Feel free to msg me if you have anymore questions.

Hey melissa, I'll be graduating soon as well and I am considering going to the UK, do you know if they look at our highschool grades? I am trying to narrow down the universities I am eligible to apply to, also do you know how it is after we graduate from UK med schools, I guess we require a work permit to stay and practise in the UK, as well as additional years of schooling in order to specialize?

**trampolinelaughter** · 04-04-2008, 11:07 PM

Hi sweet_lilly, I was just browsing through the posts with the word "Canadians" in them and saw your post so I thought maybe I could tell you about my own experience with applying to UK schools. I am starting the 5 year program at UEA this fall and I am super excited. I know that the philosophy of the program is perfect for me, and I am hopeful that this school will be a place where I'll bloom. Well, let me get to the point... last October I applied to the University of East Anglia, Newcastle, Dundee and Aberdeen. Only after I had sent the online application via UCAS (which by the way cost only 15 pounds as opposed to the 450 dollars for only 3 ontario schools!) I emailed them and asked them if they needed my transcripts (duh?) because unlike OMSAS there is no automatic way of sending it to the schools. So they said, "sure, send them"... . They later requested my high school transcripts as well and because I was not expecting them to request that and because it was going to take forever for the Toronto School Board to release the official transcripts I ended up just sending a copy of my final report cards -thank goodness that the geek in me made me keep them- and they accepted it just like that.

This is my story: I completed a BSc with Honours in Nursing, and have been a RN for the past 3 years. It's a fascinating contradiction that being a RN was actually one of my biggest assets in my UK application and one of my biggest downfalls in the Canadian applications. I purposely completed an undergrad in Nursing with the goal of going into Medicine later on, and I can't emphasize enough what a wise decision that has been. I've learned so much that is relevant to Medicine, not only in terms of scientific knowledge and clinical skills but most importantly from a patient's perspective. Nurses are privileged to spend much more time with patients and their families, and they often get the opportunity to clarify medical information that is confusing and overwhelming... but this is a whole new topic for discussion. I am extremely happy with UEA primarily because it has a very Humanistic philosophy, it uses PBL throughout the course, it also has clinical placements that start right away and it focuses on interdisciplinary team work from the start.

I also want to comment on UCAS, which I found to be an extremely good and affordable service. One can update their file and receive messages on the status of one's application on a consistent basis. For instance, I moved to a new place in November and quickly updated my address online, UCAS then sent me a letter in the mail confirming the change and consequently all of the schools received an update from them. OMSAS on the other hand, despite the 450 dollars I spent, didn't update my address on their file, even though they confirmed to have done so twice, first over the phone and then via email (a bit of OCD from my part). I wasn't getting any of the letters from the schools... 450 dollars!!

By mid December both UEA and Dundee had send me invites for interviews, the best part of it was that UEA, which was my preferred school, was offering interviews in Toronto! I later got an invite from Aberdeen as well, but ended up withdrawing my application. I did put all of my eggs in UEA's basket and in the end it paid off.

After graduation I plan on staying in the UK or in Europe. I don't really know where life will take me but I've always wanted to travel around and experience different cultures first hand, and as a physician I will the skills and the knowledge to make that so much easier because it is such a portable profession.

Bottom line is, in 5 years who knows what will have happened. What I am absolutely certain of is that there is no way that a UK trained physician would end up driving a cab or delivering pizza in a major North American city unless there is a serious change of heart there. I have no idea of what the competition for work visas in the UK is like, but surely if you are good at what you do, and depending on the area of medicine you've chosen then getting one should be no problem. You first get an offer for a job, and then you get the visa through your employer... as far as I know.

pm me or email me if there is anything you think I will be able to help you with.

Cheers and good luck!

**trampolinelaughter** · 04-04-2008, 11:29 PM

[QUOTE=Dr Julius Hibbert;483118]First, US and Canadian High Schools are not sufficient as entry requirement to most UK Medical Schools.
http://www.le.ac.uk/sm/le/faq/faq.htm

there is at least one Canadian who is graduating from High School within the next few months and he is starting Med School with me this fall at UEA. Look for Nestea and ask him questions about that.

cheers

**Sonal16** · 05-04-2008, 01:40 AM

Hi, I'm a Canadian student in second year doing a physiology degree at McMaster University. I applied this year to the UK and got accepted at Birmingham and St. Andrews for medicine.

Having said that, I know a few high school students that have also gotten accepted straight after high school into 5 year medical programs.

I think it depends at which schools you are looking at because there are ones that will accept high school students!

Good luck in applying!

**Deltoid** · 05-04-2008, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by Sonal16

Having said that, I know a few high school students that have also gotten accepted straight after high school into 5 year medical programs.Good luck in applying!

Yup, and I'm one of them. Went straight into medschool after highschool, and I'm now in my 4th year at Liverpool University.