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IMG in Canada : How are you surviving?

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,969
12,768
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I am very interested in this 1 yr program. Im a paediatrician currently practising in my home country. Do u have any idea which institutes offer clinical fellowship in paeds and how can i make my profile better to get one?
You’d have to look them up. It is very competitive to do the fellowship in Canada. Completing a fellowship in Canada will not help you to practice in Canada. International fellowship students are meant to take their skills back to their own countries. Most fellowships would have started this July.
 

leo_maryam

Newbie
Aug 5, 2019
6
0
You’d have to look them up. It is very competitive to do the fellowship in Canada. Completing a fellowship in Canada will not help you to practice in Canada. International fellowship students are meant to take their skills back to their own countries. Most fellowships would have started this July.
Yes i know that. But do u have an idea about the set ups who offer clinical fellowships n their criteria?
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,969
12,768
Yes i know that. But do u have an idea about the set ups who offer clinical fellowships n their criteria?
Everyone has their own criteria. Usually you have to show that you excelled in your country. Being a PR may exclude you from the fellowships because the point in to spread medical expertise.
 

AliG19

Newbie
Aug 17, 2019
1
0
Since you understand that it’s almost impossible to get into the practice than try other avenues!
It’s easy to say that I want to go back to my home country. I think living in present time will help you move forward. Canada is land of opportunities and we have the best environment around us to achieve the best we can.
I was a general practitioner in India, came here 9 years ago. I was like you for 2 years. But I said that I am not going anywhere, I have come to Canada for a better future for me and my family, especially for my children. I started my journey by getting a degree from the University (masters in public health), well it got me no where with no good job opportunities. Than I decided to go for a degree in nursing (fast track in 2 years). I did my Masters in 1 yr and Nursing in 2 yrs.
Now I am working in Northern Canada as an advance practice nurse. I can prescribe ( limited) medications and order ( Limited) lab tests. My work is very similar to a general practitioner in India. Although it’s not ideal but I am very satisfied with my achievement. You can look into similar career pathways. I hope it helps.
Wondering if you could help. I am a GP in India and planning to migrate. However, from the discussions above it seems almost impossible to practice as a GP in Canada. I was looking for alternate options. What will be the prospect of practicing a a naturopathy doctor. I have done some research and there is a 2 years intensive course after which one can practice as a naturopath. How much does a naturopath make and what's a job prospects.
Thanks
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,969
12,768
Wondering if you could help. I am a GP in India and planning to migrate. However, from the discussions above it seems almost impossible to practice as a GP in Canada. I was looking for alternate options. What will be the prospect of practicing a a naturopathy doctor. I have done some research and there is a 2 years intensive course after which one can practice as a naturopath. How much does a naturopath make and what's a job prospects.
Thanks
A naturopathic doctor is very different than a GP. In terms of coverage naturopaths aren’t covered by provincial healthcare so you are reliant on people paying cash or having coverage through their extended health benefits. Naturopaths incomes are variable depending on where you practice. GPS don’t make a tremendous amounts after their costs contrary to what people may think. Would imagine that 100-120K is probably on average what GPs make after expenses although they can structure their business to pay less tax versus the maximum tax rate. That is before taxes.
 

zagcollins

Champion Member
Sep 9, 2017
1,306
755
Category........
FSW
Do you have any idea about other fields as well example marketing or sales job , just the job market in general ?
old post, but to elaborate on what @canuck78 has mentioned about marketing and sales jobs - anything that is client/customer facing, be it marketing, sales, or HR, is tricky to get jobs in. Impossible? Nope. But, demand is far lesser than supply. The GTA, for example, is saturated, and the market is full of aspirants seeking jobs. Having said that, if you have the courage, savings, and will to take the plunge, what's stopping you? There is money to be made, but to do your research and then some more. Stop walking into traps laid out by consultants.
 
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I.M.G.

Newbie
Sep 8, 2019
7
3
Thank you for your commentaries. I was searching for realistic insight about what our expectations should be as IMGs on Canada, and everything you have said sounds spot-on.

That being said, do you think starting a second career on the IT field, would be a good idea for an IMG? I really hate practicing medicine and feel very frustrated because I've always wanted to be a programmer, or at least practice something IT-related (don't ask me about how I got into medicine and managed to finish med school lol)...

I'm in my late 20s and my plan would be to get an IT college diploma and ideally a job at a company that deals with healthcare-related stuff... In the case IT isn't the way to go, do you think there's another field where my medical degree would potentially be an asset? My second option would be business.

Regards
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,969
12,768
Thank you for your commentaries. I was searching for realistic insight about what our expectations should be as IMGs on Canada, and everything you have said sounds spot-on.

That being said, do you think starting a second career on the IT field, would be a good idea for an IMG? I really hate practicing medicine and feel very frustrated because I've always wanted to be a programmer, or at least practice something IT-related (don't ask me about how I got into medicine and managed to finish med school lol)...

I'm in my late 20s and my plan would be to get an IT college diploma and ideally a job at a company that deals with healthcare-related stuff... In the case IT isn't the way to go, do you think there's another field where my medical degree would potentially be an asset? My second option would be business.

Regards
Go back to a good public college and do 2-3 diploma in some form of IT. Not knowledgeable enough to tell you what kind of program. A co-op problem is eVen better. Getting an MBA as a physician basically leads you to business jobs often not related to healthcare. There aren’t a huge volume of healthcare business jobs in Canada. Would speak to people in the industry about what programs they would actually recommend. Hopefully you are not married or don’t have children. If your wife can work that may be able to support you but many have to study part-time if they have a family to support.
 

Abdullah1995

Newbie
Apr 9, 2019
7
1
I am a fresh medical graduate. I am not really interested practicing clinical medicine but rather interested in pursuing a career in pharmaceutical medicine like in research and development or pharmacovigilance.

What do you think the chances are in this field?

P.S. I am originally from Syria, however I currently live in Saudi Arabia where I went to medical school. So immigration for me is more of a survival tactic as I practically have no home country to go back to.

P.S.2 will a masters degree in public health from a Canadian institution be helpful?
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,969
12,768
I am a fresh medical graduate. I am not really interested practicing clinical medicine but rather interested in pursuing a career in pharmaceutical medicine like in research and development or pharmacovigilance.

What do you think the chances are in this field?

P.S. I am originally from Syria, however I currently live in Saudi Arabia where I went to medical school. So immigration for me is more of a survival tactic as I practically have no home country to go back to.

P.S.2 will a masters degree in public health from a Canadian institution be helpful?
You will need a PhD if you want to get into drug discovery. You also will need a degree to go into pharmacovigillance. That would really be done by someone with a PharmD or other training.


In general Canada has a pretty small pharmaceutical industry. There is quite a bit of medical research especially in Toronto but those labs are world class and attract PhD or MD/PhDs from around the world. There is always research going on but usually associated with university or pharma companies but you need PhDs. The UK would be a great place to graduate if you are a medical graduate. Also other countries in Europe would be possible. US used to allow doctors to immigrate if the promised to practice in more rural populations. Canada will likely lead to further education. Have you completed a residency?
 
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canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,969
12,768
Would discourage a masters in public health. As you can see from other postings many other MDs have not been able to get employed after a masters in public health. One doctor went back to school to be a nurse practioner after doing a masters in public health. There are too many graduates for the jobs available and it is a popular degree. Public health is not related to either of the fields you mentioned.

Without work experience you will have apply to immigrate via student permit or a get a work Permit (difficult). The fact that you are a Syrian could also make getting a student permit difficult because you have to show ties to your home country and show that you will return after your studies. Not impossible but consider multiple countries.
 
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Abdullah1995

Newbie
Apr 9, 2019
7
1
You will need a PhD if you want to get into drug discovery. You also will need a degree to go into pharmacovigillance. That would really be done by someone with a PharmD or other training.


In general Canada has a pretty small pharmaceutical industry. There is quite a bit of medical research especially in Toronto but those labs are world class and attract PhD or MD/PhDs from around the world. There is always research going on but usually associated with university or pharma companies but you need PhDs. The UK would be a great place to graduate if you are a medical graduate. Also other countries in Europe would be possible. US used to allow doctors to immigrate if the promised to practice in more rural populations. Canada will likely lead to further education. Have you completed a residency?

No sir, I did not complete a residency.
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,969
12,768
No sir, I did not complete a residency.
There isn’t much you can do with a medical degree especially since it is an undergraduate degree. You are looking at further studies or doing a residency. As mentioned before I would look at various countries. You could likely easily go to the UK and become a junior doctor. Likely one of your easier options.
 

saani

Hero Member
Jul 29, 2017
237
48
What are the options of doing doing Mphil in basic sciences (anatomy,physiology etc)for IMG?
Is it easy to get admission in university? After becoming PR can we get domestic fee? What are job opportunities after completing Mphil? Can we get Teaching jobs in medical schools easily?
P.s i have MBBS degree only.