Offshore medical schools
Online posting: July 25, 1997
Published in print: September 15, 1997 (CMAJ 1997;157:648)
Re: After rejection in Canada, more Canadians pursuing
career dreams at offshore medical schools, by Milan Korcok,
CMAJ 1997;156:865-70 [full text / en brief]
I read with interest your article about entry to Canadian medical
schools, as I have been trying to gain entry for a few years. The
article certainly reflects the difficulties applicants are
facing. However, I would like to add some additional information.
The article did not mention the situation regarding provincial
residence requirements for applications to certain schools. Only
a few medical schools are considered national schools. Others
pick students from their province first and have only a few
places for out-of-province students. These restrictions really
limit the number of schools you can apply to, because the chances
of getting an interview are slim to nonexistent unless you are a
brilliant student.
Another problem is the large degree of variation in what is
desired in candidates. The University of British Columbia wants
people with research experience and graduate degrees. McMaster
University is not interested in graduate degrees and does not
give credit for having one because "everyone gets good grades in
graduate school." The University of Western Ontario continues to
use the medical college application test as a weeding tool, a use
the test was never intended for.
These problems, coupled with the high cost of application
fees, have ensured that well-rounded students with a B+ average
will have a long road ahead if they want to study medicine in
Canada. I suggest that they apply to Irish medical schools. These
schools have an extensive recruiting program for foreign
students, and application fees are comparable to those in Canada.
The calibre of the education is high, and Irish medical degrees
are respected around the world. I will be fulfilling my dreams
there this fall, something that the Canadian system would not
allow me to do.
Ilana Porzecanski, BSc
Vancouver, BC
iporzecan@smhpol.ho
sp.gov.bc.ca
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