CMAJ Readers' Forum

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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