GUIDE AND TIMELINE for CSAs in medical school. This guide and proposed timeline are for CSAs who are working their way through medical school. CSAs need direction and organization to succeed. This Guide and Timeline are a work-in-progress. In the future we will be attaching links to documents and websites as we work our way through our Information for CSAs Initiative. The documents will be posted on our website in the Resources section. We are just beginning this initiative. Your feedback and suggestions are important. They will make these documents better and more relevant. So please help us by providing input from your experience and knowledge.
The Society of Canadians Studying Medicine Abroad (SOCASMA), Dr. Oliver Kostanski, and Harris Falconer have filed a petition in the Supreme Court of BC challenging rules which exclude Canadians who graduated from medical schools outside of Canada or the USA from competing on the basis of individual merit for residency positions in British Columbia. The […]
See attached guide. Note : We are looking for people to write up a chapter for Australia, Poland and other parts of the world. Please send us an e-mail if you can help: socasma.working@gmail.com
This guide and proposed timeline are for CSAs who are working their way through medical school. CSAs need direction and organization to succeed. This Guide and Timeline are a work-in-progress. In the future, we will be attaching links to documents and websites as we work our way through our Information for CSAs Initiative. The documents will be posted on our website in the Resources section. We are just beginning this initiative. Your feedback and suggestions are important. They will make these documents better and more relevant. So please help us by providing input from your experience and knowledge.
Comments Off on Letter (+ Appendix) to Dr. Rueben Devlin, Special Advisor and Chair of the Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare and Ending Hallway Medicine, Government of Ontario, March 4, 2019
Comments Off on News Release: Petition Seeking Fair Access to Medical Residency Positions for all Canadian citizens and permanent residents September 24, 2018
The Society of Canadians Studying Medicine Abroad (SOCASMA), Dr. Oliver Kostanski, and Harris Falconer have filed a petition in the Supreme Court of BC challenging rules which exclude Canadians who graduated from medical schools outside of Canada or the USA from competing on the basis of individual merit for residency positions in British Columbia. The petition seeks the end of a system of exclusion for medical residency selection.
Although the Petition is brought in BC against the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, BC’s Ministry of Health, the University of British Columbia, the Canadian Resident Matching Service, and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, the system of exclusion of international medical graduates exists across Canada. It is expected this case will have repercussions across Canada.
The current medical residency selection process is based on place of graduation, rather than on knowledge, skills, and attributes relevant to the practice of medicine. The Petitioners assert that the current system infringes the Constitutional rights of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Canadian international medical graduates (IMGs) face an arbitrary quota of 58 first round residency positions in BC, whereas Canadian and American Medical School Graduates (CMGs) have exclusive access to approximately 288 first round positions. Moreover, Canadian IMG positions in British Columbia are limited to Family Medicine and 6 positions in 3 specialty areas, whereas CMGs have over 170 specialty positions leading to all 70 specialty and sub-specialty careers.
Competence is not the issue. IMGs take Canadian medical exams to demonstrate that their medical training is substantially equivalent to medical education in Canada. Approximately one quarter of physicians practicing in Canada today are IMGs.
“What we seek is in the best interest of all Canadians; that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents compete equally for access to postgraduate medical training on the basis of individual skills, knowledge and attributes relevant to the practice of medicine.” Rosemary Pawliuk, President Society of Canadians Studying Medicine Abroad.
About Society of Canadians Studying Medicine Abroad (SOCASMA): Socasma was formed in 2010 to support and advocate for Canadians who chose to study medicine abroad (CSAs) and who have been denied fair access to postgraduate training as a result of having done so. Socasma is the only organization in Canada which represents and advocates for all CSAs.
Note : We are looking for people to write up a chapter for Australia, Poland and other parts of the world. Please send us an e-mail if you can help: socasma.working@gmail.com