NOTICE of ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING for CANADIANS STUDYING MEDICINE ABROAD and THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS. Date: Wednesday, December 15, 2021 Time: 5:30 p.m. PACIFIC TIME Place: Zoom Due to COVID 19, we will not be holding an in person Annual General Meeting. Participation will be by Zoom. The invitation IS below. At this meeting we […]
CAPER has released a report comparing the increase in resident physician positions Pre (2019/2020) and Post COVID (2020/2021). YearOverYear_Compare_EN.pdf (caper.ca) The number of Canadian citizens and permanent resident physician positions was up by 0.7%. The number of visa trainees* was up 9.2%. However, the CaRMS Forum data PowerPoint Presentation (carms.ca), slide 19 demonstrates that in […]
Oh, Canada ☹ Dear CSAs and CSA supporters, For Canada Day this year let’s stand up for the principles which are supposed to be the foundation and moral fabric of our society. As you are aware, we are fighting the discrimination that Canadians who are international medical graduates face. We have suggested that you assist […]
EQUAL CHANCE. Equality is more than just a word. International medical graduates face barriers that are discriminatory and the antithesis of equality. It is upon us to make FAIR and EQUAL access to the medical profession a reality. SOCASMA has partnered with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship to fight for the right for EQUAL CHANCE. […]
Coming home. The route home isn’t straightforward even after residency training. We are putting together information from the provincial recruiting agencies which we hope will be of assistance to you. British Columbia has been our first response. Here is HealthMatch BC’s physician brochure, which outlines licensing requirements for Family and Specialist Physicians looking to practice […]
Advice and Information from CaRMS on the R-1 Match https://www.cma.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/CaRMS-playbook-part-1.pdf?utm_source=newsletter-280121&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cma-brief&utm_content=carms-en
NOTICE of ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING for CANADIANS STUDYING MEDICINE ABROAD and THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS. Date: Saturday, December 12, 2020 Time: 10:00 a.m. Place: Zoom Due to COVID 19, we will not be holding an in person Annual General Meeting. Participation will be by Zoom. At this meeting we will be discussing- The business of […]
AFMC Decision Regarding 2022 Resident (R-1) Match OTTAWA, ONTARIO –October 28, 2020 – The AFMC Board has made the following decisions regarding the 2022 Resident (R-1) Match: Interviews will continue to be in a virtual format for all candidates. The match timeline will be: Application MSPR submission/University transcript: No earlier than Jan. 7, 2022 […]
HealthMatch BC is holding several career fairs and webinars for physicians. For Specialists October 29th at 11am PST: Webinar coming up for SPECIALIST PHYSICIANS with international training. You can register here: https://www.healthmatchbc.org/Webinars.aspx November 17 at 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PST: Career fair aimed at SPECIALISTS. At this event you will be able to […]
Malcolm Macfarlane has published a blog in the CMAJ. Read it and join the conversation. CMA Policy on equity and diversity in medicine encouraging for International Medical Graduates
NOTICE of ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING for CANADIANS STUDYING MEDICINE ABROAD
and THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.
Date: Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Time: 5:30 p.m. PACIFIC TIME
Place: Zoom
Due to COVID 19, we will not be holding an in person Annual General Meeting. Participation will be by Zoom. The invitation IS below.
At this meeting we will be discussing-
• The business of SOCASMA
• The current system of access to residency training
• What we are doing to make residency training available, fair, and accountable
• Planning a meeting for student strategy to matching
• Speaker: Adri-Anna Aloia: CSA graduated from RCSI
MEDICAL STUDENTS- PLEASE SHARE THE MEETING INVITATION AT YOUR SCHOOL AND OTHER SCHOOLS AND FORWARD IT TO YOUR CANADIAN CLASSMATES. ENCOURAGE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
Please RSVP socasma@outlook.com or message us on Facebook the number that will be attending the meeting, together with any questions or requests that you would like discussed at the meeting.
We will send you the Zoom invitation when you RSVP. Please provide your email address. It will also assist us if you let us know if you are family or a CSA and what country you are studying in.
The number of Canadian citizens and permanent resident physician positions was up by 0.7%.
The number of visa trainees* was up 9.2%.
However, the CaRMS Forum data PowerPoint Presentation (carms.ca), slide 19 demonstrates that in 2021/2022 the number of residency positions for Canadian citizens and permanent residents has dropped.
CMG (Canadians who are graduates of Canadian and American medical schools ) first year positions are down from 3072 to 3043.
IMG (Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are graduates of international medical schools) first year positions are down from 325 to 322.
Although much has been said about the need for diversity and racial equity, the number of residency positions for Canadians who are international medical graduates has consistently fallen since 2013 across Canada. There are 26 fewer IMG positions in 2021 than there were in 2013.
*Visa trainees are medical graduates who are sponsored by oil rich Gulf States (primarily Saudi Arabia) and ultra rich oil companies from countries which invest heavily in real estate , pharma, manufacturing, energy and other Canadian industry. For example, Saudi Arabia’s ARAMCO is the 5th largest public company (by revenue) in the world. Each year it buys many residency positions from Faculties of Medicine across Canada to train their own doctors while Canadian international medical graduates cannot be licensed because they cannot access these entry level jobs DESPITE having met the Canadians standard of medical education.
The most fundamental principle of nationhood, “Canadian jobs and training for Canadians first” is enshrined in the Canadian Immigration Act. But an application on July 31, 2019 to the Canadian authorities to stop issuing visas to medical graduates from oil rich oil states sits ignored while 5 million Canadians are without family doctors and languish on long waiting lists to see specialists and Canadians with medical degrees are unable to access residency training which is a pre-requisite for licensure.
In summary, while Canadians face a physician shortage, Faculties of Medicine are using limited training resources to train foreigners who are obligated to leave the country when they finish training. The federal government which pays lip service to the need to get Canadians doctors is playing a fundamental role in failing to do what it has authority to do to address the physician shortage by authorizing visa trainees to take residency training positions away from Canadians. The federal government is supporting the provincial government policies which create barriers which prevent Canadians who are international medical graduates who have met the Canadian standard of medical education from becoming licensed.
Since 1991, provincial governments have operated on the Barer-Stoddart economic principle: to control health care spending, the government should control the public’s access to health care by controlling the number of physicians. In other words, Canada practices health care rationing by rationing access to entry level training jobs, and hence licensing, for Canadians.
Comments Off on Fight Discrimination by supporting the Human Rights case
Oh, Canada ☹
Dear CSAs and CSA supporters,
For Canada Day this year let’s stand up for the principles which are supposed to be the foundation and moral fabric of our society.
As you are aware, we are fighting the discrimination that Canadians who are international medical graduates face. We have suggested that you assist by adding your name as a supporter to the ICC campaign. https://www.inclusion.ca/equalchance/
Today I am asking for you to consider donating financially, whether a dollar, twenty dollars, or more to support a human rights action filed by 5 international medical graduates fighting for equal opportunity in access to the medical profession. I have donated $200 directly to the Society, Canadian on Paper, which supports this case. I encourage others to contribute at GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/55ac3d86
Once international medical graduates who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada have passed the exams (MCCQE1 and NAC OSCE) designed to establish whether a person has the critical medical knowledge, clinical decision-making ability, and clinical skills expected of a graduate of a Canadian medical school, there can be no legal justification for treating us differently. It is wrong to prohibit qualified Canadians from applying to 90% of resident physician jobs in Canada which are a pre-requisite to licensure. It is against fundamental principles of justice to segregate Canadians by group characteristics and to only allow one group to be licensed in a small number of recognized medical disciplines. And it is wrong to force one sector of Canadians to sign contracts which take away our right to decide where we will work after becoming licensed.
Equal opportunity will not be returned to international medical graduates without legal action.
That is why SOCASMA filed a Petition in Supreme Court challenging the discrimination CSAs face in 2018 on the basis of administrative law (law that governs government) and the Charter of Rights. It is frustrating how slowly the wheels of justice work; however, we will get there.
The case I write about today is filed under the BC Human Rights Code and is an important piece of the fight for our rights. The human rights tribunal has the right to order systemic change so that all residency positions be available to all Canadians on the same conditions. This case is brought by immigrant physicians who can more easily fit into the prohibitory grounds. Their fight is our fight.
The estimated amount of legal fees and disbursements necessary to fight the human rights case is $250,000. The lawyer retained is one of the best human rights lawyers in the country. She is working at a discounted rate because she too believes that the way Canadians who are international medical graduates are treated in this country is shameful.
Comments Off on Equal Chance. One minute of your time can help stop discrimination
EQUAL CHANCE.
Equality is more than just a word. International medical graduates face barriers that are discriminatory and the antithesis of equality. It is upon us to make FAIR and EQUAL access to the medical profession a reality.
SOCASMA has partnered with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship to fight for the right for EQUAL CHANCE. Equal Chance means that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents upon passing the MCCQE1 and NAC OSCE can compete for all residency positions on the same terms as graduates of Canadian and American medical schools.
Success is dependent on the numbers of people who are prepared to show their support.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND SHARE! It will take less than one minute.
Just click on this link and fill out your name and email address. https://www.inclusion.ca/equalchance/
Your name will not be released to any organizations. We will simply be using the numbers of people who signed up in support to show the government that the unfair barriers faced by internationally trained doctors in Canada will no longer be tolerated. NUMBERS matter!
The campaign is called: Give an #EqualChance to all doctors. For more information, see
#EqualChance.
A small bit of time which can lead to a significant result. Ask your friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbours to sign up as well.
We can make a difference. It was not that long ago that government policy placed barriers to our training in the USA. That was changed through our voices. Barriers to our training in Canada can and will change too.
Comments Off on Coming Home. Part 1 British Columbia
Coming home. The route home isn’t straightforward even after residency training. We are putting together information from the provincial recruiting agencies which we hope will be of assistance to you.
British Columbia has been our first response.
Here is HealthMatch BC’s physician brochure, which outlines licensing requirements for Family and Specialist Physicians looking to practice in BC.
Physicians Trained in the US and/or other RCPSC Approved Jurisdictions
Specialist physicians trained in the USA and other approved jurisdictions of the RCPSC may use this flowchart to determine potential eligibility for full or provisional registration to practice in BC.
Applicants who may be eligible for provisional registration are welcome to register with Health Match BC for assistance in preparing and submitting an application for a CPSBC pre-screening assessment.
Applicants in this category must obtain a RCPSC Ruling confirming access to the RCSPC certification examination in their primary specialty, prior to licensure with the CPSBC.
US-trained specialists complete licensing examinations prior to their residency training in the US. These licensing examinations are recognized by the CPSBC in lieu of the Medical Council of Cana Qualifying Examination (MCCQE ) Part 1 and Part 2. The acceptable US licensing examinations are:
Applicants who trained outside of the US and who do not meet the US licensing examinations listed above, must successfully challenge the MCCQE Part 1, prior to licensure. After licensure, the CPSBC will give them 5 years to successfully challenge the MCCQE Part 2.
Jurisdictions not approved by RCPSC – PER (Practice Eligibility Route)
The PER route is presently not approved in BC.
Practice Ready Assessments
BC has a Practice Ready Assessment – British Columbia (PRA-BC), however it is for Family Physicians who have completed their Family Medicine training outside of a recognized jurisdiction of the CPFC. At this time, Practice Ready Assessments are not available for Specialists Physicians in BC.
Below are links for some of the available Practice Ready Assessment programs we are aware of in other provinces:
Comments Off on 2020 Annual General Meeting of SOCASMA
NOTICE of ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING for CANADIANS STUDYING MEDICINE ABROAD
and THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2020
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: Zoom
Due to COVID 19, we will not be holding an in person Annual General Meeting. Participation will be by Zoom.
At this meeting we will be discussing-
The business of SOCASMA
The current system of access to residency training
What we are doing to make residency training available, fair, and accountable
Planning a meeting for student strategy to matching
MEDICAL STUDENTS- PLEASE SHARE THE MEETING INVITATION AT YOUR SCHOOLS AND OTHER SCHOOLS AND FORWARD IT TO YOUR CANADIAN CLASSMATES. ENCOURAGE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
Please RSVP socasma@outlook.com or message us on Facebook and we will forward you the link to the meeting.
Please also advise us of any questions or requests that you would like discussed at the meeting.
November 17 at 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PST: Career fair aimed at SPECIALISTS. At this event you will be able to attend presentations in a virtual auditorium, meet and talk to recruiters at virtual booths, and participate in live Q & A.