FAQ: IMGS cannot compete with CMGs

In a briefing document dated December, 2011 UBC, the BC Ministry of Health, and the BC Ministry of Advanced Education provided two explanations:

•  “Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs) also compete for residency positions and expect to be able to complete medical education, and become eligible to be licensed to practice medicine in Canada.  The common practice therefore is to ensure that the national number of residency positions in the first iteration of the CaRMS will be equivalent to the number of students graduating from medical schools across Canada.”

SOCASMA’S Position:  This is hardly a justification.  All graduates of professional programs want to be able to complete their postgraduate professional education and training so they can be licensed to practice their profession in Canada.  To expect to be handed a postgraduate training position reflects a culture of entitlement among CMGs which should not be encouraged.  The principles of Canadian society and fairness require that the best qualified Canadian candidates fill the postgraduate positions if there are an insufficient number to accommodate all. 

•  “Medical schools outside of Canada and the United States are not measured against the same accreditation standards; therefore, those applicants that did not complete their undergraduate MD education in Canada, must demonstrate their competence to be eligible to compete for residency places in Canada.”

SOCASMA’s Position:  This also falls short of a justification.  This explains why international medical graduates must pass the national MCCEE and NAC OSCE which are designed to establish that they “are at the level of a Canadian medical graduate entering postgraduate training.”  This provides no justification for IMGs who have proven their competence by passing this exam being precluded from competing for residency positions against CMGs in the first iteration.