Statistics

Top ten international medical schools that Canadians attend (Source:  2010 CaRMS Survey of CSAs):

  1.  St. Georges University, Caribbean           22%
  2. Saba University School of Medicine, Caribbean 14.8%
  3. University of Queensland, Australia        11.1%
  4. Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland           10.1%
  5. University of Sydney, Australia  5%
  6. Jagiellonian Medical College University, Poland  4.9%
  7. Ross University, Caribbean 4.6%
  8. Trinity College Dublin, Ireland     4.5%
  9. University College Dublin, Ireland             4.5%
  10. University College Cork, Ireland                3.1%

No. of  CSAs:   3,500  (Source:  2010 CaRMS Survey of CSAs)

No. of different international medical schools where CSAs are enrolled:  80 schools in 30 countries  (Source:  2010 CaRMS Survey of CSAs)

 No. of CSAs who graduate each year:     700  (Source:  2010 CaRMS Survey of CSAs)

No. of British Columbians who graduate from international medical schools each year:   100  (Source:  2010 CaRMS Survey of CSAs)

Proportion of CSAs to CMGs:  30%  (Source:  2010 CaRMS Survey of CSAs)

Physician parentage:  21% of CSAs have a physician parent;  15.6% CMGs have a physician parent  (Source:  2010 CaRMS Survey of CSAs)

No. of CSAs who want to return to Canada to work as resident physicians?  90.3% but the further away from graduation, the more likely the CSA is to report a desire to return to Canada to work as a resident physician.  (Source:  2010 CaRMS Survey of CSAs)

Reasons Canadians choose to study abroad 

According to:   2010 CaRMS  Survey of CSAs:

  1.  Unable to obtain a place in Canadian medical school:      77.6%
  2. Allowed direct entry from high school:   7.8%
  3. Wanted to live in another country:          6.6%
  4. Tuition costs were lower than Canadian medical school:  1.8%
  5. Family was living in this foreign country currently:  0.5%
  6. Other:  5.8%

According to:  2013 CMSPA (Canadian Medical Students in Poland Association) Survey of CSAs in Poland (76 respondents):

  1.   Save time:  high quality and time efficient medical program:        40.79%
  2.   Explore the world and experience different cultures and languages:       27.63%
  3.   Did not want to risk not getting into Canadian medical school:     27.63%
  4.   Low tuition fees:              21.05%
  5.    More hands on experience than Canadian medical school programs:       3.95%
  6.    Did not get accepted by a Canadian medical school:  2.63%

 Additional reasons given to SOCASMA by CSAs:

  1. Followed a loved one;
  2. Wanted to study in medical school that had international rating higher than any Canadian medical school;
  3. Wanted to study in a medical school that had an excellent international reputation in a specific discipline.