Are CSAs less qualified to practice medicine than CMGs? In all probability some are less qualified, some are equally qualified, and others are more qualified. National medical knowledge and skills (MCCEE) and clinical skills (NAC OSCE) examinations are designed to ensure that IMGs including CSAs have the knowledge and skill necessary to work as resident […]

Do CSAs study abroad because they cannot get into Canadian medical schools?   Some yes.  Some no. 1.  In 2010 the CaRMS CSA survey reported: 26.7% of CSAs have never applied to a Canadian medical school 37.0% of CSAs applied only one time to Canadians medical schools (The survey results do not set out how many […]

Are CSAs and their families fully aware of the barriers to resident positions when they choose to study medicine abroad? No.  In December 2011, a briefing document released by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Advanced Education, and UBC’s Faculty of Medicine stated they were aware of this lack of knowledge.  The brief states […]

Isn’t it in the public interest to make sure that our medical school graduates get jobs? Some people think that enabling CMGs to get postgraduate training is necessary to capitalize on tax payers’ investment.  This argument may appear appealing at first glance but careful consideration will likely lead to a conclusion that a merit based […]

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 […]

We will use B.C. as an example: I.  CMG (Canadian and American Medical School Graduate) stream in 2013: *CSAs and other IMGs can only compete for leftover positions after CMGs have completed their first round (iteration) of competition. 274 residency positions : 107 family medicine residencies  167 specialty positions 256 UBC graduates 252 UBC graduates […]

Has the residency selection process always been the same? Up until just over 10 years ago, all residency positions in Canada were open to competition by all qualified Canadians.  After the universities of Canada gained full control over residency selection and training in 1993, province by province, they created a system of competition for residency […]

Who controls the residency selection process?  Residency selection determines who will be able to practice medicine in Canada. Since 1993, the Ministries of Health and the Provincial Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons have allowed the Canadian universities to control residency selection. In 1993 the universities took control of training all new physicians. The universities organize […]

What is a medical resident? After medical school, graduates have to work in training positions called medical residencies before they can become fully licensed.  They are hired by the provincial Ministries of Health to work as resident physicians, ie, apprentice physicians.  Resident physicians are an important cog in the medical wheel.  They are not the […]

This is a list of the commonly used acronyms used by SOCASMA: CaRMS – Canadian Resident Matching Service CPSBC – College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC FOM – Faculty of Medicine LCME – Liaison Committee of Medical Education MCCEE – Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination NAC  – National Assessment Collaboration NBME – National […]