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jc2004,

Your numbers are competitive. Sounds like you are doing the right things (such rotating in the U.S.). Coming from Canada shouldn't hurt your chances of matching in the U.S. as long as you obtain necessary visas well ahead of time and make it clear in your personal statement why you want to come to the U.S. to do your training.

I would say your chances are as good as many U.S. grads as long as your intentions for coming to the U.S. are clear in your application, you play "the game" smartly, and you work your butt off during your rotations.

ERAS applications are submitted from mid-Sept until sometime in Dec. Applying late WILL hurt your chances of matching. Check out the website to get the specifics.

Spend some time educating yourself about orthopaedics in the U.S. (search this website) and go for it!

I think I would have to agree with Ca(PO4)3OH in that it would probably be harder. My impression is that even if you are from Canada, that makes you a FMG, which makes it a lot harder for you to get a US residency. I've heard from one of my classmates (who's going into medicine) that's from Canada, that if you go to med school in the US though, then there's no difference in terms of your application if the hospital/university supports the type of visa that you need. If you don't go to a US med school, then there's no difference between a Canadian and someone from someplace like Fiji (not that there's anything wrong about Fiji). The best advice would be to keep what you're doing in terms of research, rock your third year clerkships, and work your ass off during the away rotations. The places where you do your aways will probably be your best bet in terms of matching...so you would probably want to pick those places wisely.

I think I would have to agree with Ca(PO4)3OH in that it would probably be harder. My impression is that even if you are from Canada, that makes you a FMG, which makes it a lot harder for you to get a US residency. I've heard from one of my classmates (who's going into medicine) that's from Canada, that if you go to med school in the US though, then there's no difference in terms of your application if the hospital/university supports the type of visa that you need. If you don't go to a US med school, then there's no difference between a Canadian and someone from someplace like Fiji (not that there's anything wrong about Fiji). The best advice would be to keep what you're doing in terms of research, rock your third year clerkships, and work your ass off during the away rotations. The places where you do your aways will probably be your best bet in terms of matching...so you would probably want to pick those places wisely.

actually thats not true..
being a grad from a canadian school you are NOT..... absolutely NOT considered a FMG... it does not put u in the same boat as being from a school in fiji.. Canadian schools are accreditated by the LCME the same body that accredits US schools...

being a grad from a canadian med school is the same as being a grad from a US school... the ONLY problem you will have is obtaining a VISA to do ur residency in the US.... if you want to remain in the US after residency... then u want an h1B visa.. u have to get the hospital/university to sponsor you.. VERY DIFFICULT... if u want to go back to canada then a j1 visa will do.. BUT make sure your training in the US will be recognised in canada.. because alot of times canada will say you need an extra yr and lots of red tape like that...


a FMG is someone that goes to a school that is not accredited by the LCME.. all the med schools in the US and CANADA.. and ONLY med schools in US and Canada are accredited by the LCME... any other school u are considered a FMG.. if u are US citizen in foreign school (incl Caribbean) or if u are a foreigner in a foreign school u are a FMG... in which case you will have even more difficulties obtaining an ortho residency because the majority of the programs will not even look at ur app as soon as they see FMG

I apologize if my info above was off base. I obviously don't have first hand knowledge since I'm gonna be a US grad. My intention was to relate what I've been told by now 2 of my classmates, who are from Canada, that it's difficult to come to the US for residency from a Canadian medical school. One person specifically said that it's tougher to change places midway (med school and residency) than to just go through with your training where you went to med school and then try and move later. But then obviously, there are also difficulties in trying to go to a different country after you're done training, as well as staying if you're not resident as orthochiKK and Ca(PO4)3OH mentioned above. Either way, good luck with it all.

i think the biggest problem is gettin a visa to do residency in the states... all other things are equal... if u have a greencard or dual citizenship then its all good...

other problem is going back ot canada after residency.. canada is retarded in that sometimes it wants an extra yr of trraining compared to the us programs... im not sure if it applies to ortho but i know it does for FP and stuff....

anyways... good luck withe verything...

I just went throught the whole app process (in ortho) for the upcoming match and am canadian. Your nationality does affect you, it's just hard to tell how much. I'm sure i got interviews at certain places just because i was canadian (and qualified ... but lets face it, pretty much everyone applying is qualified). Other places i talked to on the phone wanted nothing to do with the visa business (which, incidently, is against the law). I don't think its really their policy, just that most places lump needing a visa in with being an FMG eventhough they are not always the same. Either way, it makes a HUGE difference where you do your aways. DO NOT DO AN AWAY AT A PROGRAM THAT DOESN"T SPONSOR AN H1B VISA APPLICANT. This means, all the programs in mass. If you want more info, PM me. Good luck

hey guys,

thanks for the responses. need to plan my aways and get the ball rolling.

jc2004