# International medical student - CF MO



## Mesha (28 Dec 2013)

Hello, I am a Canadian citizen for the past 13 years and currently a 4Th year medical student, I would like to join the Canadian Forces as a Medical Officer. I ave searched the armed forces website and it doesn't say anything about Canadian students acquiring their medicine degree abroad along with wanting to join the CF. I will finish my program which is Bachelors in Medicine - Bachelors in surgery in 2015 and want to know what do I ave to do to join the CF, or what steps do I ave to take to become a medical officer. It would be really helpful if someone has some insight in this to share it with me and help me out. 

Thank you once again in advance.


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## ModlrMike (28 Dec 2013)

The simplest answer is that you would have to get your Canadian license and then apply to join. To the best of my knowledge, the CF does not hire unlicensed IMGs. You don't say where you got your training, so it's difficult to say what you would have to do to attain you license here.


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## BurnDoctor (28 Dec 2013)

+1 on what Mike said. In order to get a license, you'd have to complete not only med school, but also a residency in a discipline that the CF recognizes/has open billets for (generally).  Depending on where you're going to med school, getting into a residency that will be acceptable for Canadian Licensure may be the biggest hurdle.


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## Mesha (28 Dec 2013)

I am currently studying in dubai - United Arab Emirates they provide us with one year internship program, but I would really like to return home and do my intern here along with my training at CF ... So in a nut shell if I wanted to join the canadian forces do I ave to ave my license first i can't join the CF upon my med school graduation and then hope to do my intern here and my licensing ???


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## BurnDoctor (28 Dec 2013)

Ultimately, only a recruiter can give you a definitive answer. 

That said, generally speaking there are just two paths: 1) join the CF before med school, they pay the way for med school and Family Practice residency, you begin paying them back with service upon completion of residency, or ...

2) become full trained and employable (i.e. Med school, residency, and licensed) on your own dime, and then apply.

In the past, the CF may have offered contracts to individuals part way through their training, during times when there was a CF GDMO shortage. Currently, the opposite situation exists, and the CF has all the docs it needs/is already funding training for its near-term future needs. Your proposed pathway sounds like a non-starter.

As stated, though, a recruiter is the best source for what is accurate at any given moment.

Good luck.


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## Mesha (28 Dec 2013)

Thank you ... Everyone for you input I appreciate it .. Happy holidays!


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## The_Falcon (29 Dec 2013)

: Right on the recruiting website 
http://www.forces.ca/en/job/medicalofficer-50#education-3

"DIRECT ENTRY
If you already have a medical degree and an unrestricted license to practice family medicine in a Canadian province or territory, the Canadian Forces may place you directly into the required on-the-job training program following basic training. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned. "


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## Paladium (2 Jan 2014)

If you finished your medical school/training abroad - you could be sponsored by the CF if you were accepted into a Canadian Residency program in an area acceptable to the CF (for example family medicine).  It is your responsibility to find that program on your own and get accepted into it - the CF will not find it for you.

Good Luck


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## ballz (2 Jan 2014)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> : Right on the recruiting website
> http://www.forces.ca/en/job/medicalofficer-50#education-3
> 
> "DIRECT ENTRY
> If you already have a medical degree and an unrestricted license to practice family medicine in a Canadian province or territory, the Canadian Forces may place you directly into the required on-the-job training program following basic training. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned. "



How very condescending of you, perhaps you should put away the rolling eyes emoticon for a while. 

The OP does not  appear to have "an unrestricted license to practice family medicine in a Canadian province or territory," and they've made that much pretty clear, so your post is of absolutely no use to him/her.


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## The_Falcon (2 Jan 2014)

ballz said:
			
		

> How very condescending of you, perhaps you should put away the rolling eyes emoticon for a while.
> 
> The OP does not  appear to have "an unrestricted license to practice family medicine in a Canadian province or territory," and they've made that much pretty clear, so your post is of absolutely no use to him/her.



Really, so pointing out that the requirements, are pretty clear on the website for what is required for DEO Medical Officers, and that OP being a learned person, can make the inference that the major requirement they don't have, is the one they need, is of no use.....right... You can bite me.


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## ballz (2 Jan 2014)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> Really, so pointing out that the requirements, are pretty clear on the website for what is required for DEO Medical Officers, and that OP being a learned person, can make the inference that the major requirement they don't have, is the one they need, is of no use.....right... You can bite me.



Yes, it is of no use. Look at their question about studying abroad, it is not "right on the recruiting site" as you so arrogantly tried to point out. The OP, being a "learned" person, has obviously figured out they don't meet the requirements for DEO at the moment and is wondering how studying abroad could complicate the matter.

This is probably a very common thing as a lot of people in Canada study medicine abroad and then can have difficulty getting licensed in Canada, and sometimes they are unable to. I'm not exactly sure how it all works or how much this complicates everything, so I'm not going to comment on it.


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## The_Falcon (2 Jan 2014)

ballz said:
			
		

> Yes, it is of no use. Look at their question about studying abroad, it is not "right on the recruiting site" as you so arrogantly tried to point out. The OP, being a "learned" person, has obviously figured out they don't meet the requirements for DEO at the moment and is wondering how studying abroad could complicate the matter.



Are you retarded, it's right on the bloody site, you must be licensed to practice in Canada for DEO's.  Ergo, if you studied abroad, you must now go through all the damn hoops required to obtain that license here in Canada. They would still need to do this anyway, if they were planning on practicing in Canada and not joining the CAF.  In addition the foreign credentials would need to be assessed, and that assessment submitted as well, which is also mentioned in a different part of the official recruiting site, and numerous threads here. 

As far as the other part, difficulty of getting a license if you studied outside of Canada, this is old news very old news.  If a Canadian deliberately studied outside Canada, without researching this part, well they only have themselves to blame.


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## RubberTree (2 Jan 2014)

I swear to God, if you kids don't settle down I'll turn this car around and we will go right back to Moose Jaw.


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## George Wallace (3 Jan 2014)

RubberTree said:
			
		

> I swear to God, if you kids don't settle down I'll turn this car around and we will go right back to Moose Jaw.



OK?  What part of town? East end?   North Hill?  South Hill? West end?


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## ballz (3 Jan 2014)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> Are you retarded, it's right on the bloody site, you must be licensed to practice in Canada for DEO's.  Ergo, if you studied abroad, you must now go through all the damn hoops required to obtain that license here in Canada. They would still need to do this anyway, if they were planning on practicing in Canada and not joining the CAF.  In addition the foreign credentials would need to be assessed, and that assessment submitted as well, which is also mentioned in a different part of the official recruiting site, and numerous threads here.
> 
> As far as the other part, difficulty of getting a license if you studied outside of Canada, this is old news very old news.  If a Canadian deliberately studied outside Canada, without researching this part, well they only have themselves to blame.



Chill out would you? There are more entry programs than DEO available, and the OP wasn't asking about the DEO program because they clearly realize they don't meet the requirements for it.

The entry program that *could* be available for the OP is MOTP. But the recruiting website does not mention anything about studying about and how it affects their eligibility for MOTP. I suspect that's what Paladium, who's actually being helpful, is alluding to.



			
				Paladium said:
			
		

> If you finished your medical school/training abroad - you could be sponsored by the CF if you were accepted into a Canadian Residency program in an area acceptable to the CF (for example family medicine).  It is your responsibility to find that program on your own and get accepted into it - the CF will not find it for you.



Your original post was as relevant as telling someone in high school that they don't meet the DEO requirements to be an Infantry Officer. No kidding they don't...

But enough of this :argument: please continue with your eagerness to be condescending towards others for no reason if your ego requires it.


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## The_Falcon (3 Jan 2014)

Fuck it I don't care anymore.  My opinion, the whole recruiting subforum should be locked.  Only 1% of threads ask something remotely new.  The rest are people to lazy or inept to get the answers themselves.  I found information on google regarding this in 2 damn seconds.


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## brihard (3 Jan 2014)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> frig it I don't care anymore.  My opinion, the whole recruiting subforum should be locked.  Only 1% of threads ask something remotely new.  The rest are people to lazy or inept to get the answers themselves.  I found information on google regarding this in 2 damn seconds.



Dude; take a break for a while. Forget the recruiting forum for a time, it isn't worth the stress. You're doing a good thing trying to help- ignore those who would claim otherwise. If you feel like coming back after waging your hands of it, great. If not, it's not your problem anyway.


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