The universities realised, a lot of medical students choose the course, due to peer pressure, family pressure, to be a "doctor" if you have the highest marks after high school. Which is why there are "programs" in place to not just select medical students nowadays based on marks, but also on their willingness and commitment to be one. There is also an additional interview process and medical/ethics,UMAT, exams.
That's what I thought as well Ash007. I figured going to Canada where it was "impossible" to get into residency again would mean I was free from having to practice medicine ever again. Furthermore I did zero volunteer work. Zero "observorship" attachments as they call it. I just took the exams (all 4 including the MMI which centred heavily of ethics) and applied. My reference was from my former head of department in the polyclinic in Singapore. So zero Canadian references, zero Canadian experience. What was the chance eh?
I went to the one and only interview I got (which was a surprise in itself as I only applied to UofA and UofC. I would not consider moving to another province for residency. Again just two, what's the chance eh?) and spoke pretty honestly. I didn't lie that I wanted to do medicine because I loved it, I said it was for financial security and a sense of duty to my family.
In the actual match day I did not get a position. However a week later I got called saying that a candidate pulled out and I was "next on their list" and they offered it to me. To this day I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I remember that moment that I said "ok".
So for what it is worth, the selection process is flawed. All selection processes are flawed. It is also how I got into a job in oil and gas with zero experience and no qualifications, finished the one month probation and got told I no longer needed to get my paper qualifications and become project manager in 12 months handling the firm's biggest client and then left shortly after to do family medicine residency.
All this talk about "selecting people of the right calibre" is bullshit. It is all touch and go. Smart candidates can play the game well and win. Whatever is judged by man, rules made by man, machines and creations made by man, man can overcome and win.
However when it comes to things made by our creator and not by man that is the true impossible. Hence me dealing with a machine called the body created by God is just not a good fit for me. If I really tried hard to help someone, perhaps the ethics committees would come after me. More risk than gain for everyone except the patient perhaps. Medicine is about doing what all doctors do. Following guidelines. Follow the crowd. Play safe. Do not be creative.
If you know me, and hearing what I have done to go all the way to Canada, rejecting and giving up my career in Singapore and all the other escapades in Canada, you will know I am not the kind who enjoys following the crowd, playing safe, and operating at subconscious levels. Unfortunately this is what family medicine is. It pays well though which is also a curse in itself.
Anyway, Scroobal, you say I was an inspiration to others? Don't joke lah. I was just an angry young man who wanted to prove everyone wrong.
I think the reason why the emigration folder is dead is not so much because there is readily available information, but really because the next generation of Singaporeans just aren't interested in migrating anymore. They are more focused on enjoying themselves in Singapore and going on holidays. People are having children later in life and also many of the well heeled are in the Finance sector. I know some finance people who say their credentials mean for nothing in North America as their contacts are all within the Asia Pacific region. And mind you these high flier finance people are raking millions a year. That is way too much to give up. As a polyclinic doctor I was taking in $7500 a month. I easily surpassed this as a rookie land administrator in oil and gas.
What I can never understand though is why I have never heard of another male Singaporean doctor migrating? I do know two doctors in Canada who migrated. One is a housewife as she has a well to do husband and are both retired in Vancouver. The husband was a forum member here as well and I met him in Singapore before he left in 2004. The other doctor is someone who married a Canadian man and settled in Vancouver for several years.
After I matched I was introduced to her by the former doctor and I gave her some tips on the exams and application process to get into family medicine residency. She did better than me at the exams. Also did no observorships and volunteer work. And she got into residency on the first try. She is now a 1st year family medicine resident in BC. She did however have very interesting experience volunteering in Afghanistan.
So it is possible to get back into medicine in Canada. I think being a graduate from Singapore plays a big part. Strangely, I have never had any requests from young doctors in Singapore asking how to come to Canada. Oh well I guess that's how "inspiring" my story is. Not!
It's been a journey for sure and I look back with many fond memories. I am still young though and I believe this is but another chapter in my life. There is still time left for me to do something crazy when I finally get around to doing it again.
