I'm Canadian-Am I International?

The short answer: yes, you are an international student.

Many Canadians have crossed the Canada-US border to visit the US for vacation or leisure purposes. However, being a student is different. Since you will be studying (and living) in a foreign country, you are considered an international student.

So, why study in the US? The first and most common reason is that applying and getting into a Canadian medical school is competitive, given the limited number of schools and seats available. For some, the high MCAT and GPA requirements by Canadian schools simply make getting an interview impossible. Others may choose to study in the US to attend a prestigious institution, or for more opportunities available in certain medical subspecialties.

Implications for Canadians who choose to go to a medical school in the US (Please note the below does not apply to US-Canadian Duo Citizens)

• You will be studying on a student visa (most likely an F1 visa), which will be issued by your school. This means whenever you travel between the US and Canada, you will need to show this visa at the border.

• In general, you would not be able to work while studying on a visa, except for on-campus jobs within your school.

• You will be filing taxes in both countries, though likely only paying taxes in one of them.

• In general, you will not have a US social security number (SSN), which is needed for things including credit card applications, opening a bank account, some apartment applications, cell phone plans, amongst others.

• The medical knowledge you will learn is similar between both Canada and the US, with differences in healthcare systems and policies, as well as some differences in guidelines for treatments.

What about Finances?

I’m highlighting this because attending a US medical school is expensive, in fact, much more expensive than Canada. Before deciding to apply for schools in the US, it is important to consider whether or not you would be able to afford the tuition and living expenses.

In terms of finances, you will not be eligible for:

• US federal loans or student aid

• Scholarships which require US citizenship or state residency

You are able to apply for:

• Private loans in the US with a US cosigner (these may have higher interest rates)

• A line-of-credit in Canada with one or two cosigners who have good credit

• Canadian federal/provincial student aid (the amount may not be enough to cover all of your medical school tuition)

Implications of applying for residency in the US after completing medical school in the US

As residency is employment, you will need to apply for a work visa in order to work as a resident in the US. This may place you at a disadvantage during the residency application process compared to other US citizen applicants who don't require a visa. Aside from this though, you will still be considered an U.S. MD applicant like everyone else from your school.

Implications of applying for residency in Canada after completing medical school in the US

As a Canadian citizen, you can still apply for residency in Canada and will be classified as a CMG (Canadian Medical Graduate) in the Canadian Residency Match (CaRMS), which means you will be applying for the same number of positions available as other Canadian medical school students. The number of available residency positions in Canada, in general, is less compared to the US, therefore matching back into Canada may be harder for more competitive specialties. Some programs may also prefer students from their home institutions. Not doing medical school in Canada means that you are not familiar with the healthcare system or the people within it, hence you will need to put in the additional effort to network and arrange for away elective experiences.

What about after residency?

In general, Canadians can continue to work in the US as long as they have an adequate visa, immigration status and licensure to practice. It is also possible to return to Canada to practice as long as you obtain the appropriate licensure and pass the required qualifying exams.

Bottom Line

As a Canadian studying in the US, you will encounter a few obstacles here and there. There will be moments where situations get murky, and you will have to put in the work to find the answer that applies to your case. However, the US remains a good option to pursue medical training and will still provide options for pursuing post-graduate training either in the US or Canada.

Photo taken at the Museum of Science, Vancouver, Canada, 2019.