It will soon be easier for Nova Scotians who attend medical school outside Canada to complete their residency at home.
The Province has created a designated pathway to residency for 10 international medical graduates studying outside Canada, with priority given to those with a connection to Nova Scotia. Previously, there were six designated seats for international medical graduates interested in a Nova Scotia residency; this brings the total to 16.
Dalhousie University gets about 800 applications a year from medical graduates around the world for these coveted residency spots.
“We have heard from Nova Scotians who have gone away for medical school and want to come home but cannot get a residency here,” said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “This new stream will help these future doctors start their careers where they want to be – at home.”
These 2023 residency positions under the Nova Scotia International Medical Graduates Program are part of the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) program, the national service that matches all physician residency program applicants with open spots at Canada’s medical schools. Students begin applying to CaRMS on Wednesday, December 7.
If any of the seats go unfilled by Nova Scotians during the first CaRMS matching round, they will open to other international medicine graduates. These seats come with an agreement to work in an area of high need in the province for five years after completing the residency requirement.