MCCEE exam.

[Elf]

Dear All,

Sorry for posting here - the Canadian group is not available for me due to unknown reasons.

I would like to share my experience and opinion about the MCCEE exam (sometimes people ask it and don't get answers because this exam is not so popular as usmle steps, but anyway...:)

Books and notes:

1) Crush step 2, Brushan
2) Toronto notes: community health chapter, geriatric chapter is enough.
3) Your usmle step 2 CK notes (if passed CK before) - VERY useful stuff. :)

Questions:
CanadaQ bank is the only necessary resource for questions
It costs 45 $ for 1 mo.

Exam: 4 hours, 175 MCQ with only one correct answer, 150 Q are calculated, 25 Q are experimental (you will never know which one).

No brakes - you can make unscheduled brakes when needed, but the time will not stop.

Good luck for everybody!

Sincerely,
Elf

[kareglazaya]

thanks.
i know that it"s difficult to get residenture in Canada for IMGs,
it's better to pass both usmle and mccqe
what about questions?
WILL it be enough Kaplan lectures?.

[Elf]

Originally Posted by kareglazaya

what about questions?
WILL it be enough Kaplan lectures?.

Kaplan lectures should be enough.
Don't be fulled by Canada Q bank questions - they are much less straightforward - they also use recent clinical trial dates, but I still think they are better than Kaplan Q bank, because they teach you to think on "canadian way". If you get 59-60% in total on Canada Q bank you should easily pass the exam, as the official site says. MCCEE tests your general knowledge, not the tiny details.
If you want a high score (I still don't know my scores - they post only pass or fail on-line) you can use Kaplan Q bank also.
If you took step 2 CK recently 1 week would be enough for MCCEE.
In comparison with step 2 I found it easier to sit for the spine - 4 hours instead of 9 :)

Good luck!!!

[kareglazaya]

wish you the highest scores
what about residenture?
heard it's VERY DIFFICULT to find a place for it

[Elf]

Originally Posted by kareglazaya

wish you the highest scores
what about residenture?
heard it's VERY DIFFICULT to find a place for it

Thank you!!! :) Residency is a dead way in Canada - much better and safer to go through USMLE steps. I need MCCEE for the other reasons, not the residency path.
I would never advice anyone to go through Canadian steps and search the residency position there - waste of time.

[MillaG]

Originally Posted by Elf

I would never advice anyone to go through Canadian steps and search the residency position there - waste of time.

Dear Elf:
My spouse is going to Calgary to get PhD degree. I am about to pass first USMLE exam and considering going with him to Canada. Are there any ways to go to Canada remaining in medicine? Could you advise anything in this case? What for do you pass MCCEE?
Thank you in advance.

[Elf]

Originally Posted by MillaG

Dear Elf:
My spouse is going to Calgary to get PhD degree. I am about to pass first USMLE exam and considering going with him to Canada. Are there any ways to go to Canada remaining in medicine? Could you advise anything in this case? What for do you pass MCCEE?
Thank you in advance.

Dear MillaG,

In order to remain in medicine in Canada I would advice you to:
1) pass USMLE step 1
2) pass USMLE step 2 CK
3) pass MCCEE (you will need 7 days for prep after successful step 2 CK)
4) pass step 2 CS,
5) apply to the US residency program
6) apply for Statement of Need from Health Canada - if you want J-1 (you need to live in Canada and have a pass score on MCCEE)
7) pass step 3 (earlier the Match year if you want H1B, but better do so before the start of your residency)
complete your residency program in the US
9) apply for Canadian evaluation (through RCPSC) or go through alternative pathway in Ontario.
10) ALL CANADA NEEDS DOCTORS!!! IMHO this is the easiest and safest way to obtain your legal practice here!

I would not recommend you to follow MCCEE, QE1, 2 steps because it is VERY DIFFICULT (let say almost impossible) to obtain a graduate position in Canada - amount of slots is almost equal to Canadian Seniors.

Best of luck!

[MillaG]

Originally Posted by Elf

Dear MillaG,
Best of luck!

Thank you a lot!

[Goblin]

Originally Posted by Elf

Dear MillaG,

In order to remain in medicine in Canada I would advice you to:
1) pass USMLE step 1
2) pass USMLE step 2 CK
3) pass MCCEE (you will need 7 days for prep after successful step 2 CK)
4) pass step 2 CS,
5) apply to the US residency program
6) apply for Statement of Need from Health Canada - if you want J-1 (you need to live in Canada and have a pass score on MCCEE)
7) pass step 3 (earlier the Match year if you want H1B, but better do so before the start of your residency)
complete your residency program in the US
9) apply for Canadian evaluation (through RCPSC) or go through alternative pathway in Ontario.
10) ALL CANADA NEEDS DOCTORS!!! IMHO this is the easiest and safest way to obtain your legal practice here!

I would not recommend you to follow MCCEE, QE1, 2 steps because it is VERY DIFFICULT (let say almost impossible) to obtain a graduate position in Canada - amount of slots is almost equal to Canadian Seniors.

Best of luck!

А что делать если задача усложняется наличием Permanenr Resident статуса в Канаде? Пока в американской резидентуре пахать будешь 3 года в Канаде статуса лишат. Есть ли какие-нибудь пути решения подобной проблемы?

[drlog7]

Я тоже об этом думаю постоянно.
За это время можно потерять вид на жительство в Канаде.
С другой стороны, сдавать USMLE и проходить резидентуру в Америце более реально, чем в Канаде.
Отличная ветка для канадцев, жаль только что мало народу это обсуждает...

[Elf]

Thanks a lot! I am on the same shoes. :) Keep in touch!

As for PR status: you need to live here 730 days out of 5 years in order to maintain your PR status or 3 years out of 4 in order to apply for citizenship.
If you live here for 2 years you might be safely out for another 3 years while you are in the residency. This is the easiest way. If your residency is longer - it's another story :)

[van_rejn]

The situation with IMG residencies slightly improved since 2006. With introduction of UBC Department of Family Practice IMG residency program every year at least 2 Russian speaking IMGs get into residency. Few also chose psychiatry. There is IMG-BC Program which assess IMGs suitability for residency in Canada. At the moment 5 Russian doctors participate in evaluation process. Please see link for more info. http://www.imgbc.med.ubc.ca/Home.htm

Please also see link of AIMDBC, local IMG advocate group http://www.aimdbc.com/

Below is an exempt from this site to give you an idea what was done over last years to assure that IMGs have a chance to practice medicine in Canada.

In June 2003 a small group of international medical graduates (IMGs) got together in Vancouver to discuss uniting their voice in order to affect greater access to licensure. They were assisted by the British Columbia Internationally Trained Professionals Network (AIMDBC Net), the collaboritive brainchild of MOSAIC, ISS and SDISS - three of BC's largest immigrant serving agencies and funded by Canadian Heritage. These internationally trained medical doctors lived in a province that had the lowest number of post-graduate residency training positions for IMGs in the country. The provincial licensing authority for medical doctors requires that most internationally trained medical doctors repeat their post graduate training (the two years of rotating training in a hospital) and without this training an IMG cannot be licensed. The doctors also had no direction or support from government or healthcare stakeholders and no training to help them adapt to the Canadian healthcare system. There was a lot to do and with the assistance of the BC Internationally Trained Professionals Network (AIMDBC Net) the doctors began to meet on a monthly basis at the offices of MOSAIC or Immigrant Services Society and by the end of that summer had formed the Association of International Medical Doctors of BC (AIMD BC).


One of the first tasks completed by AIMD BC was the creation of their mission statement and goals.


Mission Statement

To ensure that internationally trained medical doctors are integrated effectively and equitably into British Columbia's healthcare system.



Goals

1.To facilitate access to the licensing process for international medical doctors living in British Columbia.
2.To work collaboratively with other stakeholders to identify and develop appropriate assessment, orientation, upgrading and integration programs for British Columbia's IMG's
3.To provide information and support to members in licensing and finding meaningful employment in the healthcare field.
As the organization grew it developed a game plan for effecting change which included a MLA and MP letter writing campaign, the creation of a website to disseminate information to other international medical doctors, meetings with all the major healthcare stakeholders, presentations to the public and extensive coverage of issues in all the major media both locally and nationally. This all started in earnest in March of 2004 at the Federal IMG Taskforce conference in Calgary Alberta, where Dr’s Najat al Refai and Shahab Khanahmadi represented AIMD BC at the organizations first official outing. Highlights since then for the organization include a demonstration in Vancouver, the collection of over 4000 signatures in a petition and the production of a briefing document for stakeholders that clarified the need for additional doctors in BC and the fact that many IMGs have already met Canada’s high standards and were ready, willing and able assist.



The first sign that the association was having an effect was the introduction of a pilot ‘bridge’ training project funded by the provincial government and run out of St. Paul’s hospital from January to March of 2005. Twelve IMGs were accepted into this ‘Orientation to Western Medicine’ training, which lasted full-time for three months. This kind of training for IMGs was available in other provinces like Ontario and Alberta but did not exist BC. The doctors believed that orientation training was a critical piece of an effective integration strategy and were encouraged when the government also saw the benefit of funding this kind of support. There were other critical pieces still missing however and soon the association was focused on expanding the number of post graduate residencies for IMGs and bringing all the provincial government and healthcare stakeholders together in order to create a comprehensive game plan for licensing more internationally trained medical doctors in BC.



In the late spring of 2005 AIMD BC was heavily involved in various media campaigns, petitions and meetings and it was clear that momentum was building for change. A break through occurred when Dr.’s Alfredo Tura and Oleg Baranoff secured a ‘champion’ in government, someone who was willing to listen and help the organization. MLA Lorne Mayencourt, who believed in the cause, helped organize the association’s first meeting with the deputy minister of health. Here the two doctors were able to voice their ‘solutions’ and dispel any pre-conceived ideas about the organizations true intentions. By the fall of 2005 over 20 MLA’s had been met, CBC radio and TV, Global TV, M Channel, the Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun and Province and even Readers Digest had covered the issues. The government knew what the issues were and momentum was continuing to build for change. Then, a week before AIMD BC’s second general meeting, the provincial government announced that it was tripling the number of IMG post graduate residency positions from six to eighteen. This was the news everyone was waiting for, clearly the hard work of many IMG volunteers, for over two years, was finally paying off. At the AIMD BC general meeting Dr. Rod Andrew, director of the residency training program at St. Paul’s Hospital, answered questions about the expansion and the doctors elected their first executive to represent them in the year ahead.



The next big step for AIMD BC was the formation of an executive committee which included eight dedicated volunteers and the new president, Dr. Alfredo Tura, vice president Dr. Oleg Baranoff and secretary/treasurer Dr. Mariana Deevska. In November Dr. Tura was asked to be a standing member of the newly formed provincial ‘International Medical Graduate Integration Taskforce’ which included the post-graduate Deans - UBC Faculty of Medicine, the Ministry of Health, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and the St. Paul’s Program Director. International medical doctors were now being included in high level discussions about how to best include them in BC’s healthcare system.



The association has come a long way in two and a half years but as Dr. Tura says “there is still much to do”. In October 2006 members of the board of AIMD BC met with the honourable George Abbott, minister of health and gave him a recommendation document called "Solutions to the Medical Doctor Shortage in BC. A Plan on How to Integrate More Immigrant IMGs into the BC Healthcare System." They met with the minister again in January of 2007 and are optimistic that AIMDBC and the Ministry of Health can work more closely together to assist IMGs in BC.



Currently the doctors are looking for sponsors for the association so they can expand and do more for their members. At the moment they have just expanded their website to include a member’s only section to facilitate study groups and the posting of questions by members. They are also coordinating training for members as they prepare for exams; have awarded the organizations first student bursary.



AIMD BC is a non-profit association that has over 400 members and is a founding member of the Canadian Association of International Physicians and Surgeons (CAIPS), a national umbrella organization which includes BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec. The goals of the national organization are similar to those of AIMD BC, to work toward a fair and equitable system of licensure and professional employment for all doctors in Canada, including those who have emigrated from other countries in the world.