could someone give me true and honest answers, please?

boby58

New member
Mar 2, 2002
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Hi everyone. this is my first time on this page but by going through some of the postings on this site I noticed that there are many nice people here and helping each other. I hope that you will be able to help me to make my decission.

The question/s that I have in mind is not very different from some of the questions that others have asked so far. but I believe that everybody's concerns are different and it depends on everybody's situation.

I moved from iran to canada more 8 years agao, and I studied biochemistry here at a university. but i always wanted to become a doctor (some of you may be thinking that i want to do it only for money but that is not true. as one of you said as an answer to someone else "there are easier way to make money. why should one choose a difficult way and go through a lot of pain and responsibilities")

I couldn't get to med school here but I was looking for other places to apply to. So, I saw UNIBE (yes, yes familiar subject). Now I got addmision to UNIBE. But there are a lot of things that I have to do and arrange to move to DR. and I have a lot of concerns here. You see , if i become a doctor out side canada it is almost imposible for me to practise in canada and I have to cross bridges that are narrower than the thickness of a hair and sharper than a blade. and it is probably the same thing for USA too. The fact that I am a canadian citizen it might be a little (just a little) easier for me to come back but I can't and I don't want to live on a small hope like this. I asume that (after talking to the domenican consulate here in canada ) if I want to become a ligal resident of DR , it is possible. or if I want to work there it is possible too. and i asume that if I become a doctor i can work in DR. correct me if I am wrong, please.

But I don't know anything about DR. I have no friends, no conection, no idea about DR, i don't know spanish, etc and etc. I have to tell you when i came to canada my situation was exactlly the same as when i will move to DR.

I can get student loan from canada but it is not even enough to cover all of my tuition. I talked to my sibilings in europe and they say that they might be able to help with the rest but they need to know exactlly how much (minimum) per month i need to survive in DR without getting sick and die there over an MD degree.

by reading some of the materials that you posted I noticed that in DR there people from other countries too. would you please give me your perspective of DR (in terms of cost of living, life condition, people, health system, etc ) ?

could you please someone tell me how much will i be needing (minimum) for rent and food per month?

I am trying to get as much as information possible before i make my decission. i need to know if financially I can make it and I will be able to work at least in DR if not anywhere else. who knows maybe I will fall in love with DR and never think of moving out .
do you think that you can help me with this?

unfortunately I can't come to visit DR before moving there (at least for now I can't come. i don't know if i can do it later).

Do you know anyone who went to UNIBE and went through the path that I will be going through to? some of you probably moved to DR just like the way I will be doing but maybe for a different reason. I am hopping that you will be able to give me insight and information neccessary to make my decission. I don't have much time to waste. I have to give my answer to the university whethere i am coming or not.

I appreciate every one of you for reading my long message. I hope that i was able to make sense here and I hope that I could emphesize the imprtance of my decission.

In advance i am thankful to all of you for your replies. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you.
 

bichondad

New member
Jan 19, 2002
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MEDICAL SCHOOL

Boby,

The SECOND thing you have to decide is, if all else fails, would you be happy as a physician practicing in the DR. Honestly, I doubt it, but that's another conversation.

The FIRST thing is to find out is will Canada let you back in and allow you to practice.

Work on these two before you worry how much it will cost you to live in the DR while getting your MD degree.

Don't worry about the school pushing you for an answer. They will accept you in the next semester.

REMEMBER.........THIS IS YOUR WHOLE LIFE!

Answer these and I'll help as much as I can.

PS: I'm the guy you quoted.
 

jjsk

"Going for Gold"
Jan 1, 2002
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Canada is becoming desperate for Doctors, because so many are leaving, so as long as you pass the appropriate board exams you should have no trouble coming back here to practise (especially if you are willing to locate in a more remote area).

I can't give you any advice on the other stuff, but since you've already made a major move before, you're probably adaptable and equipped to deal with a lifestyle change.
Best of luck :)
 

bichondad

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Jan 19, 2002
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CANADA DESPARATE FOR DOCS??

jjsk,

That sounds great on paper. "If" this and "If" that, is not so easy in the real world. :(

That's why I told Boby to do what I suggested BEFORE taking the next step.

There is no such thing as "no trouble coming back......" in the real world. :(

This is a young man who wants to make a really big change in his life. To suggest that his road will be anything but VERY, VERY HARD. Don't lead him down the wrong road.
 

PJT

Silver
Jan 8, 2002
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Becoming a Doctor

Boby, you are blessed if your calling is that of being a doctor. Also, be aware you have to take in consideration of where you are educated for the vocation. Especially, if you are transient. An education in the D.R. may be good for a practice in the D.R. Yet, Dominican standards are not universally accepted for a practice outside the country. The cost of living in the D.R. is low compared to Canada. US $500 per month will give you a decent apartment in the Capital. Utilities and food will cost you about US $100-200 a month. Don't take the cost a Gods truth, they may vary.

There is a great need for quality medical care in the country. The poor depend on public health. The health service is minimal. A public health doctors' pay is low and held back for months on end because of lack of government funding.

Private practice earns more if it is your own clinic. If you work for a private clinic pay is low and you may be forced to work two jobs to cover you expenses to earn enough capital to start your own clinic. Good luck. Regards, PJT
 

jjsk

"Going for Gold"
Jan 1, 2002
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yes, Bichondad, there are no guarantees that he will be able to practise in Canada, you are correct in emphasizing that, and I was remiss if I gave an impression that passing the board exams would be an easy thing to do.

He is a Canadian citizen, though, so he will at the very least definitely be allowed back in the country.

I wasn't trying to make it sound like a breeze, but the truth is we are going to be facing a serious doctor shortage in Canada, and this will make it easier for doctors who have done their training abroad to come and practise here.
I also think that since he's made a major move and apparently adapted to a new country that he's likely better equipped than the average person to adapt to life in a new country. This may be a big assumption on my part, but I think someone who's made a big move before like he has, has proven some ability to adapt to new living situations.

I still wish him luck in whatever he ends up deciding... :)
 

boby58

New member
Mar 2, 2002
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thank you very much guys. thank you for your help.

that price for an appartment and food is very high but thank you for your input.

I wish I could talk or contact a med student from UNIBE to get a student's prespective on this matter. i will see if i can contact the university for more info.

i would like to thank you all for your concerns and I will still look forward to hearing from you or other people to give me thier opinions on this .

thank you !
 

Escott

Gold
Jan 14, 2002
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www.escottinsosua.blogspot.com
I hope this little morcel helps you...

I am not a resident of the DR but for $1000 US I have started the process to become legal there. It will take a few months and unless I suffer from some sort of illness it will happen.

No one can tell you if you would like to live in DR. That is something you will have to figure out yourself. I have spoken to many people both happy and unhappy about living there. I believe I have read that course work is in English there so you should be able to deal with school. I think that you will pick up Spanish more easy than you were able to pick up English or so I am told. You can pick up the language pretty easily while you are finishing school.

I don't think that anyone here is going to tell you if your life will be good or bad in the DR. YOU must figure that out yourself and I don't think even that will be easy.

Just my two cents. Best of luck to you.

Scott
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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Dominican medical association is not very keen on handing out licenses to foreigners to practice on their turf. I know a few MDs (ex: an argentinian and an american) who are in the process of getting their licenses to practice in DR. The american (dominican rep. graduate) is still struggling to get his license after 2 years and the argentinian has just given up on the process and works without a license.
The average general practician doesn't make more money than an average saleried professional here. many MDs in puerto plata area were making as little as 8k pesos or less / month. I was surprised to see that a few had accepted entery level jobs at 5k pesos a month. The specialist make more money here if you gain the fame and win the trust of the public. Generally dominicans prefer to go to a foreign MD (preferably) if you have been graduated from a foreign country (ex: USA, canada or europe). I know a few foreign Mds who were graduated fom dominican schools and are doing quite well here. The question you would have to ask yourself is this, are you willing to live on the salery you would make here as an MD?
Good luck
 

Marc

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Jan 1, 2002
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www.haugen.ca
Cost of Living...and some more questions...

Not sure where in Canada you are from, PJT, or where you live in the Capital...but there aren't many places in Canada that are more expensive to live in than Santo Domingo, in my experience. Can you give some examples?

As for the original post....are you SURE Canada will pay your student loan for a foreign education if you are a non-resident of Canada? If you are a Canadian citizen, what is preventing you from getting into med school? If you are unable to get in because of low grades, then do you believe that you will be able to get a degree in the DR and pass the requisite exams to practice medicine in Canada?

These are not asked malisciously, nor are they questions that I am actually soliciting posted responses to. Just "heads up" questions that you should ask yourself before coming to a developping nation to get a degree that you would like to use in a country such as Canada.

I wish you all the luck in the world, it is a noble profession...one that I could not do, but one that I admire when I am down and out! Good luck in whatever comes your way.

marc
 

SummerRain

New member
Feb 23, 2002
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Canadian Medical Schools--spaces in Canadian medical schools are capped and admission is EXTREMELY competitive ... students with TOP grades can be screened out.

Canada provides student loans to Canadian students who study in foreign post secondary academic institutions ... the funding however is very limited.
 

bichondad

New member
Jan 19, 2002
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Medical School

As a follow-up to Marc and Summer Rain, let me say this.

If you can't get into a Canadian school by virtue of your grades, what do you expect to do after you graduate from a school in the DR, with a brand new MD degree, after graduation?

It's the hard face of reality. :(
 

bichondad

New member
Jan 19, 2002
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Medical School

Boby,

Now that you have the , I hope, honest thoughts of folks who know what you are going through...............

What are YOUR thoughts??