Health committee  I knew, and I was USMLE-certified. The textbook that people read here says for Canadian qualifying exam and USMLE. That means they're comparing their own exam with USMLE, which is not really a fair comparison. That is a far more difficult exam. Still, even if it is the same exam, why didn't they put me right into the next step?

Health committee  I believe every IMG expects to take some exams. I have never heard any colleague ask why they examine us. I think I'm more qualified to examine the Medical Council of Canada, but that's my personal opinion. I'm an immigrant, and I should abide by the rules. I don't think it is fair.

Health committee  I was listening and I had a ballpark understanding of your comments, but...

Health committee  I have a hard time understanding you completely. If you could phrase your question in a limited manner, I could probably answer it.

Health committee  I would like to make a couple of comments on one point that I forgot to bring up in my presentation. I heard that in Manitoba there is a very good program. They have their own exam. I'm not sure if my information is up to the mark, but Dr. Martin may be able to supplement it. You take their exams, you pass their exams, you work one year in a rural area--wherever they send you--and then you are a licensed physician.

Health committee  I have a hard time understanding you.

Health committee  I have heard anecdotally, but I know a lot of physicians, and as a matter of fact we have a lot of support in the Canadian medical community. One of the faculty at the Royal Alexandra Hospital personally told one of my colleagues to talk to the minister. Instead of doing observership, which is ridiculous for you and for me, request one year of internship, and you will know everything.

Health committee  Yes, indeed. What I meant by that is, as Dr. Bowmer just mentioned... First of all, the cost of exams is higher from the time that he remembers, but that's a different issue. You have to take the EE, QE1, and the QE2 to be licensed. You need the EE and QE1 in order to be theoretically, on paper, eligible to apply for residency positions.

Health committee  It is.

Health committee  That is very simple: through legislation. Can you do something like this in the United States, in England, in Sweden, in any developed country? Can you do that? No, and I don't know how they do it in Canada. All our advisory members in the Alberta IMG association said not to bring it up.

Health committee  You can study as many books as you can. The single recommended textbook is about $150.

Health committee  It's $5,000, roughly.

Health committee  Myself, I studied from American books because I'm USMLE-certified, so I knew where to look. For me, that was not the issue, but if you come from eastern Europe, as I do, where we didn't have one single written exam, you are seeing multiple-choice questions for the first time in your life.

Health committee  The majority of foreign-trained doctors, even those who are successful through their licensing exams, do not get a position. As a matter of fact, I will tell you about one of my colleagues who is very, very bright. I personally vouch for her. She is like a computer, literally. The whole Canadian system cannot produce somebody like this lady, and she got a job at post-match, like a charity.

Health committee  I can probably answer you that the majority are not successful. I don't have numbers.