What are chances of matching to family or internal med with no research experience?
For FM the scores are very important. Aim for at least 270 for next year for Ontario if FMG and 250 if CSA. Almost all our IMGs who matched, and we matched about half of the people in Canada, had some form of research. Most of them took our short clinical research certificate for 2 moth/2 hours per week a case report or got engaged with us in biomarkers/genomics/ proteomics/bioinformatics research. You do not necessary need to clone the next gene for a genetic disease or do sophisticated patch clamping techniques, altough we offer these opportunities as well in our state of art premedical lab facility, but what they want to see through the research is that you acquired enough critical thinking and analitical mind to understand a new developement such for example the new RNA based vaccine and confidently explain to the patients , that you can potentially be opened to enrol your patients in a clinical trial, that you are able to evaluate new diagnostic and pharmacological interventions. If you are able to show in a different way such as working in a pharma company or as a medical liassoon , you do not need classic research
Research, scholar activities, posters, oral presentations, theses, publications all are part of your CaRMS application! Not having research will have you add ZERO in so many slots! How not to engage in research then??Why would you take the easy path advised by some removed from reality of the competitiveness of this application and NOT engage in research? Just because one or a few matched without? Maybe their scores were through the roof and their referee was a program director or simply they were lucky! Why you even think not to do everything possible to increase your chances??? by not having research you reduce your chances a lot! For example for CAP BC you need to write an essay about your research activities, so NOT having research activities make you lose 52 seats in BC family medicine just there. If you look at mission and vision of all family medicine programs research is just after creating leaders in community ! They want you to be an evidence based doctor…research demonstrates them you can appraise medial liteerature of novel discoveries…Scholar activities are part of Can MED roles!!! So wouldn’t you want to meet the vision of the program??The average number of publication for accepted IM is 3 though some have 10 + publications. Can you match without research? Possible! Should you not do research? Absolutely not! you should seek any opportunity to have a competitive application We had one doctor with no research who got internal in Saskatchewan …was an exception! Another more pragmatic reason why you should do research if you are FMG (foreign trained doctor) is because almost 100% of CSA (Canadian studying abroad) have research, many of them end up going to foreign schools after attempting 7 years to get in and in the meantime did research, also in their medical school they do research if they go directly from high school…so do yourself a favor and increase your chances by getting involved in research!