Nayr69sg,
Good to know that your experience turned out well for you and your family.
Are you now qualified as a medical doctor in Alberta?
The accreditation processes for doctors and lawyers who are foreigners in Canada are infamous for being ridiculously tough and almost undoable. So if you had gone through that crazy tough process and got licensed, my hats off to you man. I have heard so many horror stories from people who have gone through the crazy process.
Unlike you, I'm lucky cuz I'm in a field not needing accreditation (finance). But I chose Ontario as my destination, and it turned out to be a freaking nightmare and I decided to leave a couple of years ago, mainly because of the low job availability and also the unfriendliness/standoffishness of the people in T.O. Also, too many Indians and Pakistanis in T.O., to the extent that the city feels like India.
I heard good things about Calgary and Edmonton from my friends, so I might consider checking it out. ARE THE LOCALS IN ALBERTA FRIENDLY AND OPEN TO FOREIGNERS? I am very curious about Alberta's social environment vis a vis foreigners. Thanks for sharing your insights about the job market in AB, but you can tell me more on the social environment aspects of Alberta for foreigners. Feel free to message me.
But right now, my priority to get permanent residency in sunny California. I might consider going to Alberta if the US thing does not pan out, as a backup option.
Hi there,
The locals in Edmonton are extremely friendly and warm. You can see it from the way the majority drive on the roads. I can't say the same from my experience driving in Calgary. So this varies a lot from city to city, county to county etc. Generally the smaller the community the warmer? The less foreigners the better?
There was one instance when we were waiting to cross a road. We were not at a crosswalk. But the cars stopped for us. So we crossed. As we crossed, someone from a Ford F-150 truck in the line of vehicles that stopped shouted "Next time go to the crosswalk!"
Initial reaction is to feel "WTF?"
But then I turned to my wife and said, "there will always be people like that, but do we focus on them, or do we look at the other cars and drivers who actually bothered to stop for us?"
It's all about perspective.
The experience turned out well for me and my family, is also a perspective. I say it did. But I am sure for some people say they were lawyers or doctors or bankers....if their first job was working in a PVC windows factory, dusty, using power tools, table saws, carrying heavy glass etc.....some might say that is a nightmare to them! Those months working in the factory were some of the best times I have had!
Perspective again.
I think you might be unlucky because you think that you are in a field that does not need accreditation. I have heard of many Singaporeans who try very hard to gain employment in their field thinking that there is no "requirement" for accreditation. The reality is "Canadian Experience" is valued but cannot be said outright. Hence people get disappointed.
I was lucky that I knew from day one what I had to do and what to expect. I wrote to several medical related job ads but received no invitations for interview. That was expected. I later looked at entry level blue collar jobs and found they paid better than some of these "white collar" jobs. And within a month I was gainfully employed. Again I say many Singaporean white collar professionals would say it is a
nightmare for them to become a factory worker. I say it was a blessing. With that job I managed to get a second home loan and increase our options for generating income. I was telling my wife the other day that in the end it took 3 years for me to get back into medicine. If not for my jobs in the factory and land we would probably have gone back to Singapore already.
Are Albertans welcoming to foreigners in the workforce? I would say probably not. But then again why should they be? I see it from both sides. In Singapore we never liked having our jobs taken away by FT. Why should the people in Alberta be different? Unless there is really absolutely no one willing to do the job. Which happens.
If you want to get in you have to work hard, push open doors, and prove yourself. Never easy. Yes Canada is no walk in the park but I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. I say this wholeheartedly and If you don't like Canada and perceive it as not so good, then don't come. Less competition for us. But if you do, then work hard, lower your expectations and slowly see your progression. It is very satisfying. This is a society which rewards hard work and performance and not by virtue of elitist connections. Well at least at my lowly level.
With regards to medicine, I got accepted to a position in family medicine residency. That's the toughest step. I still need to complete a final 3 month externship followed by a 2 year residency, and 2 more exams to get full licensure. I have met several other IMG doctors trying as well. It is tough. Many exams, interviews, personal statements to write, reference letters to obtain etc etc. The administrative work and studying and preparing for exams will put off many. Why do I have to start all over again? That's the question the doctors keep saying. But that's the name of the game. Either you play or you don't.
Frankly I didn't try that hard. One of the things I thought would be required was to "work for free" doing "observorships" in clinics. This I refused to do. I'd rather be earning a pay check and furthering another career than to waste time working for free hoping for some good referral letter for residency. I was all prepared and very happy to continue doing something else. I'd say I am very very lucky to have got my break in land and then the residency in family medicine.
So luck plays a big part.
Finally, this thing about social landscape, these things will change with time and experiences. At present I find Edmonton really good. There aren't too many foreigners around but yet we are not like a rarity. But that could change with more immigration. Who knows? But having moved around several times in place of stay and work I'd say we can pretty much move anywhere now. That feeling is truly liberating. It doesn't matter whether the place I now stay has to stay the same or change for the worse. I'll just move to somewhere I like better. It won't be easy but we've done it many times. It all started when I chose to give up my training position as a surgeon in Singapore. People said you are crazy, why give up so much? etc etc.....
The less you have, the more mobile you are. And it's all really about perspectives.
