CI News Service
Meet Nupur Nagare-Iyer, daughter of two professionals immigrants from India who always dreamed of becoming a medical professional. Can-India tracked her down at a 
hospital in Maine, US, where she is doing her residency.
Did you always want to be a doctor?
Yes, I always did. I had always been a fairly good student through out school but I was never great at physics. I specialized in Genetics and Biotechnology while I was pursuing my undergrad at the University of Toronto when I decided that I wanted to enhance my learning in the medical field and make a difference in the lives of people. There was no better option for me but pursue medicine – and I have loved every moment of it so far.
Did you try to get in a college here in Canada before trying overseas?
Yes, I wrote my MCATs and applied to medical schools in Canada but I did not get in. I got into Masters in Neuroscience and I had the option of doing masters and then re-applying but I did not want to lose time because doing a masters would still not gurantee me a spot in medical school in Canada.Therefore, I went ahead, applied to the Caribbean, got in and pursued it.
Did you have apprehensions/ what were some of the reactions u got?
There are always apprehensions when you take a new step in life – especially this one because I was leaving everything and going to a far off island to study. I however, was lucky enough to have gone into a fantastic teaching school and made some good and supportive friends. My husband and family have also been very supportive which really helped me focus on my studies there on the island.
Different people have different experiences and reactions but I had positive reactions all through medical school. Its difficult to leave everything behind and start new in an unknown place but it was not that bad – a lot of students do it so everyone rides in the same boat and supports each other.
Where did you go?
I went to a university in the Carribean and selected it because it had ties to such a well known medical school in India, we had fantastic professors not just from India but also from major universities in the US and Canada.
What was life on campus?
Life on campus was mostly studying. One would imagine that on an island with good weather students get a lot more to do, but I was very determined to go to the island and achieve my goal of getting good scores and doing well, so I mostly studied. Other than studying we had a lot of class trips to different parts of the island, different islands in the Carribbean and other social gatherings but in general it was mostly studying.
How many years did you spend in class and residency ?
In all 2 years of basic sciences (on the island) + 2 years of clinical sciences (all over the US) and minimum of 3 years of residency in the US depending on what field you choose. It is a little different in Canada where the minimum residency term is 2 years.
What happens next after residency?
After residency, you are a fully licensed physician and you are free to set up your practice or join a group of physicians or a hospital system depending on your specialty type and interests.
What were your experiences like, both positive and negative?Positive for sure. If you definitely want to become a doctor and not waste time trying to get into medical school in Canada, this is the best option. It is a lot more expensive but the investment is definitely worth it. Negative: I had to move around all over the US for my clinical rotations and that becomes a little tedious but on the plus side you get to see a lot of states and places.
Would you recommend overseas study?
I absolutely do. However, going overseas has a direct relationship on your commitment to pursue medicine. Because you are considered a “foreign medical graduate” you are pooled into a group with ALL the foreign nationals who come from India, Pakistan, Africa, Europe etc. and therefore the competition and number of residency spots become very limited. It is difficult for Canadians to get residency not only in Canada because we are foreign medical graduates but also in the US because the US hospitals need to sponsor our visas. It is therefore VERY IMPORTANT that if you are planning to study in the Caribbean, you have to focus on getting much higher grades than an average graduate from a US or a Canadian medical school – otherwise matching into residency is very difficult. The bottom line is – going to the Caribbean is a great option but you have be very serious about studying and not let the island and other attractions deviate you from your goals.
