Postgraduate Medical Program in Canada

The Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau (SACB) administers scholarships for Saudi Arabian physicians in Canada, under the direct supervision of the Cultural Attaché, while adhering to the rules and policies of the Kingdom's Government and the Ministry of Education.  The program’s focus is to maintain contract agreements with the medical schools for collaboration on postgraduate medical training at the residency and fellowship levels. As per this mandate and with the only exception of doctors sponsored by ARAMCO, the Saudi Bureau centrally administers the placement process of all Saudi doctors who are sponsored by close to 40 government agencies in the Kingdom. 

Once the admission process is complete, those doctors would be looked after by the team of academic advisors in the Department from the first day of their arrival in Canada and once their files are open on Safeer.  The SACB acts as the representative of all the sponsors and it safeguards this long standing partnership spanning over 4 decades through arranging frequent visits to and from the medical schools as well as maintaining a close connection  with all the Saudi doctors’ representatives at the various Canadian medical schools. 

A higher level of coordination is also sustained with the Royal College and the Medical Council of Canada.

Vision

This unique opportunity for Saudi physicians in Canada will translate into an incredibly significant and positive long-term impact on the health sector in Saudi Arabia with regards to scientific research, medical advancement, and patient care.  The Saudi trainees who have had the privilege of training in Canada would also lead localized training programs and health institutions in the Kingdom to transfer the best knowhow and expertise gained during their training in Canada.

Sponsors

SACB receives and processes applications for postgraduate medical training from the following sponsoring agencies:

• King Abdullah Medical City
• King Fahad Medical City
• King Fahd Medical City
• King Fahd Specialist Hospital
• King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center
• King Saud Medical City
• Military Medical Services
• Ministry of Defense
• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Interior
• Ministry of National Guard
• All Medical Schools at the various Saudi Universities
• Other Sponsoring Agencies

Canadian Medical Schools

Saudi physicians/trainees attend the following Canadian post-secondary institutions:

•  Dalhousie University
• Laval University
• L’Université de Montréal
• McGill University
• McMaster University
• Queen’s University
• Sherbrooke University
• University of Alberta
• University of British Columbia
• University of Calgary
• University of Ottawa
• University of Toronto
• Western University
  
  

Programs

There is a wide range of medical and surgical residency programs offered at the various Canadian medical schools. SACB’s Admissions Team request an updated list of available programs from the Postgraduate Medical Education offices at all the medical schools in Canada and share those on the Bureau’s website and through mass emails to all the applicants.  Below is a list of the available programs for 2020:

Clinical Fellowships

SACB only sponsors Fellowships that are approved by the Postgraduate Medical Education Office at the medical schools we currently have agreements with.

Research Fellowships

Research Fellowship can only be sponsored if they include a certain percentage of clinical experience and that are approved by the Postgraduate Office.

Dentistry

SACB supports dentists studying in Canada at the Dentistry schools of the following universities:

• McGill University
• University of Alberta
• University of British Columbia
• University of Manitoba
• University of Toronto
• Western University

General Application Guidelines:

• The Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada reviews and accredits or recognizes the education programs in the nine dental specialties. Please see the school indicated for information on each dental specialty:
  http://www.cdaadc.ca/cdacweb/en/search_for_accredited_programs/search2.asp?lstPrograms=0
• The deadline for application to faculties of dentistry is usually 11 or 12 months prior to the admission date. Therefore, prospective students should start the application process at least 18 months before the desired admission date. Some faculties of dentistry have two admission cycles each year; others have only one. Please check their website for detailed admission information.
• Please note that the number of available seats for international students in Canadian dental programs and specialties are very limited.
• Students are required to pay the application/registration fee.  Please note that applications will not be considered until the application fee is received.
• The website of each faculty of dentistry will inform students what additional documents are required to process the application (such as official transcripts, letters of references, curriculum vitae, etc.). 
• All faculties of dentistry require a specified TOEFL score or its equivalent.   Students are required to meet the TOEFL requirements.