Residency and Fellowship

I left the island to begin a Pathology residency in the Northeast United States. In my third year, Canada decreed that if I desired to pursue a fellowship, I was limited to four subspecialties, which it deemed as essential. Fortunately, current Canadian residents in the United States on a J1 visa no longer have this restriction.

I chose to pursue a Forensic Pathology fellowship. The process was even more challenging than securing a residency position. There were approximately 35-40 Forensic pathology programs in the United States and not all programs offered sponsorship for a J1 visa. By way of serendipity or karma, I became the first fellow on a J1 visa at a program in Southern California, and I am proud to say since completing fellowship the program has continued to accept J1 visa holders as fellows.

Remember those four subspecialties, which were deemed to be in need by Canada? After completing fellowship, I discovered there were only three Forensic Pathologist positions in Canada?!?!  None of the three places were willing to hire me. I faced a difficult decision: pursue a general pathologist position in Canada or work in the United States on an H1b visa. I chose the latter.