pawan.chopra

Hello All,

I moved to Toronto in year 2011. Being a health professional (Occupational Therapist), I thought Canada is a good prospect. Big Mistake!!

Still no job and completely confused as to why I even came here.

Some of my views about conditions here:

Driving: People here are generally rash drivers. Everyone is speeding!! Especially on Highway 401. Car Insurance is like an Extortion by Insurance companies. I initially paid $650 / month until I got my registration and through group plan (professional Association) got it down to $300 / month. Still a lot, as compared to UK !! They do not count UK driving experience for Insurance purposes.

Health care:
Dentists want to see you and clean your teeth whenever you visit them. NOT DUE TO GOOD HEART !! But because they want to make money out of your Insurance Company and believe me, if you do not have any plan, then GOD Bless you!!
Opticians will somehow find defects in your vision or may be want you to go for complete Retina Checkup for the same reasons.
Family Physicians (compared to GP in UK) wants you to have lab tests and scans even if you have standard constipation, flue like symptoms etc. I am sure by now you can understand the reason behind this.

Job Situation: I have 10 years of Experience as a Senior Therapist in UK working both in NHS and Social Services. Guess what!!
I am no better than a new graduate here!! No UK experience counted.
I know of someone here who graduated 2 months ago and she had 3 job offers. HELLO CANADIANS!!! How is your Canadian Education better than 10 years of Experience in UK !! Just to manage my Basic Expenses I applied for Customer Service job in Walmart and I had a phone call asking me if I will be interested in doing a cleaning job because I do not have " Canadian Experience" for the job applied for.

General: People here are arrogant!! No body cares for anyone unless until money is involved.

I have decided to come back to UK.

Do your Research properly prior to coming here or do not even bother applying for Immigration.

Good Luck, if you still want to come here.

Pawan

Almost Canadian

Toronto sounds like a terrible place.

Shard

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. Definitely some valid points in your post.

North American dental standards certainly are higher, it may be profit driven, but the average Joe does end up with better teeth than the average Joe in Britain.

humanist

Sorry to hear things didn't work out.

But just to balance things a little - I landed as a PR in Toronto in January 2011. I totally agree with you regarding driving and dentistry, but the job situation really depends on the field you're in. I work in a niche IT field and had two firm job offers in the first week.

I've also met some very nice people here and actually think people are far more upbeat and optimistic than in the UK. Saying that, making new long term friendships here is difficult, but I imagine that would be the case anywhere new.

jaminsk1

I've been here a year and am loving it - interesting what you said about Canadian experience vs UK experience in healthcare as my wife hasn't found that at all.

Agree about the driving - the 401 and the 403 are particuarly bad - worse than the m25 but no worse than the M1 IMO.

Docs and dentists - as far as I am concerned - your health is your wealth, I'd rather they were over cautious as opposed to cutting corners like the NHS. I have found the healthcare here to be amazing - my son has had a few trips to the hospital and they have been fantastic - the care at Sick Kids was something else!

I've found the people to be generally friendly - everyone says hello and strangers are happy to chat with you (something that took some getting used to for me). I have made a couple of really good friends here already and hope to make a few more.


Sorry you feel the way you do and good luck with your return to the UK!

Shard

It would seem one of the critical factors for making a successful move is gaining suitable employment. That colours everything, as the OP's post demonstrates. Certainly the "Canadian experience" issue is one that comes up again and again in this forum.

iaink

Many Do, call around Someone has to pay for their Cadillacs? No one forces you to accept treatment, and as a health professional yourself dont you want to make money treating people? First thing my excellent dentist did was ask what I expected from him. I said I wanted healthy teeth and didnt care about cosmetics and he has never pushed any treatment on me in 10 or more years. He still has a Cadillac convertible though... My wife recently was told by her optician that she didnt need the glasses that she had and encouraged her to challenge the vision exam and have the need for corrective eyewear removed from her driving license. A retinal scan on record is a good idea for monitoring conditions like glaucoma in later life. Never experienced this myself?
Yup, its well known, did you do no research before coming to Ontario? Failing to plan is planning to fail You need to get out of the city I suspect. I know many lovely helpful friendly canadians. Maybe its a small town thing? Good luck to you too.

Zoe Bell

and as a counterpoint to some of the above

opticians here will let me go two years between contact lens checks whereas in the UK if I left it more than 6 months they wouldn't order me any more lenses

dentists - you do have the option of saying "no" - grow a pair , if you don't want the deep cleaning or whatever don't have it done. No one forces you too

Hospitals - I've made no secret of the fact that I had some pretty crappy care in the Uk and some pretty good stuff here, others have expreienced the opposite.. I'm puzzled at your implication that they send you for tests to gouge you for money. Your provincial health plan picks up the cost , not you directly. I can't understand your reasoning here

yes - everyone speeds , thats because the speed limits here are stupidly low

The Canadian experience thing sucks - but is a well known phenomenon. As you say research will tell you this. Personally I can actually understand some of the reasoning behind it. But that probably makes me an instant traitor to my birth-land so I won't even bother trying to justify it.

I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you, but it does for some people.

BristolUK

I was appalled at the cost of cleaning a few years back - when I was still waiting for PR. It seemed out of proportion to the actual treatment, so there wasn't a second clean.

Last year - at a different dentist, I got an email encouraging a visit before the end of the year to "maximise" insurance coverage. It reminded me of a couple of decades ago at work when we were encouraged to identify things to spend money on so we weren't given a smaller budget for the following year for accommodation and equipment.

Such a waste.

The doc referred me for blood tests when I was a new patient. Diabetes was discovered as a result.

I've not needed to work - nor had the kind of in demand skills you other Brits have. If the experiences of my Canadian stepkids since they left school and the things I read is anything to go by I don't think I'd have been able to put up with it if I had to work.

Unless I got another government job.

bats

Have you looked for work outside Toronto? You may have more luck.

My eye tests showed glaucoma and macular degeneration so I was glad they have been found and can be treated/monitored before vision loss occurs.


It took me several years to get used to living here so I sympathise.

alipeesha

Im going to add to the rant! Im an irish qualified dentist working fo rthe last 5 years in scotland with the NHS... I have applied for PR to go to alberta.. they dont see my degree or experience as ANYTHING.. if i wan tto work as a dentist i would prob have to apply for 2 years of college at £50000 each year... i think i would charge £500 for each scaling appt! a bit more expensive than NHS £10.20! why is it tho that our degrees dont mean a thing..? as you say why doesnt experience even give us a chance..?

Shard

Maybe they look at British teeth and say, something must be going wrong there! I've certainly had Canadian dentists go into a big piss take when they reference British dentists.

Presumably the 2 years in Alberta is to convert your Irish qualification to an Alberta standard, and that the Alberta course is much longer (isn't it 5 years)? If so, then they are taking some of your qualification/experience into account.

alipeesha

Yes... at least it isnt the full 5years... and i understand they need to make sure we wont kill anyone- but one exam (written&clinical)could do that- although it may not make them so much money

Shard

Is it true that NHS dental checkups are far less rigorous than private checkups? It seems you have to have some serious or obvious decay going on before an NHS checkup will recommend treatment, but when I go to the private dentist it's picked up very quickly. Perhaps a greater emphasis on prevention than in the NHS?

alipeesha

I wish i ran the NHS! i think it depends on the dentist sadly
il give you free s&p when i make it as a dentist in albert!.. hoping i wont be 90 by the time i qualify!