Do Postgraduate Medical Education in the US
This article will explain the steps a medical student has to go through to get into residency in the USA, while explaining things from an international student point of view, i.e people who studied elsewhere and want to pursue higher education in USA.
Steps
- Decide early. Medical school is a vast and fascinating world. During the initial years, many students may not have decided on whether, where, and in which branch to pursue post graduation. One should try to develop your goals as early as possible. The best time would be by the first year and the eleventh hour would be by the internship/house-surgency period.
- Contact your seniors. Try to find out who else among your seniors have gone for the option you are considering and try to contact them. Find out if the option is feasible for you, taking all things into consideration. This would include finance, family relations, etc
- Understand the qualifying process. This is the most difficult part for international students. The qualifying exams are called USMLE - United States Medical Licensing Examinations. There are four exams in total - Step 1, Step 2 (CK), Step 2 (CS), and Step 3. The first two can be taken in all countries, but the last two can only be taken in the U.S.
- The USMLE Step 1 is centered around the subjects learned during the first two years of medical school, i.e. anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, and pathology. In addition, there are three more subjects to the list - epidemiology, psychiatry, and ethics. The best time to write the exam would be after your third year.
- Step 2 CK - CK stands for clinical knowledge. This exam is based on topics learned in the final year - medicine, surgery, ob/gyn, pediatrics, epidemiology, and ethics.
- Step 2 CS - CS stands for clinical skills. This exam tests your practical skills, communication, and bedside manners. This exam is currently given only in the U.S. Therefore, many international students will have to apply for a visiting visa to go to the U.S. for the exam.
- Register with the ECFMG - Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates for writing the exams. This organization helps with the initial application and details. There are various PDF links on their site that provides all the necessary information regarding the paper work to be done. This is an important site to refer to through this process.
- Get your ECFMG Certification. Once the above exams are passed, you will be certified by the ECFMG, and a very impressive certificate will be awarded to you. After this, you are eligible for applying for residency.
- Acquire USCE - U.S. Clinical Experience - perhaps the most important criteria for getting a seat in residency. For international students, the clinical practices in U.S. will be slightly different from what may have been seen in other countries. This is something to be seriously considered for residency, as it is important for you to have had some sort of clinical experience in U.S. This includes electives, internship, observer-ship, research, or volunteering, with electives being your best option. Elective - Doing part of your internship in the U.S. This is possible and a lot of international students do apply and do electives in U.S. medical schools every year. Internship - This is for people who have already graduated from medical school. You can follow a doctor working in the U.S. and can get involved in clinics. Observer-ship - You can follow and observe a doctor in the U.S. but you cannot deal directly with patients. In addition, you can be part of any research experience or be a volunteer at any free clinics. The longer you have any USCE, the better your chances are. It is important to note that duration is more important than the type of USCE.
- Use ERAS to study the various residency programs in the U.S. after the previous steps are fulfilled. This site should be used to study each program's website and create a list of programs that you want to apply to. This is also the software through which you will apply for residency.
- Participate in the Match: the process of applying to programs, being called for interviews and finally the match between your list of desired programs and the program's list of candidates. The details of this complicated process can be obtained from the site of NRMP.
- Apply for Residency - Post graduation in the U.S. The duration depends on your branch of specialization. You can write Step 3 either during residency or before that during the match season. Completing Step 3 before match will make you eligible for work visa vs just a student visa.
- Know about SOAP. In case you don't match, there is another procedure called SOAP (Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program). The unfilled colleges and unmatched candidates try to contact each other. Every year, many students get placed through match and also through SOAP.
- Apply for Fellowship. After residency, you can go for fellowship or you can practice what you have learned. There are many who go for fellowships, and many others who join as hospitality.
- Go confidently in the direction of your dreams and work hard. Best of luck!
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