Medicine in the U.S.Medicine in the U.S.

Educational Advising OfficeU.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi

First Professional Degree First Professional Degree (M.D.)(M.D.)

• Total of eight years• Register for four years Bachelor of

Science (Biology, Organic and non-organic chemistry, Physics..)

• Apply for Medical School Admission Test (MCAT) – third or beginning of fourth year

• Apply for medical school – another four years

• Highly competitive but open to foreign students

RequirementsRequirementsFirst Professional Degree (M.D.)First Professional Degree (M.D.)

• Excellent academic records• Fluency of English• Extra-curricular activities• Good score on MCAT

Postgraduate Medical Postgraduate Medical EducationEducation

• Clinical Residency Programs• Non-Clinical Study: Masters & Ph.D in

Health related majors• Short-Term Programs• ECFMG International Fellowships• Clerkships

• Chances of obtaining medical education in the U.S. are much better for those who complete their first professional degree in their home country.

Clinical Residency Clinical Residency

• Lasts three to seven years• Participants gain expertise in a medical clinical

specialty• Participants gradually take on increasing

responsibilities for patient care within a supervised clinical environment

• Advanced medical technology and facilities, expert faculty and wide variety of educational programs

• 8,000 educational programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education

Application ProcessApplication ProcessClinical ResidencyClinical Residency

• International Medical Graduates (IMG’s) to obtain certification from the Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)

• Testing for this certification may be begun while still in medical school

• Though IMG’s must receive final medical diploma before being actually certified.

USMLEUSMLEClinical ResidencyClinical Residency

• Why take USMLE? Equivalency & Licensure

• Step 1, Step 2, Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA), Step 3

• Computer-based tests• http://www.usmle.org

USMLE -Step 1USMLE -Step 1

• Basic sciences• Anatomy, microbiology, pathology, etc. • Students must finish 2 years of medical school• Eight hours, 350 multiple choice questions divided

into seven 60-minute blocks• Passing score: 75 percent received 6 weeks after test• Fees: US$ 645• Practice CD Rom sent by ECFMG• Exam administered all year round at Amideast Abu

Dhabi and Dubai • Students should apply for a three-month Eligibility

period after receiving the official scheduling permit

USMLE - Step 2USMLE - Step 2• Describes clinical situation• Internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, etc.• Not more than twelve months to graduate• 9 hours, 400 multiple choice questions divided into

eight 60-minute blocks• Passing score: 75 percent received 6 weeks after test• Fees: US$ 645• Practice CD Rom sent by ECFMG• Exam administered all year round at Amideast Abu

Dhabi and Dubai • Students should apply for a three-month Eligibility

period after receiving the official scheduling permit

USMLE USMLE Clinical Skills Assessment Clinical Skills Assessment

(CSA)(CSA)• Reasons for introducing the test• Clinical skills and English • 11 stations, ten are scored• Eight hours• Pass or Fail• Fees: US$1,200• Student or graduate from a university listed in World

Directory of Medical Schools• Can be taken after Step1 and TOEFL• Applications on an ongoing basis• Location: ECFMG CSA centers in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania and Atlanta, Georgia.

ECFMG Certification ECFMG Certification RequirementRequirement

Clinical ResidencyClinical Residency• What is ECFMG?• Pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 -scores

valid for seven years• Pass TOEFL with at least 213 (computer-

based) and 550 (paper-based) – scores valid for 2 years

• Pass Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) – valid for three years

• Graduate of a medical school listed by World Directory of Medical Schools

Investigating OptionsInvestigating OptionsClinical ResidencyClinical Residency

• Consult the Graduate Medical Education Directory, published by AMA database (FRIEDA) on http://www.ama-assn.org/go/freida, for residency program search and statistics

• Correspond with programs of interest• Obtain information on salary, length of appointment,

elements of program, hours of duties and provision of health and professional liability insurance1- Apply directly to programs of interest using their application forms OR2- Apply electronically using Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) – Required by majority of programs.3- Optional: Apply to the National Resident Matching Program

** Must pass all ECFMG exams by January 1st of the residency year

Non-Clinical StudyNon-Clinical Study

• Graduate academic programs (Masters, Ph.D’s)

• Medically related fields – not involving patient care

• No ECFMG certification required• TOEFL and GRE are required• Examples: Masters in public health, health

administration or hospital administration. Ph.D. in anatomy, microbiology, physiology

• http://www.petersons.com/educationusa/

Short-Term ProgramsShort-Term Programs

• Non-degree programs• Conferences and short-term courses• From one day to several months• No patient contact, No ECFMG

certification • Potentially valuable programs• Examples: - Observe-type programs- Intensive hands-on training in areas such public

health• Handouts

ECFMG International Fellowships ECFMG International Fellowships in Medical Educationin Medical Education

• Selected international school faculty to study in a U.S. medical school

• Period ranges between six months and one year• Areas of study: educational methodology,

curriculum design, evaluation systems, medical school governance…

• ECFMG arranges a match with a U.S. medical school

• Approximately 20 fellowships awarded annually• http://www.ecfmg.org

ClerkshipsClerkships

• Many international students are accepted to U.S. clerkships each year

• Types of Clerkships:1- Core Clerkships2- Electives

Core ClerkshipsCore Clerkships

• Delivering medical care• Participate in actual patient care management

and decision making• See patients under the supervision of licensed

doctor• Lectures or discussions• Time intensive• One to four months• Family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics,

gynecology, neurology, psychiatry, pediatrics and surgery

ElectivesElectives• Greater variety• Better odds for acceptance• Patient interaction:• Primary responsibility for patient care• Diagnostic/therapeutic plan under directions• Histories, physical examinations, diagnosis and

therapeutic alternatives• Limited or no patient contact:• Information gathering- Therapy administration via sophisticated

techniques - Electives in the basic sciences and other disciplines

CostCostClerkshipsClerkships

• Cost varies widely from one school to the other

• U. of Virginia does not charge tuition to its visiting students

• Harvard charges over $2,000 per month

Qualifications & Qualifications & Application Application

ClerkshipsClerkships• Final year of medical school • Some might require USMLE testing• Meet the admission requirements of the

individual school• Current transcript• Recommendation from home school• Fluency in English• Up-to-date immunization record• Health Insurance

Finding a ClerkshipFinding a Clerkship

• Determine your selection criteria (subject area, location, cost, …)

• Browse the university catalog• List of 125 accredited medical

schools

http://www.aamc.org/meded/medschls/start.htm

J-1 VisaJ-1 Visa

• ECFMG Sponsorship:• ECFMG certified• Official offer from a U.S. accredited program• MOH Statement of need• ECFMG issues IAP-66• ECFMG tracks the status of J-1

physicians• J-1 visa information found on Embassy’s

consular pagehttp://www.usembabu.gov.ae/consular/niv/EXCHANGE

%20VISITORS-detail.html