Medical School Question

[mommy111]

Since all of you were so helpful in the previous thread, I had a quick question for you. My DN who is a senior in high school (living with us since patents moved) is looking to going to med school. Her parents live overseas (foreign service) and it’s been suggested that she go to med school there. It’s a fantastic school with a good education, very competitive to get into, if she was able to get in, it would be 5 years flat instead of the 8+ years here since they accept kids directly from out of high school into their first year program. Also significantly cheaper and her parents could probably pay for it so that she’d be in no debt.
I’ve heard that she may have a harder time getting into training after but that doing a job or research here after helps.
Do any of you guys have any idea Re this? Especially the docs and the docs families on here?

[jent]

I don't have the current stats, but it is much harder to get a residency spot as a foreign medical graduate. Some places receive enough residency applications that they just filter out the foreign medical graduates. It doesn't matter how smart you are, how much research you've done, etc... the application is filtered out and never looked at.

If you do not find a residency training program, you cannot sit for the third step of the USMLE licensing exam and get your license.

See this NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/h...y-doctors.html

[georgiegirl]

I don't have the current stats, but it is much harder to get a residency spot as a foreign medical graduate. Some places receive enough residency applications that they just filter out the foreign medical graduates. It doesn't matter how smart you are, how much research you've done, etc... the application is filtered out and never looked at.

If you do not find a residency training program, you cannot sit for the third step of the USMLE licensing exam and get your license.

See this NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/h...y-doctors.html

Yes to this. Foreign medical grads often get the crap residencies. If she plans on anything other than family practice, she might want to reconsider. I have no idea which residencies have openings. I remember reading an article about how some medical grads couldn’t find any residency

[mom2binsd]

Would the fact that she is a US citizen be any more favorable than someone coming who is not American?

[pharmjenn]

Would the fact that she is a US citizen be any more favorable than someone coming who is not American?

Not usually. There are many US Citizens that can never get a residency. It actually seems that programs that will even look at foreign grads favor experienced physicians looking to immigrate to the US.

My husband was a paramedic for 20 years and went to a foreign med school. He was never able to get a residency but was able to take and pass all the USMLE tests. Doesn't help him in his career, but gave him some satisfaction

[SnuggleBuggles]

Yes to this. Foreign medical grads often get the crap residencies. If she plans on anything other than family practice, she might want to reconsider. I have no idea which residencies have openings. I remember reading an article about how some medical grads couldn’t find any residency

What’s wrong with family practice?


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[Liziz]

What’s wrong with family practice?


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Nothing at all! But, it isn't what everyone enjoys or wants to do. So many people I know thought they knew what they wanted to do as they started med school, but then found that something different really peaked their interest. It would be frustrating to be in a position where you had interest in something else and weren't able to pursue it.

[KpbS]

I've noticed there are a decent number of mds here at our hospitals with foreign degrees. I think ours is just a less competitive market. I don't have any statistics about the degree of difficulty obtaining a residency is though.

[georgiegirl]

Nothing at all! But, it isn't what everyone enjoys or wants to do. So many people I know thought they knew what they wanted to do as they started med school, but then found that something different really peaked their interest. It would be frustrating to be in a position where you had interest in something else and weren't able to pursue it.

Yes to this. You generally need a residency in internal medicine to get fellowships for cardiology, GI, oncology, endocrine, infectious diseases, pulmonology, etc. Surgery has lots of specialty options as well. Family practice doesn’t offer additional opportunities. So that’s it for you. So unless you want to go into family medicine, I wouldn’t recommend foreign medical school. (Even PAs and NPs have better specialty options). I don’t even know if foreign medical grads can get any sort of residency now

[georgiegirl]

I've noticed there are a decent number of mds here at our hospitals with foreign degrees. I think ours is just a less competitive market. I don't have any statistics about the degree of difficulty obtaining a residency is though.

Back when my husband was a resident, some specialties had openings and filled them with foreign medical grads. But I don’t think it’s as typical now. Sometimes the foreign medical grads have been doctors in their countries for years before coming here and completing an entire residency.