Medicine in the U.S.

1. Medicine in the U.S. Educational Advising Office U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi

2. First Professional Degree (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

3. RequirementsFirst Professional Degree (M.D.) • Excellent academic records • Fluency of English • Extra-curricular activities • Good score on MCAT

4. Postgraduate Medical Education • 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.

5. 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

6. Application ProcessClinical 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.

7. USMLEClinical Residency • Why take USMLE? Equivalency & Licensure • Step 1, Step 2, Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA), Step 3 • Computer-based tests • http://www.usmle.org

8. USMLE -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

9. USMLE - 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

10. USMLE Clinical Skills Assessment (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.

11. ECFMG Certification RequirementClinical 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

12. Investigating OptionsClinical 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 insurance 1- Apply directly to programs of interest using their application forms OR 2- 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

13. Non-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/

14. Short-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

15. ECFMG International Fellowships in 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

16. Clerkships • Many international students are accepted to U.S. clerkships each year • Types of Clerkships: 1- Core Clerkships 2- Electives

17. Core 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

18. Electives • 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

19. CostClerkships • 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

20. Qualifications & Application Clerkships • 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

21. Finding 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

22. J-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 page http://www.usembabu.gov.ae/consular/niv/EXCHANGE%20VISITORS-detail.html