IMG in Austrailia or abroad

[nyhunter77]

Greetings,

I'm a IMG who successfully finished school and got my degree but sadly has not been able to pass all the Step exams here in America. Have been trying for a few years now. To complicate my story, I'm an american citizen but am the first in my family to try to get into the world of medicine. I ran out of money trying to continuously study for the board exams. I saved enough to gain an X-ray and MRI licence and now work as an MRI tech but the dream of being a full fledged doctor is still there.

I am now turning my eyes away from my parent country and thinking about practicing in another country. My friend in Sydney Australia suggested checking his country out because there is a work based training program? leading toward licensure and practice? I've been reading the official websites but would like some more info from those who may know better. Someone here?

I'm hoping if there are any exams, I can take that internationally here while I am still practicing MRI.

Would anyone suggest another country where I might finally practice and live my dream?

I realize this is an unorthodox topic but I need to reach my goal. I cannot rest.
Thanks for all the advice,

Kenneth

PS. For those that wonder, I'd just like to add, I'm not really sure why I haven't passed Step 2 (my problem child) but after a few times and review programs, perhaps there is something in the testing process that trips me up but I've run out of time and patience and I don't relish the fact this may happen again for Step 3. I'm ready to try my hand at another testing and licensure process which has lead me to explore other routes. Thanks.

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[neulite30]

Surprised I'm the first to comment here since yesterday, but then again, it is a long weekend here in the states.

My friend in Sydney Australia suggested checking his country out because there is a work based training program?

I don't understand what this question is asking.
Australia uses the same basic system as the US to train its doctors (more or less). [medical school > prevocational training > vocational training]. Perhaps what your friend is referring to is the internship and subsequent house officer years that constitute "prevocational" training. This is in contrast to the US where you enter vocational training directly from medical school.
The country is having trouble finding these positions for its local graduates, and it will be tough to find one as an IMG. There are many posts on this forum regarding this issue. Regardless, you will still need to pass the AMC exam, I believe. (MCQ format).

Would anyone suggest another country where I might finally practice and live my dream?

New Zealand will be the same process (find a training position). Ironically, one of the options for for eligibility to sit the NZREX Clinical Exam is the successful completion of the USMLE Steps 1 and 2CK. As per the Medical council of New Zealand:

"Council notes that there are a limited number of internship positions available for NZREX candidates and would advise that if you are thinking about applying to sit the NZREX Clinical, we strongly recommend that you gather sufficient information on your employment prospects before applying to sit the NZREX Clinical. We would recommend contacting your preferred District Health Board (DHB) to make your initial enquiries. Please also note that we do not hold information on your chances of employment or how long it will take you to find employment once you have sat and passed NZREX Clinical."

While the above information was derived from objective data, the overarching theme of your post concerns a more pressing matter. Australia should not be looked at as a more viable or attainable option if you cannot succeed in America. I do empathize that standardized tests are tricky, but the USMLE is designed to test core medical principles that allow licensing authorities to ascertain a physician's ability to practice medicine unsupervised. As you will expect, Australia has mechanisms for assessing this as well and it shouldn't be assumed they are any easier. The initial hurdle will be finding a training position (intenship spot). I would take a look at the Medical Review Training Panel report published each year in Australia, focussing specifically on the pass rates of the specialty exams.

https://www.health.gov.au/internet/...Medical Training Review Panel 16th Report.pdf

I hope this helps. My opinion is the same for everyone looking into training in either the US or Australia (or anywhere for the matter): do as much research as you can to gather the necessary information for you to make an informed decision.