OLD IMG

[crazymouse]

Hello friends !

I am an old IMG , graduated in 2003 , did MD in Radiation Oncology in 2008 , have couple of papers in Indexed journals, US observership for 1 month, and practising as a Clinical Oncologist. ALthough RO is very difficult to get, can I get a 4 yrs fellowship in one university hospital ?
And also do I have a chance to get a residency in a different field, like Surgery.
USMLE is costly and will take 2 yrs for me to complete upto CS, so a honest opinion will be appreciated.
Thank You

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[NotAProgDirector]

I'm not 100% certain what you're asking.

A Rad Onc residency is virtually impossible for you. It's very competitive here in the US. Unless you could document outstanding work in your home country in Rad Onc, you basically have no chance. Sure -- if you scored crazy high on the USMLE and somehow got more US experience and research, it's possible. But it's very unlikely.

Not sure what you mean by a "4 year fellowship". Fellowship is a vague term. It can mean a "research fellowship" which is a research position that is temporary, pays very little, but helps you build your research credentials by allowing you to be in charge of your projects (unlike a research tech who is (often) better paid but who is simply working to get things done). It can also mean clinical training after completing a residency (such as oncology training after IM).

If you want to practice in the US, you'd need to complete the USMLE steps, and then apply for a residency. Unfortrunately, you are already >10 years from your prior graduation. You may find that many programs have cut offs for how far out of graduation you can be. Some do not, though.

The competitive fields will likely not be an option for you, so Surgery isn't a realistic option. Family medicine, Psychiatry, and Neurology are the least competitive fields.