Question about Future IMG Residency in the US

[Adamgerd]

I am a Czech (EU) citizen studying Medicine at Charles University and the faculty I go to is apparently recognized by the US as a valid medicals school so the acceptance itself should be possible with the tests once I finish and I still am not close to a residency but how likely or how possible is it to be able to make your residency in the US as an EU citizen since it seems like from research, its not as difficult as other non-EU countries but you're still disadvantaged and it is much harder to get there? And is it true that it is better to do a residency there and perhaps later move to somewhere in the EU though that's not likely to happen here than the opposite?

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[GoSpursGo]

Your question is pretty complex, and difficult to answer with a simple, "one-size fits all" response. Graduating from a recognized school is a requirement, but by no means is sufficient to obtain a residency. Two additional implicit requirements are US clinical experience (USCE) and scoring VERY well (not just passing) the licensing exams.

USCE (visiting rotations, or if that's not possible then an observership) is necessary to prove to prospective programs that you have some exposure to the US healthcare system and will be able to care for patients here. Furthermore, while your school is recognized the average residency program director likely has very little knowledge of your specific school and how rigorous the education is there. Thus they will generally look for higher USMLE scores to consider international grads to prove that you really know your stuff. Scoring highly on these exams is often difficult for IMGs, as your school likely emphasizes different points than US schools which often will emphasize highly-tested material, but it is possible to do well with dedicated studying.

Finally, the specific type of visa you would need will also play into how attainable a residency would be for you.

Personally, I think the most important question is why you want to come to the US for residency in the first place. You may have good reasons that I don't understand, but there are a lot of hoops that one needs to jump through as an IMG.

 

[Adamgerd]

Your question is pretty complex, and difficult to answer with a simple, "one-size fits all" response. Graduating from a recognized school is a requirement, but by no means is sufficient to obtain a residency. Two additional implicit requirements are US clinical experience (USCE) and scoring VERY well (not just passing) the licensing exams.

USCE (visiting rotations, or if that's not possible then an observership) is necessary to prove to prospective programs that you have some exposure to the US healthcare system and will be able to care for patients here. Furthermore, while your school is recognized the average residency program director likely has very little knowledge of your specific school and how rigorous the education is there. Thus they will generally look for higher USMLE scores to consider international grads to prove that you really know your stuff. Scoring highly on these exams is often difficult for IMGs, as your school likely emphasizes different points than US schools which often will emphasize highly-tested material, but it is possible to do well with dedicated studying.

Thanks for the information and I see. So I should try to get US clinical experience and study during the summers and when I have time for the USMLE in concurrency, like when the preclinical period here finishes, study it in the USMLE too to remember that content too? Also, I assume you can do the exams after you finish university?

Personally, I think the most important question is why you want to come to the US for residency in the first place. You may have good reasons that I don't understand, but there are a lot of hoops that one needs to jump through as an IMG.

Well I don't really want to remain in Czech for the rest of my life but can't really afford medical school in the US but I do still want to work within the US since the standard of living is much better and it seems like if you want to live in the US, you have to do your residency there since it doesn't seem like a residence outside the US will be certified unless I am wrong.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Thanks for the information and I see. So I should try to get US clinical experience and study during the summers and when I have time for the USMLE in concurrency, like when the preclinical period here finishes, study it in the USMLE too to remember that content too? Also, I assume you can do the exams after you finish university?


Well I don't really want to remain in Czech for the rest of my life but can't really afford medical school in the US but I do still want to work within the US since the standard of living is much better and it seems like if you want to live in the US, you have to do your residency there since it doesn't seem like a residence outside the US will be certified unless I am wrong.

When you get the USCE and study is entirely up to you and what your schedule permits--this is why matching successfully is so difficult, because there is no guidance on how to obtain these implicit requirements that apply to everyone. But the sooner the better, as the further out you are from graduation the less likely it will be to obtain a US residency--more recent "year of graduation" is looked upon favorably.

With a few exceptions that I honestly don't know and likely don't apply to you, you cannot practice in the US without doing a residency in the US.

 

[Adamgerd]

When you get the USCE and study is entirely up to you and what your schedule permits--this is why matching successfully is so difficult, because there is no guidance on how to obtain these implicit requirements that apply to everyone. But the sooner the better, as the further out you are from graduation the less likely it will be to obtain a US residency--more recent "year of graduation" is looked upon favorably.

With a few exceptions that I honestly don't know and likely don't apply to you, you cannot practice in the US without doing a residency in the US.

Thanks for the information you could provide, I'll try studying for the USMLE and get a visiting rotation in the US, do have a few years given I just started to focus on both these things and then if I do well enough, I might get a residency there and even if I don't, I can still work wherever in the EU so I do have other options if it doesn't work out which is important.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Many US rotations require the USMLE exams to do a rotation, and many only consider medical students in their final year of training.

 

[Adamgerd]

Many US rotations require the USMLE exams to do a rotation, and many only consider medical students in their final year of training.

Yeah, so I'll start studying for the USMLE on top of the medical school, at least I only just entered medical school and seems like you should take it after your 2nd or 3rd year, so at least I should have time to study it hopefully well.

 

[Dave1980]

Also...how is your English? If your English isn't fluent it will make it harder to match. Some of your syntax sounds off to me.

 

[Adamgerd]

Also...how is your English? If your English isn't fluent it will make it harder to match. Some of your syntax sounds off to me.

I do have a tendency to ramble online but I attended international schools, lived abroad most of my life, did the international baccalaureate, scored fairly well, around 730, on the new SAT for the English Section and I am doing the English variant of the Charles University medical course since I studied previously in English and I speak English better than Czech so I don't think my fluency in English will be a problem.