US-IMG: Chances of matching to an FM residency?

[hm01]

Hi all
30M
Living in the UK. Family Medicine resident and due to become a UK GP (UK FM Attending) in Summer 2024.
US Citizen
Step 1 - 240 (done in 2017)
Graduated 2018 (UK med school)
No US clinical experience

Currently revising for 2CK

If I get a reasonable 2CK score and apply widely, what do you think my chances are of matching to an FM residency? It has been a few years since I graduated but I have been working as a doctor since graduation in a residency programme with no time off.

Thanks

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[shadowblade]

Why would you apply to FM residency in the US?

The American Board of Family Medicine has a pathway for UK trained GP attendings to get board certified and licensed.

You could save yourself the headache.

Get a medical license in one of the states that accepts UK training e.g. Maine, Oregon etc. Then apply for a green card with a EB-2 NIW or a H1b and find a job at a academic center.

Read Below:

Certified Outside of the U.S. - American Board of Family Medicine

ABFM offers a pathway to initial certification for physicians who have been trained outside of the U.S.

www.theabfm.org

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Why would you apply to FM residency in the US?

The American Board of Family Medicine has a pathway for UK trained GP attendings to get board certified and licensed.

You could save yourself the headache.

Get a medical license in one of the states that accepts UK training e.g. Maine, Oregon etc. Then apply for a green card with a EB-2 NIW or a H1b and find a job at a academic center.

Read Below:

Certified Outside of the U.S. - American Board of Family Medicine

ABFM offers a pathway to initial certification for physicians who have been trained outside of the U.S.

www.theabfm.org

Well, he is a US Citizen, so no need for green card or another visa

I didn't know this pathway existed. I wonder what stops someone from just going to the UK after undergrad and becoming a doctor there and coming back here. If you have the grades to get into a good undergrad, you should be able to get into a UK school as a foreign student. Anyone care to comment? Maybe it's harder to get into medicine as foreign student than I imagine

 

[shadowblade]

Well, he is a US Citizen, so no need for green card or another visa

I didn't know this pathway existed. I wonder what stops someone from just going to the UK after undergrad and becoming a doctor there and coming back here. If you have the grades to get into a good undergrad, you should be able to get into a UK school as a foreign student. Anyone care to comment? Maybe it's harder to get into medicine as foreign student than I imagine

Even better. I totally missed that they were a US citizen. That makes it incredibly easy to follow this pathway, since 0 visa hurdles.

The main barrier is that the only specialty that allows this is Family Medicine.

What if you get to med school in the UK and you don't want to do Family Med? I think that's what limits it from being used widely.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Even better. I totally missed that they were a US citizen. That makes it incredibly easy to follow this pathway, since 0 visa hurdles.

The main barrier is that the only specialty that allows this is Family Medicine.

What if you get to med school in the UK and you don't want to do Family Med? I think that's what limits it from being used widely.

But then you can try still applying to residency here. It sounds to me like a better deal that SGU or other Caribbean schools

 

[Lee Ik-jun MD]

Your chances are very good if you're willing to train anywhere in the states.
California, maybe a little harder than the rest. Since most programs prefer someone local ( had their medschool here) or somewhat local ( California resident who had med school out of state and now coming back for training).

 

[hm01]

Get a medical license in one of the states that accepts UK training e.g. Maine, Oregon etc.

Thanks for the reply.

Having done a bit of research, the board certification is the “easy” bit; the ABFM does have the reciprocity agreement.

The sticking point is the state licensing. All states require some time (at least a year from what I can gather) of working as a doctor in that state. It’s a catch-22 (need a license to work, can’t get a license until worked for >1 year) so the only way in is to enter residency.

Does that match up with your experience?

 

[Keona]

Thanks for the reply.

Having done a bit of research, the board certification is the “easy” bit; the ABFM does have the reciprocity agreement.

The sticking point is the state licensing. All states require some time (at least a year from what I can gather) of working as a doctor in that state. It’s a catch-22 (need a license to work, can’t get a license until worked for >1 year) so the only way in is to enter residency.

Does that match up with your experience?

There’s an orthopedic md working where I am who is doing something through a residency program and working for a rural clinic at same time. I think he’s doing a fellowship program. No idea how any of this works but I checked his credentials and there’s not a US residency on there but there are two different US fellowships. There’s a huge shortage of PCPs and rural environments are desperate to get them so I feel like there’s got to be some avenue to get in. Try messaging someone in the aafp and see if there’s anyone they could put you in contact with. Aafp has its own message boards but they aren’t very active in my experience.

 

[Keona]

also have you tried contacting the ABFM? They can probably give you idea of direction to start out in.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Thanks for the reply.

Having done a bit of research, the board certification is the “easy” bit; the ABFM does have the reciprocity agreement.

The sticking point is the state licensing. All states require some time (at least a year from what I can gather) of working as a doctor in that state. It’s a catch-22 (need a license to work, can’t get a license until worked for >1 year) so the only way in is to enter residency.

Does that match up with your experience?

You can always just do a fellowship in the US. You can easily match addiction or hospice or another similar specialty

 

[shadowblade]

Thanks for the reply.

Having done a bit of research, the board certification is the “easy” bit; the ABFM does have the reciprocity agreement.

The sticking point is the state licensing. All states require some time (at least a year from what I can gather) of working as a doctor in that state. It’s a catch-22 (need a license to work, can’t get a license until worked for >1 year) so the only way in is to enter residency.

Does that match up with your experience?

I am pretty sure that the state of Maine does not require any time working as a doctor in their state to get licensed

https://www.maine.gov/md/sites/maine.gov.md/files/inline-files/requirements2017.pdf

1) Graduate from an accredited medical school
2) Complete >36 months of training in England, Ireland, Scotland
3) Have ECFMG certification
4) Complete USMLE Step 1, 2, 3
5) Have a clean background check
6) Have active clinical medical practice in the UK