advice please

[treasure_island]

I need some advice since i'm a predent and don't know about this:

my sister graduated from medschool in germany and is currently doing her residency in cardiology over there. she wants to come here and get her MD here, but:what exams does she need to take? is it usmle step 1 & 2, and something else? also, what score does she need to get into cardiology or other internal medicine subspecialties? what else does she have to do?

any input is appreciated.

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[NeedMyCoffee]

Since your sister did medical school abroad, she will be regarded as an international medical graduate. To be eligible for graduate medical education in the US (ie. residency and beyond) she will need to sit the USMLE Steps 1, 2 CK and 2 CS prior to getting certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG www.ecfmg.org). Without this certification, she would not be eligible to undergo residency training here.

In order to pursue Cardiology in the US, she would need to complete a 3-year residency in Internal Medicine and then apply for a fellowship in Cardiology. Cardiology is a very competitive fellowship to get into, and I'm sure others would have some advice as to the best way for someone in your sister's position to secure a spot.

I hope this helps.

 

[treasure_island]

Since your sister did medical school abroad, she will be regarded as an international medical graduate. To be eligible for graduate medical education in the US (ie. residency and beyond) she will need to sit the USMLE Steps 1, 2 CK and 2 CS prior to getting certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG www.ecfmg.org). Without this certification, she would not be eligible to undergo residency training here.

In order to pursue Cardiology in the US, she would need to complete a 3-year residency in Internal Medicine and then apply for a fellowship in Cardiology. Cardiology is a very competitive fellowship to get into, and I'm sure others would have some advice as to the best way for someone in your sister's position to secure a spot.

I hope this helps.

what is ck and cs?

 

[NeedMyCoffee]

what is ck and cs?

Prior to 2004, the exams for ECFMG certification included Steps 1 and 2 (which were also taken by US medical students) and a separate exam called the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) which was specific for international graduates. In addition, international graduates used to have to sit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam.

Step 1 consists of a one-day exam testing knowledge of basic sciences. Step 2 tests the clinical sciences. The CSA, as its name implies, assesses clinical skills in an OSCE format.

From 2004, the rules changed and now both US and international medical students/graduates need to take all 3 exams. The names changed also. The old Step 2 exam is now known as the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK). The CSA is now know as the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS).

Note that now, the TOEFL is no longer required to get ECFMG certification.

 

[AJM]

In order to pursue Cardiology in the US, she would need to complete a 3-year residency in Internal Medicine and then apply for a fellowship in Cardiology. Cardiology is a very competitive fellowship to get into, and I'm sure others would have some advice as to the best way for someone in your sister's position to secure a spot.

I hope this helps.

I have no idea about what exams she would have to complete, but I do know many IMGs who are graduates of European medical schools and residency programs who were able to bypass doing a US IM residency, and go straight to fellowship training. Most that I know of were trained in the UK or Ireland - I don't know of any from Germany. I would recommend that your sister contact several cards fellowship programs to find out whether they would consider her if she does not repeat a US IM residency.

 

[germanIMG]

the only way to bypass residency and go directly to fellowship, is when you have finished your Internal medicine residency in Germany and are board certified.
You may enter then fellowship programs, however as you are not US board certifide, you can not practice medicine or cardiology for that matter in US. For that you would have to do residency in US.
Rare excpetion to this in university setting, sometimes people who get recruited from other countries are able to circumvent these regulations, but essentially you have to be a superstar in your respective field.

 

[treasure_island]

how many years does a fellowship in cardiology take?