Can you learn overseas and still be qualified?

[97obw]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

my cousin did his study of medicine in poland( he said its easier overseas), and then became a certified md in the states...are there any pharmacy schools that work like this? (over seas pharm school, but be able to graduate from it and work in the states?)

 

[Asia]

"my cousin did his study of medicine in poland( he said its easier overseas)"

I don't know if it's easier. But you can be sure of one thing - it's helluva lot cheaper! Public higher education is tuition-free in Poland, as it is in many other European countries.

So both for medicine and pharmacy, you can do it overseas and then enter long and difficult process of examinations/evaluation to be able to practice. I don't know the details so I can't really answer your question but I'd imagine it'd be pretty easy to find it on google. Personally, I think it's not worth it - going overseas for education that is, especially to a non-English speaking country. Think of all terminology you'll have to re-learn. Every profession has its own language that you'd have to study all over again. And that's just the language part. There are more differences than just language. Of course, the situation is entirely different if you lived in a foreign coutry, went to school there and practices there. But I think you're entertaining a thought of moving overseas for the sole purpose of getting "easier education."

One thing though - unless you go to school for the same thing here and overseas, how would you know what's easier? Just food for thought.

 

[Asia]

edited for double-post, sorry

 

[JerryPharmD]

I'm pretty sure that there's Caribbean pharmacy schools. I would steer clear. I worked with a guy that went to a Mexican medical school for 3 years. He intended to do his fourth year and residency in the States. For some some reason of which I'm not sure, no American medical school would accept him.
that's 3 years and thousands of dollars down the drain. Stick with the States.

 

[sdn1977]

Each state has its own licensing process. To find the answer to your question, you need to go to the website of the state board of pharmacy you're interested in practing in. You'll look for foreign graduate requirements. The process is indeed long & cumbersome. If you don't have the equivalent education, you won't be able to sit for the NAPLEX or take the state law exam you'll need.

I have worked with a pharmacist from South Africa. It took her 3 years to get all the documentation in place, but she finally passed the exam.

I've known pharmacists who've come from countries like England, France & Australia who don't have equivalent education which CA requires, so they work as techs or at First Data Bank. I don't really know how the educational systems are in those countries, so I don't know if their experience is current enough to translate to now.

I agree with a previous poster - there are no shortcuts.

 

[pharmkelly]

I know in retail there are tons of foreign pharmacists.Generally, it took from 1.5-3 years for some of them to be pharmacist finally.It saves a lot of time and money.Maybe people feel it is kinda unfair to local students, I heard that NABP is trying to limit the numbers of foreign pharmacists.
I just want to say, as long as you are born in the states and you finish your high school here, and your relatives or parents are working in the same health science area, the best way is to go oversea to get you degree.
I know a couple of doctors doing the same thing to their kids and relatives.

 

[PharmDstudent]

I just want to say, as long as you are born in the states and you finish your high school here, and your relatives or parents are working in the same health science area, the best way is to go oversea to get you degree.
I know a couple of doctors doing the same thing to their kids and relatives.

NO! The best way is to study in the country, and possibly the state, in which you intend to practice. Why would you make your life more complicated by going to another country when there are plenty of professional schools here?

So you can't get into a pharmacy school here? Well, you probably should have worked harder! Pharmacy is not an easy profession, so there is no reason to live on easy street until you become a licensed pharmacist in America. We all need endurance, and there is no better way to build strength than by working hard from the beginning.

 

[cy19861126]

I dont know if this adheres to the topic, but one of my classmates did his pre-pharm courses overseas and got admitted to a pharmacy school in the US that did not require an interview or PCAT. All the things that the school asked him to do was to take English and economics over the summer before the school started. The country he went to was Korea

 

[bananaface]

You may still be qualified, if your program is deemed adequate by whichever state you seek licensure in. But, you will not be as well prepared as those who learn within the US system they plan on practicing in.

 

[pharmkelly]

NO! The best way is to study in the country, and possibly the state, in which you intend to practice. Why would you make your life more complicated by going to another country when there are plenty of professional schools here?

So you can't get into a pharmacy school here? Well, you probably should have worked harder! Pharmacy is not an easy profession, so there is no reason to live on easy street until you become a licensed pharmacist in America. We all need endurance, and there is no better way to build strength than by working hard from the beginning.

The reason people do oversea study for medicine is time and money.It is not complicated at all.
The reason why there are so many foreigh pharmacists here is they do not need to go to pharmacy school here since they already got their degree in another country.

 

[sdn1977]

The reason people do oversea study for medicine is time and money.It is not complicated at all.
The reason why there are so many foreigh pharmacists here is they do not need to go to pharmacy school here since they already got their degree in another country.

There are not so many foreign pharmacists here. Where did you get that idea?

 

[PharmDstudent]

The reason people do oversea study for medicine is time and money.It is not complicated at all.
The reason why there are so many foreigh pharmacists here is they do not need to go to pharmacy school here since they already got their degree in another country.

I want to debate this, but at the same time I don't.
It is more complicated to study overseas, because there are more exams to pass when people get to the US. Also, the pharmacy schools overseas may be lacking in crucial aspects, which could mean that their graduates can't get licensed at all in the US. Didn't you read any of the other posts? It could take years to get licensed here!
There are foreign pharmacy students in my pharmacy school. They may be of foreign birth, but they're going to school here. Frankly, I haven't met a single pharmacist who didn't study here. I know of a Pakistani pharmacist who graduated from Texas, four Vietnamese pharmacists who graduated from Louisiana schools, and an Indian pharmacist who graduated from Massachusetts. I've met others, but there's no reason to list any more.

You're position on this is flawed!