Do I need Step 3 to practice in U.S, after doing residency in Canada?

[Blitz2006]

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So gameplan is to do residency in Canada, then head south to practice...I've done USMLE Step 1+2 CK/CS...got my ECFMG certificate.

But whats the deal with Step 3...needed for Canadians?

The catch in my situation...graduating medical school from UK...does that anything?

 

[tkim]

So gameplan is to do residency in Canada, then head south to practice...I've done USMLE Step 1+2 CK/CS...got my ECFMG certificate.

But whats the deal with Step 3...needed for Canadians?

The catch in my situation...graduating medical school from UK...does that anything?

FMG/IMG require completion of all USMLE steps in order to be licensed to practice.

I am unsure if a Canadian residency allows you practice in the US. You might want to check into that.

It might actually be harder to get a residency in CA as an IMG than the US. You might want to check into that as well.

 

[coastal]

If you have graduated from a Canadian med school and done a Canadian residency, you don't need to write the USMLE for MOST states. There are about 10 states (roughly, can't remember them all, includes Florida, California, Utah, Hawaii, I think Washington) that require you to write the USMLEs. Since you did med school in the UK, I don't know. My thought would be if you write the LMCC 1 and 2 and are licensed in Canada you should be good to go. I don't know anything about the ECFMG.

Step 3 is pretty easy and doesn't require much studying. Writing it wouldn't be particularly onerous and would open up the rest of the states which require it.

 

[mlw03]

I think you're going to want to check into the licensing requirements of individual states you're considering working in to find out their precise requirements. My guess is to your question though is 'yes.'

 

[sineapse]

So gameplan is to do residency in Canada, then head south to practice...I've done USMLE Step 1+2 CK/CS...got my ECFMG certificate.

But whats the deal with Step 3...needed for Canadians?

The catch in my situation...graduating medical school from UK...does that anything?

Why go to Canada first? Just go straight to the US, it's easier!

 

[Blitz2006]

Cause I'm a Canadian citizen....and like I said in another post, U.S is easier for 4 specialities only (IM/FM/Peds/Psych)...for everything else, I probably have better chance in Canada (since I didn't blast my USMLE Step 1/2 with a 240+)

Why go to Canada first? Just go straight to the US, it's easier!

 

[docnotsopc]

Cause I'm a Canadian citizen....and like I said in another post, U.S is easier for 4 specialities only (IM/FM/Peds/Psych)...for everything else, I probably have better chance in Canada (since I didn't blast my USMLE Step 1/2 with a 240+)

If only we could trade spots 😛 i would give up my US med spot for your Canadian one

 

[Earthrazer]

If only we could trade spots 😛 i would give up my US med spot for your Canadian one

He doesn't want an American med spot, the tuition is ~2.5x more for a Canadian citizen. He want to practice in the States after studying in Canada.

 

[tardis]

Depends on the state and specialty, some states don't need the USMLE if you have done the LMCC and have completed your boards in the specialty. That being said, you will most likely need to finish either the Canadian licensing exams (LMCC part I and II) or the entire USMLE process before finishing your residency in Canada.

Some specialties have longer training or shorter training in Canada, so being board eligible in the US depends on the specialty. You should be able to figure this out for your specialty.

That being said, having all the steps done keeps doors open in every state, and I've been told it often makes the process smoother for fellowship applications and visas.