ecfmg certificate

[priapoconstante]

It is supposed that once you have obtained the certification by ECFMG, you can practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed medical doctor.
So, what would be the difference between the doctor in a residency program, and the one who has his own office and is inviting you to work with him? I mean, is it possible? Can you work with someone under his supervision even if he's not a staff member of a residency program hospital?
I mean, afterall, you'll work under his supervision, and legally you have the right to do it, since you have already a certification by ECFMG, right?
Now, I know that a physician assistant is someone who finished high school and went to college for 4 years to obtain a physician assistant title. Basically, I understand physician assistants work under supervision of a doctor, and they can even prescribe if the doctor trust them enough based on their experience, and even may let them start a surgery.
So, basically, a person who gets ECFMG certified has already demonstrated that his/her level of med education is similar to a US med student (since that is the objective of the USMLE examinations, I mean, to get a standard evaluation of medical doctors who didn't attend med school in the US).
How come a ECFMG certified medical doctor is not qualified to work in the US for anything else like med assistant, physician assistant, etc?
I mean, that's not fair, because if someone has not matched and can't get a position in the research field, because, obviously, is not qualified since has not a bachelor's degree or even a master's degree, then what is that person supposed to do for a complete year without a work?

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[retroviridae]

OK, 2 questions here, fairness and legality

Fair? You are probably right, not fair.

Legality? The cert doesn't mean you have the right to practice medicine. That decision lies with the state. They use the cert as a guide. But by itself, it doesn't mean anything. So having the cert is essentially useless unless the state gives you a license. PAs, by the way, do a masters and get licensed by the state to do what they do. And, your cert does't mean you can practice med anywhere. You get a training cert from the state saying you can practice within the confines of your training program. So it is not quite like being able to follow any doc around. The state dictates who.

Each state has different requirements, esp for IMGs. So in some states you can get an unrestricted license, while others may not give you one. Fair, nope. This is why a national standard (more than what the USMLE gives) would be great for MDs. We are one country after all. If I want, I should be able to practice in any state. Ahh, the pluses and minuses of a federal system.

 

[Winged Scapula]

As retroviridae notes, perhaps you have misunderstood the purpose of the ECMFG certificate. It is not a license nor does it allow you to practice medicine anywhere you want in the US. It was developed to centralize the process of verifying FMG's credentials for the residency programs. from the ECFMG website: The purpose of ECFMG Certification is to assess the readiness of IMGs to enter U.S. residency and fellowship programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Thus, as he notes, it may not seem fair, but the certificate was not designed to allow you to do an apprenticeship with any physician.

While it may seem difficult to find a position outside of the match, if you cannot research is not out of the question. You are not required to have a Bachelor's or Master's degree - there are programs out there with short term grants who would welcome an MD. Check the NIH to start and the listings at stoppagingme.com (under the member's section).