International MD?

[bookgodess15]

Okay, so I've been browsing though some of these threads here on SDN, and I'm left rather confused about something. If I were to go to medical school here in the US, and then did my residency here in the US, I would have to re-do residency if I were to move to Australia (I have family there, I've been considering moving out there for a few years when I get older)?

Where does your medical degree apply? I'm pretty sure that it transfers to Canada, but what about England? Ireland? And, most importantly, Australia? Am I making any sense here?

Someone let me know! Please help!

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[Depakote]

Okay, so I've been browsing though some of these threads here on SDN, and I'm left rather confused about something. If I were to go to medical school here in the US, and then did my residency here in the US, I would have to re-do residency if I were to move to Australia (I have family there, I've been considering moving out there for a few years when I get older)?

Where does your medical degree apply? I'm pretty sure that it transfers to Canada, but what about England? Ireland? And, most importantly, Australia? Am I making any sense here?

Someone let me know! Please help!

I'm not 100% on the specifics, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will jump in.

I believe the US and Canada do share essentially similar views of the MD degree.

Beyond the US and Canada, what you can do with your MD degree and what licensing requirements you must fulfill are very individualized to the country. (side note: US Licensed DO's are limited to primary care in Canada, if I am not mistaken)

In the US, a foreign licensed medical graduate must pass the US Medical Licensing Exams (Steps I-III) before full practice rights are granted. If a physician has completed the equivalent residency outside the US, I imagine they may sit for the US boards and become boarded in that field without having to re-complete a residency in the US (this is speculation).

Outside the US, the requirements vary from country to country but are likely some variation of the above. You will need to submit yourself to that country's licensing requirements. I would guess this involves more mountains of paperwork and standardized testing than it does the repetition of a residency... but I honestly don't know.

 

[Terpskins99]

It depends on the country (and sometimes the specialty).

For example, in India you can practice medicine upon completion of a US ACGME-certified residency. No additional training is necessary.