International students with U.S. MD degree...

[chocolateshake]

Hi!

I am an international student and I will be going to medical school in the U.S. starting this Fall (I have already been accepted at a couple of schools). Now, I know that getting into medical school for quite tough for internationals as most med schools accept only 2-3 every year. I was wondering if these stats are consistent right up to residency admissions too. Are internationals with a U.S. MD degree still at a disadvantage when applying for residencies?

Thanks!!

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[Leforte]

There is no disadvantage over US allopathic students - as long as you can obtain the necessary training visa. There have been several foreign students come through my medical school in recent years and they have faired quite well in the match.

One caveat, however, would be taking back your training to your home country - if this is what you want to do. In most cases, you would be required to sit exams and even undergo additional training. Of course, if you want to stay here and can get permanent residency, then it is a non-issue.

 

[chocolateshake]

I do plan to stay here and eventually obtain permanent residency. So do you know if the foreign students in your med school got their new visa pretty easily? And that residency programs accepted them easily, based solely on their credentials? Also, I don't know if you would know the answer to this, but what kind of visa are foreign students on, during their residency years?

Thanks Leforte!

 

[Leforte]

I have no idea what their visa statuses were... None were married, however. You may want to check in international forums to see what current foreign MDs who train here are under. I know for school, it's a non-issue, but am clueless as to residency training. I know some are more restrictive (H-1 I think) which require the person go return to their country after training - if memory serves correct this is like 2 years... but I could be way off.

Anyone else?

 

[nadeem]

Hi chocolateshake,

...Congrats on getting into medical school as a foreign student.


.....You usually get admitted on a F-1 visa and do your residency on a J-1 or H-1 visa (as other FMGs), i think i'm right about that. You would have an edge over other candidates because you would have a degree from a US medical school but you would have to apply to programs that provides visas (that is if you are not PM resident by then). You should not have problems matching. Mainly academic programs provide those visas....

.....Also, of important note is when you get a visa for residency, and completing the residency, you may have to get back home and complete a couple of years or work in an underserved area here. It is a tricky issue, try to get more information about it. If yo get a chance, become a permanent resident while here in the States that way you don't have to worrry about it while applying for residency. Get your Permanent Residency while in medical school, trust me you would avoid a lot of hassles.

...If you have more questions, let me know....

good luck,
Ahmed

 

[chocolateshake]

Hey nadeem/Ahmed.. thanks for the info! I had a few more questions..

I heard that it is the J-1 visa that requires you to return to your home country for a couple of years. Does the H-1 visa also require that? Because I know my friends who are in non-medical fields work for private companies on H-1 visas, and eventually the company applies for their greencard. So does that mean that if you are in a residency program on an H-1 visa, eventually a greencard could be processed for you by your program?

Secondly, how do I try to get a permenant residency while in med school?

Finally, do you know how else I could find out more about this? Med school administrative people don't seem to know very much about this stuff.

Thanks!!!

PS..are you a foreign student too?

 

[nadeem]

HI chocolateshake,

......H-1 visa does not require you to return to your home country for a couple of years. Usually after college, a lot of foreign students who are on student visas end up getting a practical training year during which they work for a company and have the company get them a H-1 visa. The H-1 visa is a working visa usually for a period of 5 years, during which candidates have their companies sponsor for a permenent residency.

.....From what i understand, residency programs do not sponsor for permanent residency (maybe i'm wrong). Usually you complete the residency and then have another institution sponsor you for a permanent residency (in other words after you have job with them).

....As far as getting a permanent residency during med. school, that's a tough one, if you meet the love of your life while in medical school get married, if not i do not know of any other way except deferring your admission and getting a job with a corporation and have them sponsor you (this takes time about 3-4 years). You also need your permanent reidency to apply for federal student loans except private loans that still need a citizen co-borrower (except if you can afford it yourself).

....I think that not too many people can know a lot about international medical students. Usually because not too many get into medical school here in the States - here, you usually you go to college and themnapply to medical school. Also many medical schools do not accept international medical students. I know a little bit as a friend of mine had the same issues you have but was lucky because he fell i love and got married to a fellow classmate while in medical school. Try posting on other forums such as the IMG forums....

....No i'm not a foreign student but i had many friends who were foreign students during my undergrad & grad school years who were on F-1 visas.

Good luck to you, please feel free to e-mail me with any more questions

Ahmed

 

[ZephyrX]

No you are not going to be at a disadvantage when applying for residency. Actually getting a US MD degree is going to help you a lot.

Once you are ready to apply for residency you will have to apply to programs willing to sponsor either a J-1 or an H-1 visa. Most of the big academic programs or smaller programs with a lot of IMGs will help you through the process.

The reason why i said earlier though that graduating a US medical school is of benefit to you is because a lot of programs are unwilling to sponsor you with an H-1 visa unless you graduate an American MD program. An H-1 usually converts to a green card in 5 years. So you should definately aim for a program that is willing to offer you an H-1 over a J-1.

Otherwise you will have to go through a J-1 and then try to practice in an underserved area to get an H-1 and eventually get a green card.

I was an international student when i came for undergrad in the States. I got a green card through the lottery and i am a few months away from becoming a US citizen.

 

[BritIndian]

How did you guys get in to these Medical Schools?

What were your gpas and MCAT scores?

I really want to go to medical school in the US, but as an International student, I'm scared that there will be too many issues for admission

 

[45408]

How did you guys get in to these Medical Schools?

What were your gpas and MCAT scores?

I really want to go to medical school in the US, but as an International student, I'm scared that there will be too many issues for admission

Pretty sure they're all attendings or fellows now...

 

[sam1999]

Few Corrections:

I think you are thinking way too much in advance. In general you can't get green card while in medical school exceptions are

Get married
or apply or asylum/refugee if you are like from some troubled country or some sort of sexual orientation etc. But you have to apply within year 1 after landing into USA.

There are 2 kind of visas for residency.

J1- It is for 7 years (renewable on yearly basis) but it (in general) requires that you go back to your home country for 2 years. It depends upon treaty signed by your home country and USA. There are few countries which are NOT in that list. Emphasis is on few.

H1 - It is for 6 years duration and only get 3 years at one time and apply again for another 3 years. Difficult to get but if a FMG can get one, I assume you with US MD degree will be able to get one. All big name hospitals do sponsor that one esp. in the north. Programs in South notoriously (small and big) don't sponsor H1 (in general). Even with H1, you have to leave the country after 6 years for at least one year but you can spend that 1 any where like going to Canada or UK for some fellowship etc or traveling around the world for 1 year.

Problem. In order to get H1, you have to pass step 3. In order to apply for step 3 you need to have MD degree which you can only get in May/June so you have to either delay your residency or do MPH right after MD and take step 3. Please note step 3 requirement is for FMG and I am not 100% sure for US MD degrees.


J1 is NOT end of world. 95% of FMG come to USA on J1 and very few go back.
For J1 you need waiver.

Few ways to get waiver.

1. Go back to your home country for 2 years.
2. Do research, if you like to stay in academia. You can be attending and doing waiver at the same time.
3. Work for US government like NIH or US government sponsored under served areas in USA. When I say under served areas, it does NOT mean you have to work in South Dakota. There are under served areas around big cities as well.
4. Find and marry (if you are a straight person) someone who has USA citizenship and apply for hardship waiver (mean it will be end of world for him/her or any child you too may have). For hardship waiver someone linked to you either marriage or birth like US born child at hardship. So you don't need to marry a US citizen but if you do marry a Non US citizen then you have to produce a US born citizen child or adopt a US born child.

Hope this will help.

 

[sam1999]

The reason why i said earlier though that graduating a US medical school is of benefit to you is because a lot of programs are unwilling to sponsor you with an H-1 visa unless you graduate an American MD program. An H-1 usually converts to a green card in 5 years. So you should definately aim for a program that is willing to offer you an H-1 over a J-1.

There are few misinformation here.
Sir, who told you that H1 covert to green card after 5 years.
Again who told you that you need American MD degree to have H1 sponsored by a big name US school. There is a step 3 requirement.

 

[KTX]

Hi!

I am an international student and I will be going to medical school in the U.S. starting this Fall (I have already been accepted at a couple of schools). Now, I know that getting into medical school for quite tough for internationals as most med schools accept only 2-3 every year. I was wondering if these stats are consistent right up to residency admissions too. Are internationals with a U.S. MD degree still at a disadvantage when applying for residencies?

Thanks!!

Isay get marrried for fastest of getting US residency. takes about 6month if marreid to US citizen.( please no scams though INS will find you) get this thing done while in med school.