Internship problem

[mah927]

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Hello,
I am in a real bind. I got a provisional medical degree from abroad and came to the US. I thought I could do my internship here and get my final degree. Little did I know that ECFMG needs my final degree to give me certification to apply for residencies. I did very well in the Step 1 and step 2 exams. Besides going back to where I got my degree and do the internship there, I seem to have no other choice here in the US. I thought I will ask someone here in the forum if they know of any other way, where I can stay away from going back? Please help. I am really really down and messed up.
Sincerely,
Screwed. 😱 👎 😕

 

[f_w]

You need your final medical school diploma and transscript in order to obtain an ECFMG certificate. This is why they put it on their website and print it in their free pamphlet.

Unless your medical school allows you to do your final year rotations in the US (and credit it toward your degree), you will have to go back and finish up. This would not be an 'internship' (which commonly refers to the PGY-1 year of a residency program requireing ECFMG certification), this would be another year as a medical student.

 

[Fascia Lata]

I am graduating in a couple of months, or more precisely finishing my final MBBCh exams, but will only get a provisional degree. I need an additional full 12 month internship to get the final diploma. The internship has to be 3 months GS, 3 months IM, 2 months OG, 2 months Peds and 2 1-month electives. The only equivalent in the US system is a Transitional Year. So, I emailed ECFMG to check if I can do the internship (TY) in the US and they said it used to be possible before Januray 2004, but not thereafter. I am afraid you should return back to your home country for you to get your final diploma. The good news is that you can apply to study for a postgrad degree (a masters or a PhD) in one of the basic sciences at a US university without completing the internship and getting the final diploma.

 

[mah927]

You need your final medical school diploma and transscript in order to obtain an ECFMG certificate. This is why they put it on their website and print it in their free pamphlet.

Unless your medical school allows you to do your final year rotations in the US (and credit it toward your degree), you will have to go back and finish up. This would not be an 'internship' (which commonly refers to the PGY-1 year of a residency program requireing ECFMG certification), this would be another year as a medical student.

Thanks for the reply. Do you know of any university medical schools that allow IMG's to do the final year rotation in their schools?

 

[Miklos]

Thanks for the reply. Do you know of any university medical schools that allow IMG's to do the final year rotation in their schools?

NYMC's Fifth Pathway.

In addition to our Fifth Pathway Program we are now accepting applications for:

a) Students who have their M.D. degree and are interested in obtaining one year of supervised clinical training to enhance their education and obtaining residencies in the United States

b) Students who will obtain their M.D. degree after a required year of internship. This year of supervised clinical training can be substituted for a year of internship with the permission of the applicant's medical schools dean.

All students must be United States Citizens or have a green card and must begin the program within three years of completion of their medical school studies. Please call for an application.

The other principal downside is that it is not cheap.

Other medical schools will in all likelyhood only allow you a limited number of electives.

 

[mah927]

Thanks very much for the information.

 

[mah927]

After reading the site I realised, one needs to have the undergraduate degree in the US to qualify for this program. I guess I will have to go back and do the internship. Oh well....sucks to be me...

 

[Miklos]

After reading the site I realised, one needs to have the undergraduate degree in the US to qualify for this program. I guess I will have to go back and do the internship. Oh well....sucks to be me...

I believe that you are mistaken.

For the 5th Pathway, one needs to meet the requirements as delineated by the program:

The requirements for admission have been set by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association. The student must have:

* Completed an accredited American college or university, undergraduate or premedical, with work of a quality acceptable for matriculation in a U.S. medical school.
* Studied and completed all the formal requirements of the foreign medical school except internship and social service.
* Academic records acceptable to New York Medical College and its affiliated hospitals.
* Obtained a passing score on the medical examiners Step 1 board examination, currently the U.S.M.L.E. exam.
* Physicians with their MD degree are not eligible for the Fifth Pathway Program but are eligible for our year of supervised clinical training.

In addition, New York Medical College requires applicants to meet the following requirements:

* Students must be a U.S. Citizen, resident alien, or Canadian Citizen with a student visa.
* Fifth Pathway Program must be started within three (3) years after successful completion of medical school studies.

For the associated clinical year, one does not, except as I wrote above.

In addition to our Fifth Pathway Program we are now accepting applications for:

a) Students who have their M.D. degree and are interested in obtaining one year of supervised clinical training to enhance their education and obtaining residencies in the United States

b) Students who will obtain their M.D. degree after a required year of internship. This year of supervised clinical training can be substituted for a year of internship with the permission of the applicant's medical schools dean.

All students must be United States Citizens or have a green card and must begin the program within three years of completion of their medical school studies. Please call for an application.

If you have a green card or citizenship, you may wish to call them about details.

Good luck.

 

[mah927]

I believe that you are mistaken.

For the 5th Pathway, one needs to meet the requirements as delineated by the program:



For the associated clinical year, one does not, except as I wrote above.



If you have a green card or citizenship, you may wish to call them about details.

Good luck.

Phew... Thanks so much Miklos. I will call them and ask. Also, God Bless You.

 

[Fascia Lata]

Hey guys,

I remember I once read that St. James School of Medicine (Caribbean) offers an opportunity for foreign grads from other schools to rotate at their affiliated hospitals in the US as externs. I checked their website, but the information seems to have been removed. I believe that spending a year in this program, if it really exists, would qualify a foreign grad with a provisional MBBS to gain his full certification and final diploma. Any inofrmation about the school or the program would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks