int'l students graduating from US med school

[gte770m]

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I'm starting med school in the States this fall as an international student. I know there are very few of us, and wanted to know before going in how hard it is to get a work visa to stay in the States as you start residency. I would think it helps quite a bit and makes it relatively easier having attended a US med school, but I haven't been able to gather much info on this.
Any thoughts?

 

[Quaero]

Totally misread the question! Sorry.

 

[gte770m]

According to the MSAR, there are about 50 medical schools in the US mainland that accept international student. Some of them do offer financial aid to F1 student.

Good luck!

uhmm... I wasn't asking about whether I can get into US med school. I already have acceptances, and was asking about what happens after graduation with getting a h1b work visa for residency...

 

[rockymhs]

I recommend getting a green card instead of work visa. Getting a visa takes work and time for your sponsor, which will be the hospital that you will start working in. If they want you bad, they will definitely do it, but once again, there are many talented "to-be-residents" out in the field. Try to get at least a green card, which will make your life much easier to handle with getting a job.

 

[gte770m]

I recommend getting a green card instead of work visa. Getting a visa takes work and time for your sponsor, which will be the hospital that you will start working in. If they want you bad, they will definitely do it, but once again, there are many talented "to-be-residents" out in the field. Try to get at least a green card, which will make your life much easier to handle with getting a job.

You are right in that having a GC absolutely makes your life easier as you are basically treated like a US citizen, just without voting rights.😉 It's just that I don't think I can get a GC while I am a student.

BTW, I think I remember seeing you on Georgetown thread. I got rejected from there. I'm not sure what happened to you, but I guess you are headed to CU. I hear it's a great school. Congrats! It looks like I am headed to IU in Indianapolis.

 

[bombas238]

I recommend getting a green card instead of work visa. Getting a visa takes work and time for your sponsor, which will be the hospital that you will start working in. If they want you bad, they will definitely do it, but once again, there are many talented "to-be-residents" out in the field. Try to get at least a green card, which will make your life much easier to handle with getting a job.

This is a fine example of American cluelessness when it comes to legal immigration into this country. Telling someone to "just get a green card" is quite hilarious. How exactly should he do that, hmm? Any suggestions aside from marriage?

This person is right in stating, however, that you will need to do some talking and convincing, but if IMGs can do it so can you.

You do have numerous advantages (like first year of residency as an OPT, nobody will question your qualifications, etc.) -- that being said, the best advice I can give at this point is to just focus on school for the first two years. You'll have plenty of time to consider your options.

If you insist on looking into it now, I recommend you search for terms such as "Canadians in US medical schools" -- there are a lot of Canadian internationals in the States and they like to congregate to talk about their options. Whatever applies to them will most likely apply to you as well.

 

[Practitioner]

I have a couple of friends like this and know several residents who were FMGs too. If you match the school will work with you to get a visa. However, sometimes the visa process takes longer than expected and you might not get it in time to start (2 of the ones I know who were FMGs as well and matched had to take a year of research or whatever waiting for visas).

Contact residency programs and ask for more info about this.

On a different but similar note: it helps patients get visas when we send letters to the US consulate affirming the patients acceptance to board for treatment. It may help to get a similar letter from the residency program that you've matched to them. I'm not sure what visas my friends used to come for their interviews, however. You shouldn't have a problem since you should be in medical school at the time anyways.

Good luck!

 

[docelh]

You're not gonna be able to bypass the work visa and go straight to green card. There are categories of people who qualify for that, and you're not in that category.

 

[johncalvin]

I have a couple of friends like this and know several residents who were FMGs too. If you match the school will work with you to get a visa. However, sometimes the visa process takes longer than expected and you might not get it in time to start (2 of the ones I know who were FMGs as well and matched had to take a year of research or whatever waiting for visas).
...

The OP would be graduating from a United States educational institution, so s/he would automatically be allowed to work for 1 year (post-graduation) on their student F-1 visa through something called OPT (Optional Practical Training), without actually receiving a more permanent work visa like H-1B.

So the OP, in some ways, has a better situation than a FMG who went to a foreign medical school, because the OP gets a year to get their immigration status in order.

 

[mspeedwagon]

First, congratulations on getting into a US medical school as an international student. That is an impressive accomplishment.

The road to a green card is a tad bit easier as a physician. You will go to school on an F-1, you will begin your residency on OPT as the hospital applies for an H-1B. Assuming the hospital would like to keep you, they will then begin the green card process (non-profit organizations have it a little easier in the process of filing for applicants vs for profit). There are a number of routes here: Labor certification for physicians (most common), extraordinary abilities, national interest waiver etc. It takes a few years from application to get your green card approved and then a few more years to citizenship.

The other option is to find an American physician (or any person of the opposite sex since gay marriage is not recognized by the federal government) and get married 🙂. It'll save you a lot of time and paperwork.

 

[mspeedwagon]

I recommend getting a green card instead of work visa. Getting a visa takes work and time for your sponsor, which will be the hospital that you will start working in. If they want you bad, they will definitely do it, but once again, there are many talented "to-be-residents" out in the field. Try to get at least a green card, which will make your life much easier to handle with getting a job.

 

[gte770m]

thank you everyone. Your inputs really do help enormously.
So, I guess the most standard route would be to start first year of residency as an OP, and move onto H-1B beginning in second year.
Thanks once, again!

 

[mspeedwagon]

You should get your H-1B during your first year. Getting OPT just lets you start on-time in July, while your H1-B is in process. Most residency programs are familiar with the process.

thank you everyone. Your inputs really do help enormously.
So, I guess the most standard route would be to start first year of residency as an OP, and move onto H-1B beginning in second year.
Thanks once, again!

 

[rockymhs]

This is a fine example of American cluelessness when it comes to legal immigration into this country. Telling someone to "just get a green card" is quite hilarious. How exactly should he do that, hmm? Any suggestions aside from marriage?

This person is right in stating, however, that you will need to do some talking and convincing, but if IMGs can do it so can you.

You do have numerous advantages (like first year of residency as an OPT, nobody will question your qualifications, etc.) -- that being said, the best advice I can give at this point is to just focus on school for the first two years. You'll have plenty of time to consider your options.

If you insist on looking into it now, I recommend you search for terms such as "Canadians in US medical schools" -- there are a lot of Canadian internationals in the States and they like to congregate to talk about their options. Whatever applies to them will most likely apply to you as well.

I am actually an international who was able to fetch a greencard by my second year of college, albeit I got it as a dependent of my father. GC definitely helped me in getting into med school... I know getting a greencard is hard, but having a MD degree will make it much easier to get GC since handing out GC mainly depends on your credential as a contributor to the US. So it might be not possible to get GC before graduating MD, it is wise to start the process right now.

 

[rockymhs]

You are right in that having a GC absolutely makes your life easier as you are basically treated like a US citizen, just without voting rights.😉 It's just that I don't think I can get a GC while I am a student.

BTW, I think I remember seeing you on Georgetown thread. I got rejected from there. I'm not sure what happened to you, but I guess you are headed to CU. I hear it's a great school. Congrats! It looks like I am headed to IU in Indianapolis.

Got rejected outright from Georgetown, but I am not complaining. Congrats to you as well. I know how hard it is for an international to get into a US med school and IU is not a bad school either. I hope you get your visa status figured out soon.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Your case is more the exception. Your father was likely able to claim you as a dependent before you turned 18 and hence the process was fairly quick. I too was claimed as a dependent, but after I turned 18 and it took nearly a decade for my green card to be approved.

Even if the OPs parents are Americans (which they are likely not), and they filed today, he would be applying for residencies before he got the green card via the suggested route. Once you are over 18, this is the slowest route to take.

OP... start scoping out members of the opposite sex in med school... you have 4 years... this is probably the best way to make your life easier. Otherwise, see my other post with your other options.

I am actually an international who was able to fetch a greencard by my second year of college, albeit I got it as a dependent of my father. GC definitely helped me in getting into med school... I know getting a greencard is hard, but having a MD degree will make it much easier to get GC since handing out GC mainly depends on your credential as a contributor to the US. So it might be not possible to get GC before graduating MD, it is wise to start the process right now.

 

[Practitioner]

OP... start scoping out members of the opposite sex in med school... you have 4 years... this is probably the best way to make your life easier.

Yep. So many people do this. In my culture/country (sort of arranged marriages) this is practically sought after as a prerequisite for spouses. It's like "he may not be a great match for her, but at least he's a US citizen"...

The OP would be graduating from a United States educational institution, so s/he would automatically be allowed to work for 1 year (post-graduation) on their student F-1 visa through something called OPT (Optional Practical Training), without actually receiving a more permanent work visa like H-1B.

True. Good point. Forgot about that. Thanks!