Is it really worth to be a doctor in USA?

[almondtree]

Hello everyone, I've been lurching around for a while and this is my first post, hope you can give me some guidance

I'm a MS4(out of 6) from latin america, studying at a solid local institution. I could match anything here at home, and lately I've been thinking about practicing in the USA, but is it really worth?

Even though I always admired your country efficiency, cleanliness and safety, and loved traveling there as a child, how are there prospects for IMG doctors? Would I be limited to a community hospital at an impoverished inner city or to rural residency? Are jobs, location and fellowship severely curbed just by not being an american graduate, as some people comment? I look forward for heme/onc, with maybe psychiatry as a backup, and practice in a 1mil+ metro, not just hospitalist in a undesirable place, suffering from prejudice and being looked down upon...

I currently have 1 paper and 1 poster (international, both onc), and 15 posters from here, but not just IM. Haven't done any steps so far, but top 25% of class, so I would expect to do well, even though not spectacular. Just starting rotations this fall and would be able to do 2 months in USA, that I know would help
And speaking about prejudice and racism, is it so real? Some people here tell I wouldn't have so much of a problem because I can pass as american white, have 1 non-spanish surname and don't have a strong accent, but I really don't know... we hear some horror stories here in the tropics, but in latin countries sometimes antiamericanism runs rampant, although I've always had a positive impression about americans...

Do any currently practising IMG had the same concern? Would I be able to match somewhere ok? Basically, is it worth the trouble?

Thank you very much!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[GastriqueGraffin]

Hello everyone, I've been lurching around for a while and this is my first post, hope you can give me some guidance

I'm a MS4(out of 6) from latin america, studying at a solid local institution. I could match anything here at home, and lately I've been thinking about practicing in the USA, but is it really worth?

Even though I always admired your country efficiency, cleanliness and safety, and loved traveling there as a child, how are there prospects for IMG doctors? Would I be limited to a community hospital at an impoverished inner city or to rural residency? Are jobs, location and fellowship severely curbed just by not being an american graduate, as some people comment? I look forward for heme/onc, with maybe psychiatry as a backup, and practice in a 1mil+ metro, not just hospitalist in a undesirable place, suffering from prejudice and being looked down upon...

I currently have 1 paper and 1 poster (international, both onc), and 15 posters from here, but not just IM. Haven't done any steps so far, but top 25% of class, so I would expect to do well, even though not spectacular. Just starting rotations this fall and would be able to do 2 months in USA, that I know would help
And speaking about prejudice and racism, is it so real? Some people here tell I wouldn't have so much of a problem because I can pass as american white, have 1 non-spanish surname and don't have a strong accent, but I really don't know... we hear some horror stories here in the tropics, but in latin countries sometimes antiamericanism runs rampant, although I've always had a positive impression about americans...

Do any currently practising IMG had the same concern? Would I be able to match somewhere ok? Basically, is it worth the trouble?

Thank you very much!

Both of those specialties are attainable for IMGs. You don’t have to be in an impoverished area. There are many immigrants and IMG physicians in the US and being able to speak Spanish (I assume) would be a great strength. If it’s something you’re interested in then go for it and if not or if steps don’t go well then it doesn’t sound like you’d be disappointed not coming either.

 

[mszzeta]

Hello everyone, I've been lurching around for a while and this is my first post, hope you can give me some guidance

I'm a MS4(out of 6) from latin america, studying at a solid local institution. I could match anything here at home, and lately I've been thinking about practicing in the USA, but is it really worth?

Even though I always admired your country efficiency, cleanliness and safety, and loved traveling there as a child, how are there prospects for IMG doctors? Would I be limited to a community hospital at an impoverished inner city or to rural residency? Are jobs, location and fellowship severely curbed just by not being an american graduate, as some people comment? I look forward for heme/onc, with maybe psychiatry as a backup, and practice in a 1mil+ metro, not just hospitalist in a undesirable place, suffering from prejudice and being looked down upon...

I currently have 1 paper and 1 poster (international, both onc), and 15 posters from here, but not just IM. Haven't done any steps so far, but top 25% of class, so I would expect to do well, even though not spectacular. Just starting rotations this fall and would be able to do 2 months in USA, that I know would help
And speaking about prejudice and racism, is it so real? Some people here tell I wouldn't have so much of a problem because I can pass as american white, have 1 non-spanish surname and don't have a strong accent, but I really don't know... we hear some horror stories here in the tropics, but in latin countries sometimes antiamericanism runs rampant, although I've always had a positive impression about americans...

Do any currently practising IMG had the same concern? Would I be able to match somewhere ok? Basically, is it worth the trouble?

Thank you very much!

This is a very interesting thread and I have personally thinking those issues for a long time.

It mainly depends what kind of life you want to leave. Earns lots of money? enjoy big city live?

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

You should look into the Latin American Observership program at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital in South Florida.

They take a bunch of IMGs every year and let them “try out” for residency slots in the IM residency.

 

[almondtree]

This is a very interesting thread and I have personally thinking those issues for a long time.

It mainly depends what kind of life you want to leave. Earns lots of money? enjoy big city live?

Well, money is certainly attractive and income would be higher, but not that much for me personally because I could earn a US middle class paycheck like from my family business and we have access to maids etc and some specific things that are pretty good.
In fact, I find very attractive in the USA the idea that you can go ahead and prosper no matter what, and the certainty to live in a safe and working environment. And living in a 3 world country has it's fair share of problems, cities look frequently decaying, with grafitti, no-go areas covering most of metros, homelessness, crime, lack of products, culture, entertainment.... just imagine that with 3k a month one qualifies to top 1%. And I don't like that I stand out in a crowd, like if you go to a touristic area and your fellow countrymen start offering things to you in english...
That's why I would rather live in a US metro if I had a choice, a city like Miami looks certainly so much better than anything down south. I could also go to Europe, because I am a EU citizen and there would be no need of so much bureaucracy to work there even doing residency here. But, by the other hand, one is never fully accepted and assimilated in the old world, what doesn't sounds confortable, EU has a completely different ethos and I would have a worse life than here, materially speaking

Have you had any similar dilemma? What do you think about that?

You should look into the Latin American Observership program at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital in South Florida.

They take a bunch of IMGs every year and let them “try out” for residency slots in the IM residency.

That is a very good idea, I will check it out!

Thanks everybody for answering and sorry for being late!