Moving to Mexico for Residency and Beyond

[KeepOnGoing]

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I'm a 2nd year med student at a U.S. school. I've got a health condition that for reasons I don't understand is less active when I'm in Mexico. So I'm considering the option of moving there for my residency and subsequent career. Does anyone know if it is possible to apply for residencies in Mexico with a U.S. medical degree? I know that the reverse occurs...Also, would my USMLE tests have any significance or are there other tests I should take?

Thanks 🙂

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm a 2nd year med student at a U.S. school. I've got a health condition that for reasons I don't understand is less active when I'm in Mexico. So I'm considering the option of moving there for my residency and subsequent career. Does anyone know if it is possible to apply for residencies in Mexico with a U.S. medical degree? I know that the reverse occurs...Also, would my USMLE tests have any significance or are there other tests I should take?

Thanks 🙂

Every nation has it's own licensing requirements, so the USMLE would be irrelevant. I would assume that the demand for physicians in Mexico is robust, so I would think it wouldn't be that hard to line something up. But I can't imagine a health condition that is less active in mexico than in say, southern Texas.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Consider South Texas, Arizona, southeast California, southern Nevada, and certain parts of Utah and New Mexico. Climate is similar to Mexico and your income potential won't be negatively effected. (Also many of these areas aren't too expensive to live in relative to other parts of America...an added plus).

 

[KeepOnGoing]

Every nation has it's own licensing requirements, so the USMLE would be irrelevant. I would assume that the demand for physicians in Mexico is robust, so I would think it wouldn't be that hard to line something up. But I can't imagine a health condition that is less active in mexico than in say, southern Texas.

Firstly, how does one go about "lining something up" like that?

Second, I suspect that it's the germs in Mexico, not the climate per se. The area in Mexico I was in was actually quite rainy. Also, I've been to Southern Cali and that wasn't the trick.

 

[Law2Doc]

Second, I suspect that it's the germs in Mexico, not the climate per se. The area in Mexico I was in was actually quite rainy. Also, I've been to Southern Cali and that wasn't the trick.

No idea how you'd line such a thing up -- you may want to pick the brain of folks on the international boards. Nobody on the allo board ever really goes from the US to central america for residency, but I have no doubt it could be done, based on the international demand for physicians.

But I'm not buying your "change of germs" argument. I could see that aggravating a condition, but not making it better.

 

[KeepOnGoing]

But I'm not buying your "change of germs" argument. I could see that aggravating a condition, but not making it better.[/quote]


No offense, but your profile describes you as a medical student, not an expert on immunology. I'll take your legal and administrative advice but beyond that I suggest you stick with what you know.

 

[Law2Doc]

"But I'm not buying your "change of germs" argument. I could see that aggravating a condition, but not making it better."


No offense, but your profile describes you as a medical student, not an expert on immunology. I'll take your legal and administrative advice but beyond that I suggest you stick with what you know.

I do know that doctors aren't typically telling folks from the US to move to Mexico as a treatment. I have seen folks move to warmer climates or more arrid climates for illnesses, but we have locations like that in this country, and I've yet to come across folks moving because of better germs. If you want to enlighten us with your ailment, I'd be happy to read what the literature says about it -- I'm always happy to educate myself on new and unusual illnesses.

 

[KeepOnGoing]

I do know that doctors aren't typically telling folks from the US to move to Mexico as a treatment. I have seen folks move to warmer climates or more arrid climates for illnesses, but we have locations like that in this country, and I've yet to come across folks moving because of better germs. If you want to enlighten us with your ailment, I'd be happy to read what the literature says about it -- I'm always happy to educate myself on new and unusual illnesses.

Crohn's Disease. It's not that new and it's not that unusual and not everyone responds to the new wonderful anti-TNF drugs. As you can imagine, micro-organisms and other antigens are highly relevant. It's a complicated disease and there are many factors involved, including gut flora, diet, and autoimmunity. Have there been studies analyzing the effects of moving to Mexico? I doubt it. Does that mean that it is invalid? Who would fund such a study anyway? What do you use for controls? How do you tease out all the various confounders? Is it safe to send someone on immunosuppresants to a developing country?
Doctors write prescriptions, of course they don't recommend moving to different countries.

 

[Doodledog]

http://www.cifrhs.org.mx/contenidos...macion_general/capitulo_IV/capituloIV_p1.html

Hopefully this link will work for you. It appears that you must take and pass (with a good score) a national exam for direct entry into a residency in Mexico. A quick Google search using "Medicos" "Extranjeros" "Mexico" and the like found a range of opportunities at different Mexican schools and hospitals.

One question I am not sure about is whether you would be required to do a year of public service in Mexico either before or after a residency. This is required for Mexican medical school graduates and is common in Latin America. It does not appear so, but, depending on your long-term residency plans, it could be mandatory. Clearly, you would need to discuss this in advance with whatever hospital you were considering.

Many of the medical schools and hospitals in Mexico have websites for questions such as yours. Although as noted, it would be uncommon for a US non-dual citizen to do residency in Mexico, it is not uncommon for graduates of medical schools in other Latin American countries to do a residency there, so procedures are in place.

Good luck.

 

[KeepOnGoing]

amazing

thanks!

 

[Law2Doc]

Doctors write prescriptions, of course they don't recommend moving to different countries.

Doctors suggest that which is evidence based. That may involve prescriptions, it may not. You may want to consider taking a leave of absence and moving there for a shorter term to make sure your hypothesis is correct before starting down a longer residency track and effectively creating hurdles for getting a residency in the US if you change your mind, or if the benefit is short lived.

 

[OrnotMajestic]

Actually, we learned that there are certain helminiths and nematodes that when inhabiting humans with Crohn's disease actually DECREASES the flare ups and improves overall conditions more than anti-TNF drugs. It has something to do with a shift of response from Th1 to Th2 reducing granulatomous response. If I could find the study, I'd post it. Might want to do a search.

Anyways, my point is that the OP probably has a point, as many of those parasites tend to be in third-world areas as opposed to the US. Maybe a little bit of parasites improves his/her condition?

Anyways, OP, good luck!

EDIT:
http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/full/14/12/1848

Not the study I'm looking for, but along similar lines.

 

[Law2Doc]

Anyways, my point is that the OP probably has a point, as many of those parasites tend to be in third-world areas as opposed to the US. Maybe a little bit of parasites improves his/her condition?

I'd still probably recommend spending a year down there (sort of an extended away rotation) before I'd commit to moving, lining up a residency etc. That should give OP a better idea as to whether this is a long-term fix. A quick Google search suggests that there are folks living in Mexico who still suffer from Crohn's.

 

[OrnotMajestic]

I'd still probably recommend spending a year down there (sort of an extended away rotation) before I'd commit to moving, lining up a residency etc. That should give OP a better idea as to whether this is a long-term fix. A quick Google search suggests that there are folks living in Mexico who still suffer from Crohn's.

Oh, no doubt. I'm just laying a foundation of truth to the OP's claim that their condition improves down there, and suggesting a possibility. I wouldn't up and move either, but then again, I don't have Crohn's. I've heard it's miserable, so if I found a place where I felt improved, I'd stay too!

While there are people with Crohn's in Mexico, let's not forget that people are not built to structure around textbooks in response. Not all people respond the same ways to medications/treatments.

 

[KeepOnGoing]

Oh, no doubt. I'm just laying a foundation of truth to the OP's claim that their condition improves down there, and suggesting a possibility. I wouldn't up and move either, but then again, I don't have Crohn's. I've heard it's miserable, so if I found a place where I felt improved, I'd stay too!

While there are people with Crohn's in Mexico, let's not forget that people are not built to structure around textbooks in response. Not all people respond the same ways to medications/treatments.

Much appreciated, friend

 

[KeepOnGoing]

why is this person so belligerent

 

[Rogue Synapse]

I don't think I'd call his attitude belligerent. He's just providing his perspective. I hope you are able to find a way to practice medicine and have a healthy life, whatever your condition is.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

How's your Spanish?

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I have found that I am usually drunk when I am in Mexico. That is all I really have to add.

 

[Blade28]

Doctors suggest that which is evidence based. That may involve prescriptions, it may not. You may want to consider taking a leave of absence and moving there for a shorter term to make sure your hypothesis is correct before starting down a longer residency track and effectively creating hurdles for getting a residency in the US if you change your mind, or if the benefit is short lived.

That's very sound advice. 👍

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Outside of the helminths and hygeine hypothesis stuff (which I believe in) we may also be seeing some Neuro/Psych/Immuno interplay going on here. I've only had a couple lectures on this, but I know there's a lot more interplay here then we used to realize. And it's not just "If you're stressed, you get sicker more often".

I don't have Inflamatory Bowel Disease, but I have some friends who do. And while they would get flares out of nowhere, often times they could correlate their disease progression with what was going on in their life. I had a friend who was diagnosed with Crohn Disease in college who really deteriorated any time he tried to push himself too hard with classes.

It may be the OP is more comfortable, relaxed in Mexico and that helps his disease.