obtaining license to practice anesthesia in US

[andrec]

Hello,

I'm an anesthesiologist from Denmark. I would be very grateful if someone could inform me if I could obtain an ABA certification and could practice in USA if I will complete a fellowship in cardiovascular anesthesia in Canada.

Thank you🙄

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[Precedex]

Pretty sure you have to start all over again.
Cheers!

 

[urge]

You have to do residency in the US.

 

[BLADEMDA]

Hello,

I'm an anesthesiologist from Denmark. I would be very grateful if someone could inform me if I could obtain an ABA certification and could practice in USA if I will complete a fellowship in cardiovascular anesthesia in Canada.

Thank you🙄

Contact Academic hospitals throughout the USA. Look for a hospital to sponsor you as a junior attending so that the ABA pathway for certification becomes an option. I know several in this pathway. This way you get paid a nice salary and function as an attending while completing the required time at an academic institution.

 

[BLADEMDA]

Internationally trained and certified anesthesiologists interested in using the alternate entry path must complete a total of 4 years of continuous experience in one anesthesiology department that commences on or after July 1, 2007. The ABA must prospectively approve the 4-year program planned for the international medical graduate. At the time the anesthesiology department enrolls the international medical graduate with the ABA, the department must have an ACGME-accredited anesthesiology residency or fellowship training program that has continued full accreditation and a review cycle of three years or more. [FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma][FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma]An anesthesiology department can have no more than two international medical graduates enrolled in the pilot program at one time. ..
[FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma][FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma]..[FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma][FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma]..
The chair of the anesthesiology department that sponsors the internationally certified anesthesiologist must submit to the ABA a 4-year plan, co-signed by the physician, for prospective approval by the ABA Credentials Committee.
[FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma][FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma]The ABA must receive the 4-year plan no later than 4 months before the department enrolls the internationally certified anesthesiologist with the ABA and the 4-year period of continuous experience commences. ..
[FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma][FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma]..[FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma][FONT=Tahoma,Tahoma]..
The experiences planned for the internationally certified anesthesiologist will consist of 4 years of fellowship training, research, or faculty experience, or combination thereof. During the 4-year period, these anesthesiologists shall demonstrate discovery of new knowledge in the specialty, excellence in teaching and excellence in clinical anesthesiology. The 4-year experience must be in the same institution in which the anesthesiology program resides. The 4-year plan should be specifically designed and identified for the candidate, including the anticipated research activity.

 

[pgg]

Contact Academic hospitals throughout the USA. Look for a hospital to sponsor you as a junior attending so that the ABA pathway for certification becomes an option. I know several in this pathway. This way you get paid a nice salary and function as an attending while completing the required time at an academic institution.

This is what I think the guys I mentioned in this thread were doing. They had trained in Europe, wanted to come to the US, but instead of starting at zero as residents, they did non-ACGME fellowships. More autonomy, more pay, and they got to do something more usefully academic than repeating residency.

 

[211498]

Check with ABA first for how long the alternate pathway program will continue. These positions are highly sought after especially by anesthesiologists from the UK and Germany. First of all you'll need the ECFMG certificate (take Step 1, Step 2CK and Step 2 CS). To bridge the gap until you have the ECFMG certificate you could do research for a year to publish some papers and to establish contacts in the US. Like already mentioned you'll have to do non-ACGME fellowships (two, better three) afterwards to be eligble for licensure, afterwards you'll work as a "junior attending" until you have completed the mandated four years.
Your fellowship in Canada will be beneficial in terms of "north american experience".


Good luck!

 

[BLADEMDA]

Check with ABA first for how long the alternate pathway program will continue. These positions are highly sought after especially by anesthesiologists from the UK and Germany. First of all you'll need the ECFMG certificate (take Step 1, Step 2CK and Step 2 CS). To bridge the gap until you have the ECFMG certificate you could do research for a year to publish some papers and to establish contacts in the US. Like already mentioned you'll have to do non-ACGME fellowships (two, better three) afterwards to be eligble for licensure, afterwards you'll work as a "junior attending" until you have completed the mandated four years.
Your fellowship in Canada will be beneficial in terms of "north american experience".


Good luck!

I have met more than one "junior attending" who took the ECFMG certificate in his own country then came to the USA. Then, one year as a fellow followed by 3 years of Junior attending status. This fulfills the ABA requirement. The sponsoring institution has a lot of leeway in how they handle alternate pathway.

I do not know the salary range of junior attending status but these guys took call and functioned as Staff.

 

[211498]

I have met more than one "junior attending" who took the ECFMG certificate in his own country then came to the USA. Then, one year as a fellow followed by 3 years of Junior attending status. This fulfills the ABA requirement. The sponsoring institution has a lot of leeway in how they handle alternate pathway.

Blade, of course you're right, one can take the exams anywhere. But I think that it makes sense to spend some time as a research fellow in the US to get in touch with anesthesiology faculty members.

Regarding the number of fellowships: I'd assume that you need to fullfill the requirements for the individual states regarding the number of US post graduation years, in order to get licensed. The only state with academic anesthesia instutituions that I know that only requires one year (i.e. one fellowship) would be Wisconsin.

 

[periopdoc]

You can also work in an academic institution without US certification. Lots of attendings at my training institution did this. Typically the pay for non-certified anesthesiologists is significantly lower than for those with certification.

- pod

 

[periopdoc]

The document that Blade took his quote from for the alternate pathway for international academic anesthesiologists.

ALTERNATE ENTRY PATH - INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

- pod

 

[BLADEMDA]

Blade, of course you're right, one can take the exams anywhere. But I think that it makes sense to spend some time as a research fellow in the US to get in touch with anesthesiology faculty members.

Regarding the number of fellowships: I'd assume that you need to fullfill the requirements for the individual states regarding the number of US post graduation years, in order to get licensed. The only state with academic anesthesia instutituions that I know that only requires one year (i.e. one fellowship) would be Wisconsin.

Most States require 2 years of GME for licensure (international graduates except Canada). Wisconsin requires 1 and North Carolina will accept one if CFPC, FRCP, FRCS