Phd after MD

[namenick]

I'm a 4th year medical student in Hungary, I want to do my residency in the US, but as I know how hard to get into a good program I've been thinking about doing Phd before residency. Because brain researching interest me and maybe I'd have more chance for a good program with a Phd than without it.
Do you know anybody who followed the same strategy? Just because about five years beetween medical school and residency seems a little long time, but on the other hand I'd have some more experiences about neuroscience which would be a good point at he application. (In Hungary you first go to medical university, then you can choose phd or residency, it's a little different than in the US)
Can I pass USMLE exams years before residency application?
Thank you very much for the answers,

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[QofQuimica]

I'm a 4th year medical student in Hungary, I want to do my residency in the US, but as I know how hard to get into a good program I've been thinking about doing Phd before residency. Because brain researching interest me and maybe I'd have more chance for a good program with a Phd than without it.
Do you know anybody who followed the same strategy? Just because about five years beetween medical school and residency seems a little long time, but on the other hand I'd have some more experiences about neuroscience which would be a good point at he application. (In Hungary you first go to medical university, then you can choose phd or residency, it's a little different than in the US)
Can I pass USMLE exams years before residency application?
Thank you very much for the answers,

Isten hozott.

I honestly don't know how helpful getting a PhD will be for you, but it's probably not necessary unless you really want to do it. I am pretty sure that you will be required to at least pass Steps 1 and 2 of the USMLE before you can become a resident in this country. This is what American students are expected to do before we start residency. We generally take Step 1 after our second year of medical school, and Step 2 after our third year. Step 3 is taken during residency.

You may want to try the European forum for more info.

 

[GWD]

namenick... your post is already dear to my heart with all of your broken English

This is one of the first things you want to address.. you're gonna have to speak English fluently to be able to succeed in an American environment (well not really, if you are a wunderken in the clinic, you might have a chance.. but for the most part you are gonna have to be able to communicate with US physicians more effectively).

We have a post-doctoral fellow in our lab... got her MD in Szeged, and her PhD in Pisa, Italy... an incredible microsurgeon and you will see her work coming out in Transplant very soon.

I mentioned this post to her, and she said in her particular situation, she got her PhD following her MD because she was interested in practicing science, not for a "political" advantage in attempting practice in the US.

Personally, I think she could competively do a US residency in surgery if she tried, and as it stands she transplants non-human primates and is doing heart Tx on MICE! This is a fine hand even most US general surgery residents couldn't pull off.

I'll try to put you in touch with her, but you're definately gonna have to work on your English speaking skills if you want to do a residency in the US. Honestly, you will never achieve a residency in the US until your English skills improve.