Query: INTERNATIONAL Universities Recognized in North America

[medWHAT]

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Hello Everybody,
This is my first post. I'm new to this forum, so I apologize in advance if this question has already been asked, but any guidance I can receive at the moment will be of great help. I am really stressed out about where I should go to get my m.d. Currently I'm a second year undergrad studying at U of T in Canada

S00 MY QUESTION IS THISSS: Is there a list of universities available which are situated outside of North America but which are recognized here (in the u.s. or canada)? For example, I know of a few Carribean universities, such as St.Georges University, that offer medical degrees which are recognized in the U.S.. Are there any other such universities, anywhere around the world ? (PARTICULARLY in the middle-east?)

Thank You

 

[ladyluck3]

i don't really have a response, but would simply like to say that i love the word "query." well done, mate. 👍

 

[Meatwad]

The US accepts medical degrees from like 95% of all medical schools in the world. Hell, they take grads of Saddam Hussein Medical School. Since you mentioned SGU, are you looking for med schools that try to recruit Americans with low grades/low MCAT? If that's the case, all the Caribbean schools do this.

If you have good grades, but are interested in a school outside the continental US, you can apply to the Puerto Rican schools. They are considered US medical schools, and you can't beat the location. You can also go to Israel, but you'll be an IMG (unlike a Puerto Rican grad).

 

[Meatwad]

Israel:

Ben-Gurion
Sackler
Technion

Lebanon:

American University of Beirut (I know nothing about this school, but I think they have an AOA chapter... weird, b/c only US, Canadian, and PR schools usually have chapters)

Bahrain:

Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in Bahrain (weird name, huh?)

 

[medWHAT]

thank you so muchh for taking the time to reply.
from what i've researched and heard, yes u can apply an m.d. from anywhere in the world and practise in the u.s. BUT for the majority of the degrees given outside of north america- you HAVE to write a series of tests before you can practise in canada/ u.s.... and i've heard these tests are really hard.

i heard that some universities, like st.georges, give out degrees that are automatically accepted in the u.s. (that is you don't have to go through the rigorous examinations- once you graduate and get your m.d. you are free to practise in the states, or at least in specific states).
If this is true, i was wondering what are some other universities where the m.d. is good enough to practise in the states, right after graduation?

 

[medWHAT]

or are the ones you've mentioned do in fact give out degrees that will automatically make one eligible to practise in the states?

thank you again for helping me out

 

[mindquick]

what if you don't have an MD at all? can you just take those same tests and practice medicine?

 

[KeyzerSoze]

or are the ones you've mentioned do in fact give out degrees that will automatically make one eligible to practise in the states?

thank you again for helping me out

The issue is not so much about being "eligible to practice" in the states; it's more a question of how easy/hard it is to get a residency in the states coming from one of the aforementioned schools.

 

[medWHAT]

nope...if you have an m.d. from north america, you don't need to take any tests. but if you have and m.d. from some other country which they don't recognize you have to take a series of tests ( i think 3) and if you pass then you can practise.

if you don't have an m.d. you can't just take those tests and practise=)

 

[Meatwad]

nope...if you have an m.d. from north america, you don't need to take any tests. but if you have and m.d. from some other country which they don't recognize you have to take a series of tests ( i think 3) and if you pass then you can practise.

if you don't have an m.d. you can't just take those tests and practise=)

No, this is not true. If you want to practice medicine in the US, you take Step 1, 2, and 3. US medical students take this as well.

They are very hard, yes, but there is no escape from them. Whether you go to Harvard or medical school in Somalia.

 

[medWHAT]

The issue is not so much about being "eligible to practice" in the states; it's more a question of how easy/hard it is to get a residency in the states coming from one of the aforementioned schools.

oh really?
ok so let me get this straight... if i get a degree from some over-seas university, i still hafta do residency in the states to practise there? as well as those tests?

and what if i have gotten my degree from a university, such as st. georges, which claims to give out degrees recognized by the states? In that case then, what does recognition hafta do with anything, if i still have to do the resideny and write the tests?

 

[medWHAT]

No, this is not true. If you want to practice medicine in the US, you take Step 1, 2, and 3. US medical students take this as well.

They are very hard, yes, but there is no escape from them. Whether you go to Harvard or medical school in Somalia.

really? so its mandatory anyways? ....joining this forum was deffinitely a good idea..i'm so lost..do u guys know if this is true for canada as well? if after i get my m.d. from a CANADIAN university, do i still have to write regulated tests?

 

[Meatwad]

oh really?
ok so let me get this straight... if i get a degree from some over-seas university, i still hafta do residency in the states to practise there? as well as those tests?

and what if i have gotten my degree from a university, such as st. georges, which claims to give out degrees recognized by the states? In that case then, what does recognition hafta do with anything, if i still have to do the resideny and write the tests?

Because you don't learn how to be a doctor in med school; you learn in residency. How do you think one person becomes a dermatologist, and one becomes a plastic surgeon? Do you think every student learns every specialty in med school? Once you learn the basics (4 years of med school), you must do a residency and learn your specialty (radiology, pathology, family medicine, anesthesiology, surgery, etc etc).

You need a residency to practice probably anywhere in the US. You must complete a residency in the US if you want to practice here.

 

[Meatwad]

really? so its mandatory anyways? ....joining this forum was deffinitely a good idea..i'm so lost..do u guys know if this is true for canada as well? if after i get my m.d. from a CANADIAN university, do i still have to write regulated tests?

If you want to practice in the US, yes. These scores from the exams determine what specialty residency you get into, in a way. If you don't score well, and you are a foreign graduate, you basically have .1% at getting certain specialties (plastic surgery, dermatology, etc.)

It is like the MCAT, in a way; as objective a way of possible of testing your knowledge (however it is 1,000,000 times more in-depth than any pre-med standardized test, of course).

 

[mindquick]

If you want to practice medicine in the US, you take Step 1, 2, and 3. US medical students take this as well.

so say i change my mind and decide not to go to med school. can i just take the Step 1,2,3 and then go to residency, skipping med school?

 

[medWHAT]

makes sense..i was under the impression that its ok if i've completed my residency in a different county, as long as i give the tests in the u.s.?

does anyone know if this applies to canada too? if i complete my m.d. at an asian university or something, do i have to come to canada, and , like mentioned above, get a residency position IN canada? as well as writing some examination?

 

[Meatwad]

I don't know much about Canada, but I'd imagine the system there is quite similar to the US. I believe a US residency is recognized in Canada, although I'm not sure if it works vice-versa.

 

[medWHAT]

oh ok...

a questin about something keyzore first mentioned:

on what basis do u.s. institutions decide if an international student is elegible for residency? what is the criteria they consider? is THAT the reason why the step 1,2, and 3 need to be written- those who pass are elegible for residency?

 

[Meatwad]

oh ok...

a questin about something keyzore first mentioned:

on what basis do u.s. institutions decide if an international student is elegible for residency? what is the criteria they consider? is THAT the reason why the step 1,2, and 3 need to be written- those who pass are elegible for residency?

Correct, those who pass are elgibile for residency. No pre-med, or even med students, can give you a 100% accurate answer to what they look for. If you are not a US citizen, it will be tougher to get a residency. However, if you go to a school that has a proven track-record for producing good doctors (Israeli schools, SGU) your strongest application points would be:

1) Step 1 scores, and maybe Step 2 if you didn't do so well on Step 1
2) Letters of reccomendation (should be from US doctors, since they won't give much mind to foreign doctors' letters)
3) Personality; if you aren't sociable or likeable, they won't want to bring you into their team

Once again, these are just outside observations; only program directors (those who "hire," you to become a resident at their hospital) know exactly what they look for, and what they consider most and least important.

 

[Shells]

Ok guys.........its seems like there is some confusion here. Meatwad, you are right in most cases, however, you not just need to pass the USMLE (step 1, 2, 3), but also do really well as an IMG (international medical graduate). You need to get a degree from a university that is at least listed in WHO to be eligible for residency. The system is similiar in Canada. In Canada, you need to write the MCCQE 1,2,and 3. I believe you should write 1 and 2 before residency. However, getting residency into Canada is extremely difficult. So, if you decide to leave Canada, you pretty much have to accept that you might not get a residency in Canada. The MD notation comes in AFTER your residency in North America. The MD is emphasised differently in different parts of the world. For example, MBBS from the British system or MBBCH is the SAME AS MD in North America. But in the British system, the MD means research after becoming a doctor. The point is, whether you get an MBBS, MD, MBBCH, its all the same. The MD is noted after your residency in North America, irrespective of whether you receive an MBBS in school. Hope this helps.