Residency and/or Practicing in France: Out of my league?

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mdavey

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Hi All,

I will be starting medical school next fall at a top US medical school (I have been accepted to UCSD thus far).

I took four years of french in high school and since I have been to France 3 times. I have absolutely fallen in love with the country, culture, language, everything.

Assuming that I could gain fluency in the next 5 years, do you think it would be possible to gain a residency position in France. Would you suggest that I do my residency in the US and then try to practice in France so I could come back to the US if I wanted to.

Thank you so much for the info.

Matt
 
you sound like me. I wish I had some advice to offer.
 
1) Living in France is NOTHING like visiting it 3 times. I say this as an American who picked up and moved to Italy after college.

2) This link pretty much has all the info you need.
 
Thanks. From that link it looks like France is not open to FMGs unless you have trained and worked at another EU center OR are a French citizen. I give up. 🙁

"International physicians that finished the residency in France are not allowded to work as one here.
In order to be alowded to work as physician in France you need to:
• posses French nationality, Andorran citizenship or of other UE country member, Tunisian or Morroco one;
• be entitled with a medical degree isued in France or form another UE country, which is included on the list established by the UE regulations, or any other degree obtained in a university of a UE country (being the studies started before December 20, 1976) coming together with a certificate that states that the person in case had worked as a physician for at least 3 consecutive years, or for 5 years after graduate;
• register at the "tableau de l'Ordre de Medicins Français", if they cope with the first 2 points.

If international physicians do not have the right to work in France (see the previous 3 points) and still want to do so, they have to register as first year medical students (under the conditions requiered by the regulation for the registration in this year of university studies). If they are accepted, then, they can obtain a "dispense de la scolarité" for the following years until the fifth (inclusive). For this hey have to pass a verification exam corresponding to these study years.

After completing all this process, the international physician has to do the third cycle after which he can get the French degree of Doctor in Medicine. All this process being ended, if he posses the nationality as previously stated, he can registed for the "tableau d'Ordre."
 
While not French, or living in France, in EU there is a obligatory equivalence of education by member states. This can work in your advantage. You may register in the UK (GMC) and after that France is obliged to recognize your education.


Best of luck
Francisco
 
So, If I validate my degree in Spain, can I work as an MD in france?

thanks

andrea
 
Hi every one glad to hear that some americans like france specially the people that's a surprise!! we are not famous for our hospitality.
You can totaly work as a foreign trained MD in france but as a resident only!(so you work a lot for very very few money!!!)
the thing is, in order to work in france as an atending you have to do the first year and get into the numerus closus.
Then you do the last year and you pass the ECN then you cann do your resisency as any other med student and then you cann work in france no probleme!
So after you get your MD in the states it takes you to more years before residency in france.
Good luck to you
 
Apart from French Red Tape, remember that you'll probably be carrying around a big chunk of debt when you graduate from UCSD. It'll be mightily difficult to service that debt, even post-residency, on what Attendings make in France. Also, remember that if you decide to go back to the US, you'll have to start from scratch as PGY-1 in a US residency. Even if you've worked as an Attending for 20 yrs in France.
 
Does anyone know anything about working at the American Hospital? Does it carry all of the same stipulations as described above? Any information would be fantastic. Planning on the MICEFA program my 3rd year. Anyone done work about through this program? Any advice? Thanks a lot!
 
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