residency programs in europe

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drcure

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frenz..
I am a medical graduate from India .I did my MBBS from nepal,tribhuvan university.
I like to know whether there is any residency program available for an FMG in europe without writing PLAB.
please help....

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First of all, the PLAB only applies for England (I don't know about the rest of UK). Secondly, every European country has an exam of it's own and it's quite similar in terms of difficutly (but the structure of the exam will obviously vary). Thirdly, in order for you to try for a residency pogram from a European country, you will definitely need to have a very good command of the language (and this is shown by doing really well on the language proficiency exam for that specific country). Language is the foremost requirement as you will be required to communicated with patients on a daily basis.
 
Hi! What about Sweden? What one from a EU-country must do in order to be eligible for the residency exam in Sweden? Does anyone know something about this country's medical training programs? If anyone does, can u please help me find out more?
 
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It's pretty much the same procedure except for the fact that you won't have any visa problems or any medical equivalency problems as you have a degree from a EU recognized country (hence it follows the ECTS standards). You still have to have a good command of the language in order to be able to work there as you will be required to communicate in Swedish with the patients on a daily basis.

You will also be given a higher priority as opposed to the other international graduates (from a non EU country).
 
With the language and exams aside, how competitive is it generally to get into a residency program? Are there certain competitive and non-competitive specialties?
 
Thank you, Shreypete! So, let me see if i get this right: after i obtain my medical license in my country , I'll be eligible for taking the AT exam in Sweden immediately after that, or must i do that 18- month internship first?
 
Yes once you fulfill the language requirement, you should directly be eligible to take the AT exam.

Regarding employment, it is quite competitive to get into big cities (Stockholm, Gotebork, Uppsala) but for EU citizens, it shouldn't really be a problem. Swedish graduates are first preferred followed by EU graduates and then the international graduates. Nowadays, most of the Swedish doctors are moving to Norway for better working conditions and pay (not that the Swedish pay and working conditions are any bad but Norway offers higher salaries for doctors and specialists). So I wouldn't be surprised if you got into a competitive specialty you hoped for (or not).....that being said, do not certainly underestimate the difficulty of the whole process.

Good luck!!!
 
What are the "competitive" specialties? Are they the same as in the states, ie ENT, Radiology, Ophthalmology..etc?
 
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More or less yes but some of the American specialties aren't as hard to get in Europe. Dermatology for example is quite competitive but not like that in the States. Surgery (and its branches), radiology, anaethesiology, ENT are very very competitive.
 
So the typical question would probably be: what are the chances for a non-EU med graduate to get into a competitive speciality regardless of location?

Also, is there a matching system or you smilply apply to each hospital individually?

Thanks!
 
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The chances are quite meager but still possible considering the graduate has an impressive CV (research, internships, obersverships etc.) You can also do a semester of electives in Sweden which will definitely attract the attention of the Swedish board of doctors. Some of these electives are offered in English and some in Swedish. If you choose an elective in English (and it's still free to study in Sweden), you can learn Swedish simultaneously by enrolling in one of their intensive Swedish language program for those in the medical field.
 
Hi, guys! Sorry to bother you again, but i do have another question about this AT exam (sorry, but i just can't seem to understand what it is about :)). After taking it you get the medical license to practice? and after that you can enter a residency program of your choice (just by applying to one) or another exam is required? I'm asking this because in my country we have to take a license exam first, then a residency exam and after that...well, all sort or exams...!
 
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Y Thanks
 
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More or less yes but some of the American specialties aren't as hard to get in Europe. Dermatology for example is quite competitive but not like that in the States. Surgery (and its branches), radiology, anaethesiology, ENT are very very competitive.

You mean in Sweden, right?
Because Derm is top competitive in other EU countries (Spain, Italy to name two), while radiology and gas are fairly open access.
Anyway europe is not a single entity like the States, anyone who's interested in having precise info about this should consider googling the net for national student forums (if you know the language,that is...).
 
Yes, I should have restated that more clearly. I was specifically referring to the Scandinavian and a few Western European countries (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium etc.) You're right in saying that Europe is not a single entity. Each country has its own set of rules and regulations (which are in turn regulated by the EU).
 
The chances are quite meager but still possible considering the graduate has an impressive CV (research, internships, obersverships etc.) You can also do a semester of electives in Sweden which will definitely attract the attention of the Swedish board of doctors. Some of these electives are offered in English and some in Swedish. If you choose an elective in English (and it's still free to study in Sweden), you can learn Swedish simultaneously by enrolling in one of their intensive Swedish language program for those in the medical field.

hi
i m interested is sweden surgery residency.but i hav all the negatives
i hav non eu degree (russian m.d)
i dont knw any lang except english n russ
i hav just completing my degree this tear so no experience,research n all goodies.

i hav heard frm u in one blog tht i can apply for elective n get some neg into poss!
my ques r......
is it free in eng language?
where to apply?
each hospital individually to appply?
elective r avaijable in which form?wht is elective actually??
recognistion of my degree n all!!!

it will be gr8 help'

thank u a lot in advance....please guide me
 
Hey there pp007, first of all, I couldn't understand half the stuff you wrote ("neg into poss")....please do try writing out the entire word (because we are not texting each other;))

Now secondly regarding electives, you don't apply to the hospital. You have to apply to the university that you're interested in and then you do "rotations" in a hospital for the elective you applied. You can also choose the electives according to your wish but not all electives are allowed for international students (only some are). For this, you have to go to the individual university website, and see which electives are available for international students.

I don't know what you mean by saying "recognition of my degree n all"....as in I don't know if that was a question. If it was a question, then basically no...Non-EU degree holders should get their degree recognized by the medical council/board who will assess the degree in several ways. You will further have to take an exam (in all the medical subjects) in order to qualify for a surgery residency/apprenticeship program.

If you're very sure that you want to do an elective in Sweden, then you can actually take Swedish language classes simultaneously (the university will help you to arrange them) and you can continue staying there until the language program is over. The entire process of applying for a surgery program only starts after you've acquired a very good command of Swedish.
 
HI shreypete thanks reply
sorry the message was as confused as im :)

wat r electives? r they really good.
by negatives is meant i dont hav any practise and certificates to show,will i be excepted for surgery.!

which language is earier to learn from all eu languages.....by tht i can decide to go to? swedish or else?


can u give me websites of universities? can they be in english?

thanks,
prajwwal
 
You see getting into any European residency program can be quite hard especially for students who aren't EU citizens or EU medical grads. That being said, many people are still getting in.

The following countries are accepting a lot of international graduates (but it's still hard to get in):
Germany
Sweden
Norway
Denmark

I can't really rate the difficulty of these languages but in general Swedish and Norwegian aren't as tough as German (due to its complex grammar and syntax). But Norwegian can be a nightmare because it is basically a mixture of different dialects.

Regarding the websites, just google "Medical Universities in Germany" or the country of your choice and you can get the sites. Most of these do have some content in english (such as stuff on international electives and stuff) but they are mostly in their own language. Also a requirement is that you have to have a very good command of the language before you apply for a residency spot. And in many cases, you will be required to take language proficiency exams.

Electives are courses that you can do in another county during your medical education. But once you graduate from medical school, you can't really do these electives anymore. Many electives are offered in English but some do require you to know the language.
 
alright thanks a lot :)

i m looking for any options simpler
 
Well no option is simpler than the other. When discussing Europe and practicing here, everything becomes that hard because there will always be a language requirement which can be a huge barrier. So unless, you strongly motivated to work in that country, only then can you learn the language.

I can only recommend the US/Australia/New Zealand as English is their national language and that makes it 10x easier. Although their medical licensing exams are quite hard and lengthy and involve more than 1 or 2 steps (which means that this also requires lots of time for preparation).

Mind you, European countries also have an entrance exam but it's not standardized like say the USMLEs. It differs from hospital to hospital, or region to region etc. It will still cover the entire medical school portion although the formal of the test might be completely different from that of the traditional standardized exams (ie. USMLE, PLAB etc).
 
i m listening...................
 
Hello all
I am medical graduate from pakistan i did my mbbs 5 year course ... I will be moving to belgium early next year can anyone guide me through the steps which will help me get a residency in belgium n wat is eequired ... Thanku
 
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