Some residencies require 12 months US experience. How can i get it?

[jaketheory]

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Hi,
Getting Australian permanent residency visa this year and applying to Aussie schools next year. Pretty sure i'll be pursuing IM, though I know it's early. Wanting to leave my options open as far as working in the US later in life so I've been researching IM residencies.

I've found a fair amount require 12 full months US clinical experience. I go to their "current residents" link and find there are residents from European and Asian medical schools. I know carribean schools have you do the clinical years in US, but no way European/Asian schools would allow you to do a whole year overseas. So how would i go about getting 12 months experience? Prelim or transitional year somewhere else first? If so, would i get to go into 2nd year or would i have to repeat internship? One of the same residencies that requires 12 months for FMG's seperate criteria for locals, FMG's and then those applying for 2nd year or beyond. Thus i'm confused. Cuz if i've already done first year, why would i want to repeat it? And if locals can go straight into 2nd year, why can't FMG's?

Please help me understand this.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Hi,

I've found a fair amount require 12 full months US clinical experience. I go to their "current residents" link and find there are residents from European and Asian medical schools. I know carribean schools have you do the clinical years in US, but no way European/Asian schools would allow you to do a whole year overseas. So how would i go about getting 12 months experience?

You can't. As you note, most schools (outside of those in which two years in the states is part of the curriculum) would not allow you to spend so much time here.

Thus, you have to ask - is this a REAL requirement or a ploy to get fewer FMGs to apply? You can always ask the program or some of the current residents.

Prelim or transitional year somewhere else first? If so, would i get to go into 2nd year or would i have to repeat internship?

Perhaps (prelim year elsewhere. TY are very competitive, so unlikely a match.) You may match into their second year, or they may require you to repeat 1st year. This is on an individual basis, there is no overarching rules about this.

One of the same residencies that requires 12 months for FMG's seperate criteria for locals, FMG's and then those applying for 2nd year or beyond. Thus i'm confused. Cuz if i've already done first year, why would i want to repeat it?

You wouldn't. No one wants to repeat internship. However, programs are under no obligation to offer you any position if you haven't met their pre-requisites. Some programs will not offer a PGY-1 position to someone who's already done one because of limits on Medicare funding.

Perhaps you could provide a link to one of these programs and I can take a look and see if I can clarify it for you.

And if locals can go straight into 2nd year, why can't FMG's?

No "local" can go straight into 2nd year without completing an internship.

 

[jaketheory]

No "local" can go straight into 2nd year without completing an internship.

didn't mean skip the internship entirely. i meant that they can apply for 2nd year having already done first year. like someone applying to uni as a transfer student rather than as a freshman.

 

[jaketheory]

Perhaps you could provide a link to one of these programs and I can take a look and see if I can clarify it for you.

http://clinicaldepartments.musc.edu/medicine/education/residency/apply.htm

there are plenty others as well.

For this program, you'll notice there are seperate links for FMG applicants and PG2 and above applicants even though 12 months of US experience is required for FMG applicants. If i've already done internship, I'd obviously want to go straight into PG2 rather than repeat internship.

They have grads from schools in Ireland, India, and Serbia as current residents. I've emailed the program about how this requirement can be met but they haven't responded.

thanks for your comments kimberly. much appreciated. cheers.

 

[Winged Scapula]

didn't mean skip the internship entirely. i meant that they can apply for 2nd year having already done first year. like someone applying to uni as a transfer student rather than as a freshman.

I didn't see any restrictions to FMGs from applying for PGY-2 positions. It is rather unusual to have such extensive information about applying for an advanced position which makes me believe that they must have a fair bit of attrition or either are funded for more positions than they regularly fill. Many programs will have an opening in PGY-2 but to have a formal application process outlined on the website? Makes you wonder why they have so many positions open.

http://clinicaldepartments.musc.edu/medicine/education/residency/apply.htm

This program appears to set aside many roadblocks to FMGs. You'll note that there are no foreign grads in their PGY-1 year and only 1 per year in the advanced years. This leads me to believe that these residents either did a Prelim year there or elsewhere and one per year was taken into the categorical program, having had a full 12 months of USCE.

In addition, I see they list a USMLE score of 250 as the minimum required for FMGs. That is laughable for IM at a middling program. The average USMLE score for IM is nowhere near that and there is nothing special about MUSC. I'm sure its a nice program but 250 (scores seen in Derm, Plastics, Ortho, etc.) seems to be designed to limit the number of applications from FMGs.

If i've already done internship, I'd obviously want to go straight into PG2 rather than repeat internship.

That would be reasonable. As I noted above, I'll bet the foreign grads they have did Prelim medicine years, applied for PGY-2 and got a position. There are plenty of medicine programs that do not set ridiculous restrictions on FMGs and are still great places to train. I'm sure you've just happened to find some that are trying to limit the number of applicants they get. Which, BTW, are not always hard rules. I did rotations as a student from Oz at several places that "DON'T" take FMGs. Depends on who you ask and where you're from, IMHO.🙄