UK Anaesthesia Training to US Residency

[dteszka]

Hello everyone!
I've been reading the Student Doctor Network on and off for years, and here I am finally actually posting something

I am a Core Trainee in Anaesthesia in the UK (entering CT2 (PGY4), after 2 years of Foundation training and 1 year of Anaesthetics) who graduated from a medical school in Poland in 2013. I was born in Canada but trained in Poland for a number of reasons, including that the majority of my family live there and I am a dual citizen, so let's not start a FMG debate please . I have my ECFMG certificate and have passed the MCCEE examination, as well as a few PG certificates in the UK. My North American clinical experience during medical school was limited to 2 weeks as an observer in Anesthesiology in Canada that I had to sort out myself during holidays. Due to the limitations we had on clerkship rotations, no one in our class was able to arrange any US or Canadian clinical experience as I recall. I suspect that because of this, a match was not to be via the CaRMS in 2013.

Here's my dilemma..
After more then 10 years away from home, I'm starting to feel desperately home-sick. I haven't been able to see my immediate family back in Canada that often over the years, and now that everyone is that much older and in poor health, I suddenly realize how important that being close to home is. I enjoy Anaesthesia, it has always been my goal and am extremely privileged to have this training post just outside London. That being said, training in the UK is at a minimum another 6-8 years to CCT (consultant level, 9-12 years total), which is a necessity if one is to attempt to move back to Canada as a specialist. Also, if anyone has been following the news in the UK for the past few months, for a variety of reasons including remuneration and working conditions, Junior Doctors (residents) are on strike here. It's as bad as a full walkout commencing later this month (not even emergency services proveded), and picketing in front of hospitals. I'd like to just get on with it and finish my training, but the prospect of so many years in such adverse conditions would probably break me. This, coupled with that longing to go home, and the unfortunately well established barriers to foreign trained doctors looking for residency in Canada, has led me to look into the US for further training.
Firstly, it would be much closer to home (at most a 5-6 hour flight, rather than a costly 10 hour transatlantic) and the credentials would allow me to move to Canada as a specialist (after Fellowship training, bringing the total to 5 years as required by the RCPSC). I have lived 15 minutes from the 49th parallel for most of my life, so I feel just as comfortable and at home in the US as I did in Canada, but have never felt that way in the UK (sorry my English friends!). In fact, I wouldn't mind settling with my family in the US Pacific Northwest, where I grew up just across the border.
A few colleagues over the years have moved to begin residency in America, and they uniformly tell me the working conditions are better than they were in England. The general consensus was that they feel much more involved in learning rather than service provision.

Considering I have my ECFMG, and plan to write Step 3 sometime this year, would it be reasonable to think I'd have a shot at Matching into an Anesthesiology residency in the United States? I realize that having no US clinical experience is not ideal, but would my general and specialty training completed in the UK count for something? References would be positive, as I have a fantastic working relationship with nearly everyone in our department, and support all the way up to the regional program director. I have a CV that matches my current grade, with an abundance of teaching experience, a few regional/international poster presentations, abstract publications, and a couple awards/commendations. My hobbies and pursuits outside of medicine also have been subject to interesting discussions during specialty training interviews (see my profile picture) which I hope present me as a well rounded applicant and generally pretty cool guy .

Your advice and constructive thoughts are greatly appreciated!

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[bashwell]

Hello everyone!
I've been reading the Student Doctor Network on and off for years, and here I am finally actually posting something

I am a Core Trainee in Anaesthesia in the UK (entering CT2 (PGY4), after 2 years of Foundation training and 1 year of Anaesthetics) who graduated from a medical school in Poland in 2013. I was born in Canada but trained in Poland for a number of reasons, including that the majority of my family live there and I am a dual citizen, so let's not start a FMG debate please . I have my ECFMG certificate and have passed the MCCEE examination, as well as a few PG certificates in the UK. My North American clinical experience during medical school was limited to 2 weeks as an observer in Anesthesiology in Canada that I had to sort out myself during holidays. Due to the limitations we had on clerkship rotations, no one in our class was able to arrange any US or Canadian clinical experience as I recall. I suspect that because of this, a match was not to be via the CaRMS in 2013.

Here's my dilemma..
After more then 10 years away from home, I'm starting to feel desperately home-sick. I haven't been able to see my immediate family back in Canada that often over the years, and now that everyone is that much older and in poor health, I suddenly realize how important that being close to home is. I enjoy Anaesthesia, it has always been my goal and am extremely privileged to have this training post just outside London. That being said, training in the UK is at a minimum another 6-8 years to CCT (consultant level, 9-12 years total), which is a necessity if one is to attempt to move back to Canada as a specialist. Also, if anyone has been following the news in the UK for the past few months, for a variety of reasons including remuneration and working conditions, Junior Doctors (residents) are on strike here. It's as bad as a full walkout commencing later this month (not even emergency services proveded), and picketing in front of hospitals. I'd like to just get on with it and finish my training, but the prospect of so many years in such adverse conditions would probably break me. This, coupled with that longing to go home, and the unfortunately well established barriers to foreign trained doctors looking for residency in Canada, has led me to look into the US for further training.
Firstly, it would be much closer to home (at most a 5-6 hour flight, rather than a costly 10 hour transatlantic) and the credentials would allow me to move to Canada as a specialist (after Fellowship training, bringing the total to 5 years as required by the RCPSC). I have lived 15 minutes from the 49th parallel for most of my life, so I feel just as comfortable and at home in the US as I did in Canada, but have never felt that way in the UK (sorry my English friends!). In fact, I wouldn't mind settling with my family in the US Pacific Northwest, where I grew up just across the border.
A few colleagues over the years have moved to begin residency in America, and they uniformly tell me the working conditions are better than they were in England. The general consensus was that they feel much more involved in learning rather than service provision.

Considering I have my ECFMG, and plan to write Step 3 sometime this year, would it be reasonable to think I'd have a shot at Matching into an Anesthesiology residency in the United States? I realize that having no US clinical experience is not ideal, but would my general and specialty training completed in the UK count for something? References would be positive, as I have a fantastic working relationship with nearly everyone in our department, and support all the way up to the regional program director. I have a CV that matches my current grade, with an abundance of teaching experience, a few regional/international poster presentations, abstract publications, and a couple awards/commendations. My hobbies and pursuits outside of medicine also have been subject to interesting discussions during specialty training interviews (see my profile picture) which I hope present me as a well rounded applicant and generally pretty cool guy .

Your advice and constructive thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Sorry OP, I have heard about this, and I've already seen UK physicians who have come over to Australia (where I am). As the Great Zs has said:

http://www.blog.greatzs.com/2016/04/what-happens-to-doctors-when-government.html

To try to answer your question, have you tried to network with people in the UK who might have contacts with anaesthesia depts in the US? I know someone from the UK who got his application looked at and eventually into anesthesiology that way, and he had only average Step 1 and 2 scores.

 

[DrZzZz]

Hello everyone!
I've been reading the Student Doctor Network on and off for years, and here I am finally actually posting something

I am a Core Trainee in Anaesthesia in the UK (entering CT2 (PGY4), after 2 years of Foundation training and 1 year of Anaesthetics) who graduated from a medical school in Poland in 2013. I was born in Canada but trained in Poland for a number of reasons, including that the majority of my family live there and I am a dual citizen, so let's not start a FMG debate please . I have my ECFMG certificate and have passed the MCCEE examination, as well as a few PG certificates in the UK. My North American clinical experience during medical school was limited to 2 weeks as an observer in Anesthesiology in Canada that I had to sort out myself during holidays. Due to the limitations we had on clerkship rotations, no one in our class was able to arrange any US or Canadian clinical experience as I recall. I suspect that because of this, a match was not to be via the CaRMS in 2013.

Here's my dilemma..
After more then 10 years away from home, I'm starting to feel desperately home-sick. I haven't been able to see my immediate family back in Canada that often over the years, and now that everyone is that much older and in poor health, I suddenly realize how important that being close to home is. I enjoy Anaesthesia, it has always been my goal and am extremely privileged to have this training post just outside London. That being said, training in the UK is at a minimum another 6-8 years to CCT (consultant level, 9-12 years total), which is a necessity if one is to attempt to move back to Canada as a specialist. Also, if anyone has been following the news in the UK for the past few months, for a variety of reasons including remuneration and working conditions, Junior Doctors (residents) are on strike here. It's as bad as a full walkout commencing later this month (not even emergency services proveded), and picketing in front of hospitals. I'd like to just get on with it and finish my training, but the prospect of so many years in such adverse conditions would probably break me. This, coupled with that longing to go home, and the unfortunately well established barriers to foreign trained doctors looking for residency in Canada, has led me to look into the US for further training.
Firstly, it would be much closer to home (at most a 5-6 hour flight, rather than a costly 10 hour transatlantic) and the credentials would allow me to move to Canada as a specialist (after Fellowship training, bringing the total to 5 years as required by the RCPSC). I have lived 15 minutes from the 49th parallel for most of my life, so I feel just as comfortable and at home in the US as I did in Canada, but have never felt that way in the UK (sorry my English friends!). In fact, I wouldn't mind settling with my family in the US Pacific Northwest, where I grew up just across the border.
A few colleagues over the years have moved to begin residency in America, and they uniformly tell me the working conditions are better than they were in England. The general consensus was that they feel much more involved in learning rather than service provision.

Considering I have my ECFMG, and plan to write Step 3 sometime this year, would it be reasonable to think I'd have a shot at Matching into an Anesthesiology residency in the United States? I realize that having no US clinical experience is not ideal, but would my general and specialty training completed in the UK count for something? References would be positive, as I have a fantastic working relationship with nearly everyone in our department, and support all the way up to the regional program director. I have a CV that matches my current grade, with an abundance of teaching experience, a few regional/international poster presentations, abstract publications, and a couple awards/commendations. My hobbies and pursuits outside of medicine also have been subject to interesting discussions during specialty training interviews (see my profile picture) which I hope present me as a well rounded applicant and generally pretty cool guy .

Your advice and constructive thoughts are greatly appreciated!

I know of a few residents who were in the midst of or even had completed their training in the UK and decided to come to the US despite having to re-do residency. They are all pretty happy with their decision thus far. It will probably be tough for you to get into a top-tier program, but if all you're concerned with is getting into A residency program in the US, it's far from impossible.

 

[Planktonmd]

I think you will have no problem matching in a good residency program here, but you probably will have to repeat your internship.
My advice: Do yourself a favor and plan for a career either in Europe or Canada!

 

[dteszka]

Thank you for your comments guys!

bashwell: Interesting article about our strike in the UK, I'm glad it mentions that we've walked out not only over pay (which is in fact a very small part of this conflict) but over the unreasonable expectations for a 24/7 service in an already overstretched and overrun NHS. I'd love to come down to Oz or NZ, but unfortunately training posts are a rarity now, especially for non Australasian graduates, and I would require the AMC examination (not another USMLE!!). I have met a few people over the years who have colleagues in America and Canada, but no one seems to have any ties to a residency program which is a shame. Hopefully someone will pick up my application and take a good look

DrZzZz: That's reassuring! It's nice to hear that others have succeeded with what I plan to do, as I haven't heard of any anaesthetists in our training program who have even considered the US for residency. I can only hope that I interview and match into a program as close to home as possible, but the overwhelming sentiment seems to be that the Pacific Northwest is not particularly IMG friendly.

Planktonmd: I suppose repeating the intern year will be a challenge, but potentially less daunting considering I've already done two years of a rotating internship in the UK. I'm more worried about not practicing any Anaesthesia for a year and how that will affect my skills and knowledge! Europe is quickly becoming uninviting for physicians (unless you learn Swedish/Norwegian and move to Scandinavia), so I'd rather practice back in North America where the profession still maintains some respect, even if it isn't close to what it was 25 years ago. Canada is home, and the ultimate goal, however the barriers in place for training posts for foreign doctors mean my training needs to be completed elsewhere.

 

[Happy doc05]

Hi all,
I am interested in getting into anaesthesia residency in us as well. I wonder anyone knows the chance of getting into one for foreign graduates who have a fee years of clinical experience?

 

[deleted697535]

You can get postgraduate electives mate where you will have equal rights as a resident here. Do one in ICU in Ontario someplace. You almost definitely won't get an anesthesia elective.

They take time to setup and money but are almost essential. Also take the nac osce. And try publish something somewhere in the UK. You've missed the boat for next year obviously so 2019 is your best bet

 

[AdmiralChz]

Hi all,
I am interested in getting into anaesthesia residency in us as well. I wonder anyone knows the chance of getting into one for foreign graduates who have a fee years of clinical experience?

Impossible to give much advice without more information. You’ll need to have taken the USMLE series (and done well) and be eligible visa-wise to come to the US for training.

We had a scattered few foreign grads who had partially completed or fully completed a foreign residency in our program and they tended to be excellent clinicians, in my opinion. But as US MD/DO schools continue to expand I think this will be a group of individuals who will be largely pushed out from training.