UK Medical student moving to US

[Scottish Medical Student]

Hey there! I am a UK medical student and my family have moved to the US. I am in my fourth year out of five and am starting the process of getting myself ready to apply for residency. Are there any others who have completed med school in the UK and moved to America and could give me any advice on taking Step 1 or even just the application process in general.

Thank you!

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[Medstart108]

Get First Aid for Step 1. Get UWorld Q Bank. Get BRS Physiology and Pathoma or Goljan.

I haven't written step 1 but I did do pre-clinical medicine in the UK so I do know that you will be lacking on a few things in the USMLE, particularly Microbiology, Stats, Immuno and Biochem. I would get Step 1 out of the way first, do your foundation years in the UK if you can, write the Step 2 during that time and apply for US residency after your foundation years. That way you can get registered in the UK and get some time to actually write your Steps.

 

[jtlc2345]

So I finished med school in 2010 and started IM residency in 2013. I did step 1 and 2CK the summer between 4th and 5th year - I found this helped as the exam format is the same and I felt that there was a large amount of overlap in terms of content. I then did step 2CS straight after finals. I used First Aid and USMLEWorld and studied solidly for 2-3 weeks prior to the exams. For me, I found that the epidemiology of infections in the US to be the only truly new knowledge that I had to learn, otherwise, we had covered pretty much everything else in at least some detail.

Jonathan

 

[UBC2014]

Get First Aid for Step 1. Get UWorld Q Bank. Get BRS Physiology and Pathoma or Goljan.

I haven't written step 1 but I did do pre-clinical medicine in the UK so I do know that you will be lacking on a few things in the USMLE, particularly Microbiology, Stats, Immuno and Biochem. I would get Step 1 out of the way first, do your foundation years in the UK if you can, write the Step 2 during that time and apply for US residency after your foundation years. That way you can get registered in the UK and get some time to actually write your Steps.

This.

Get Step 1 score and prosper. I know many UK medics who moved to the US for residency. Most of them also made a point to note that the Step exams were a pain, but it worked out for them - just cast a wide net in your preferred speciality.

Seems that most of them actually did some parts of foundation program in the UK first also, but that could be a) they didn't decide till later to go to the US, or b) needed time to prep the USMLE series to apply in the first place.

 

[Scottish Medical Student]

So I finished med school in 2010 and started IM residency in 2013. I did step 1 and 2CK the summer between 4th and 5th year - I found this helped as the exam format is the same and I felt that there was a large amount of overlap in terms of content. I then did step 2CS straight after finals. I used First Aid and USMLEWorld and studied solidly for 2-3 weeks prior to the exams. For me, I found that the epidemiology of infections in the US to be the only truly new knowledge that I had to learn, otherwise, we had covered pretty much everything else in at least some detail.

Jonathan

Hi Jonathan! Thanks so much for responding. I'm going to do step 1 this summer (in between 4th and 5th year) and was thinking just doing both parts of step 2 after I finish my finals and osce's in February of my 5th year. Although that gives me a one year gap between graduating and starting residency do to the timing of the application process. I was considering doing my first year of the foundation program and then if I match move to the US straight after. I've been wondering if there is any way to use that year to do an externship in the US in the specialty I want to practice in and that way gain more contacts as opposed to staying in the UK and doing foundation? Do you have any advice?

 

[jtlc2345]

I've been wondering if there is any way to use that year to do an externship in the US in the specialty I want to practice in and that way gain more contacts as opposed to staying in the UK and doing foundation? Do you have any advice?

I guess the question is if you see yourself returning to the UK at any point. If so, it might be beneficial to complete F1 so you have full GMC registration. Otherwise, I'm not sure whether doing externships will make you that much more competitive.

Jonathan

 

[deleted716403]

I've been wondering if there is any way to use that year to do an externship in the US in the specialty I want to practice in and that way gain more contacts as opposed to staying in the UK and doing foundation? Do you have any advice?

Check out http://americlerkships.org/

 

[Medstart108]

Hi Jonathan! Thanks so much for responding. I'm going to do step 1 this summer (in between 4th and 5th year) and was thinking just doing both parts of step 2 after I finish my finals and osce's in February of my 5th year. Although that gives me a one year gap between graduating and starting residency do to the timing of the application process. I was considering doing my first year of the foundation program and then if I match move to the US straight after. I've been wondering if there is any way to use that year to do an externship in the US in the specialty I want to practice in and that way gain more contacts as opposed to staying in the UK and doing foundation? Do you have any advice?

You aren't going to be able to do externships if you aren't in medical school anymore I believe. All electives generally require visiting students to be in their final year of med school, no graduates.

 

[anna.shin72]

This.

Get Step 1 score and prosper. I know many UK medics who moved to the US for residency. Most of them also made a point to note that the Step exams were a pain, but it worked out for them - just cast a wide net in your preferred speciality.

Seems that most of them actually did some parts of foundation program in the UK first also, but that could be a) they didn't decide till later to go to the US, or b) needed time to prep the USMLE series to apply in the first place.

Which specialties did they match into?

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