US grad moving to UK

[cynwang]

hi--

i'm currently a third year med student at UCLA and seriously considering relocating to the UK to complete my residency training after my intern year here in the states.

i was wondering if anyone had thoughts about how logistically feasible it would be for me to expect to be able to move up the hierarchy and succeed in eventually securing a position as a consultant as a US medical graduate (despite the fact that i'll have completed my specialist training in the UK).

from what i have read, the UK seems to favor british medical graduates over foreign medical grads, especially as you move higher up in the system. is this true?

any input would be helpful.

thanks in advance!

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[IlianaSedai]

There are some old threads that talk about this, although not comprehensively:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=105087

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=103120

To read up, start with the web site of the General Medical Council. I've also found the NHS web site(s)to be surprisingly useful. So you want to be a brain surgeon is something like the UK version of Iserson's (or First Aid for the Match).

Sometimes, there are more important things than how far one gets in one's career; I looked into this because I'm planning to marry a Brit, and if it turns out better for us to stay in his country, I would just be glad to have a job and not worry about whether the data may show discrimination that favors internal medical graduates. It may well be the case-- it is certainly the case in our country (although UK medical grads are still treated pretty well, it seems).

I guess it depends on why you want to move. If you just think it would be cool to live there, then maybe the prospect of a foreign or unfavorable hierarchy is a major strike against moving. If you have family there, for instance, and it becomes the right choice to move, you really don't have much choice but to accept that there are pluses (making the right decision for your family) and minuses (it is almost always easiest to stay and practice in your home country). Such is life. It's okay for me.

 

[cynwang]

thanks for the info... i'll look into it.

 

[FionaS]

I wouldn't worry about any being a non-UK grad - currently that's probably about 50% of all the doctors over here!

So, it's probably not that bad. But coming from the US, you won't have any problems, except for the odd jibe about needing CT scans to diagnose a chest infection, or some such malarky. The interview panels will love you - they know you have a good basic medical education, so they can ask about all those strange things you do in the US!

Coming over after your intern year would be the best time to move here, in terms of training structure. By the time you reach Consultant status, you'll be considered a native anyway.