fati
Junior Member

Hello. From Kenya, you would have to take three exams, and the apply.

The exams:
1. Step 1 of the USMLE: http://www.usmle.org/Examinations/step1/step1.html
2. Step 2CK of the USMLE: http://www.usmle.org/Examinations/step1/step1.html
3. Step 2 CS of the USMLE: http://www.usmle.org/Examinations/step2/step2cs.html
4. Step 3 of the USMLE: http://www.usmle.org/examinations/step3/step3.html (this exam can be taken by you before residency but it is not essential....most medical school graduates take it during or after their first house officer year).
The first two exams are taken by computer anywhere in the world, and last around 8-9 hours. You can register for them here: https://apps.nbme.org/ciw2/prod/jsp/login.jsp

The third exam (CS) is an 8-hour practical exam that can only be taken in five cities in the U.S. (Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia...and I forget the last one). You can register for that here: https://apps.nbme.org/ciw2/prod/jsp/login.jsp

After you have passed exams 1-3, you must register for your ECFMG certificate: http://www.ecfmg.org/2009ib/ibfaq.html

After ECFMG, you are eligible to apply to U.S. residency programs online via a program called ERAS (http://www.aamc.org/students/eras/start.htm) Residency programs will read your file and exam scores on ERAS and decide whether to interview you. As you can see, it's a long process, and it's expensive-even for U.S. medical students-but it's important to just do it one step at a time.

A residency in obstetrics and gynaecology lasts four years in the U.S. with and average work-week of 65-85 hours. You are a consultant after this (and after taking another exam administered by ACOG).