Uk -----> Usa

[Kinkerz]

I'm not exactly an expert but from what i've heard it doesn't really matter where you obtain your degree.
What you get in the degree, your USMLE scores and extra curricula stuff (research etc) are the main things that count.
Although it can't exactly hurt having a degree from London...

[Scottish Chap]

Will a UCL medical degree stand out amongst others, increasing chances for FMG applicant to the US for competitive residency?

British degrees are generally well-respected in the U.S. It might have something to do with the fact that many U.S. medical schools were founded by British physicians.

Now, that said, any medical degree earned outside of the U.S. needs to go through the ECFMG and without political connections, ECFMG-certified graduates are usually looked at only after graduates from U.S. medical schools. If there are visa issues on top of that (the applicant does not have U.S. citizenship or a green card), there is an additional layer of complexity......

[newdoc]

Have u heard of Weill Cornell Medical college having a branch at Doha? My friend gained admission into that college for pre-med. The degree awarded in their med school is MD from Cornell University itself. Will this stand out if one applies for residency as an FMG than having a UCL degree?

[Scottish Chap]

Have u heard of Weill Cornell Medical college having a branch at Doha? My friend gained admission into that college for pre-med. The degree awarded in their med school is MD from Cornell University itself. Will this stand out if one applies for residency as an FMG than having a UCL degree?

I have heard of that program. My understanding, however, is that the program is designed for internationals to obtain an 'American-style' medical education to serve in their own nation and it's not intended for those wishing to practice in the U.S. I don't know any more than that, but Cornell is obviously an excellent place.

[ally_munro1]

Hi,
Im a clinical student at oxford and thinking of heading to the states. Im a bit worried as to whether Id have any chance of matching somewhere competitive (for pediatrics) in the US.

Would having permanent residency help significantly?

Im also concerned about 'US Clinical Experience' - if I spend a total of 3 weeks there as a student (in addition to having done some clinical research at MGH in the past) will this count? On one residency website it seemed to ask for one year?!?!? How on earth could anyone get that?!

Id expect to do pretty well on the USMLEs (which im preparing for currently) and have at least one (small) publication. Do I stand any chance would you reckon?

Thanks very much!

[Scottish Chap]

Hi,
Im a clinical student at oxford and thinking of heading to the states. Im a bit worried as to whether Id have any chance of matching somewhere competitive (for pediatrics) in the US.

Would having permanent residency help significantly?

Im also concerned about 'US Clinical Experience' - if I spend a total of 3 weeks there as a student (in addition to having done some clinical research at MGH in the past) will this count? On one residency website it seemed to ask for one year?!?!? How on earth could anyone get that?!

Id expect to do pretty well on the USMLEs (which im preparing for currently) and have at least one (small) publication. Do I stand any chance would you reckon?

Thanks very much!

Oxford is obviously a pedigree institution. That goes without saying. Anybody who claims they can predict your success based on USMLE scores, medical school performance, and publications alone is not being truthful. Just like gaining admission to medical school, there is an arbitrary component to it as well.

However, on the ERAS form, the medical school is coded as international and the ECGMG certificate that you'll need highlights that. This will get you screened out by many top places. Again, as far as the visa issue is concerned, many top institutions simply won't deal with a foreign medical graduate's visa issues because they have so many amazingly competitive local graduates that they don't have to.

My advice would to obtain significant clinical experience in the U.S. via a student placement and make political connections. That overcomes a lot. Also keep in mind that the top institutions are a name brand only, and the teaching is often not any better than mid-tier academic places. This was my experience at Johns Hopkins and it's echoed by colleagues at Harvard. If you want such a residency position for later research opportunities, that's a different story.

Good luck.

[exception to the rule]

My advice would to obtain significant clinical experience in the U.S. via a student placement and make political connections.

Good luck.

Ok, so I realise this is kind of an old thread... but what do you mean by "political connections?"

[Scottish Chap]

Ok, so I realise this is kind of an old thread... but what do you mean by "political connections?"

Make professional connections with people involved in residency training, resident selection, or try to obtain a letter of recommendation from a well-known academic=political connections.

[anti_starlet]

I too am resurrecting this old thread! I have just graduated with a 1st Class Honours degree and I am transferring to medicine in September. I am thinking that I would like to do a PhD in the States after completing FY years and do research alongside practicing as a clinician. How difficult is it for a British graduate to do this? Would I still have to do residency or is there a separate programme of study? Thanks for any info

[Leo2004]

If you want to do a phd in the states you have to find one willing to accept your uk undergrad degree as entry requirement. You also have to take a GRE exam IIRC.

A med degree theoretically lets you do postdoc work in the USA, but lots of the small print in the person spec of such jobs makes it clear you'd need at least a research masters level knowledge of lab techniques and basic science concepts in many cases.

This is an entirely different and seperate process to doing a residency i.e. becoming a medical/surgical/whatever specialist...