Educational Advising Office U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi Medicine in the U.S. Educational Advising Office U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi

First Professional Degree (M.D.) Total of eight years Register for four years Bachelor of Science (Biology, Organic and non-organic chemistry, Physics..) Apply for Medical School Admission Test (MCAT) – third or beginning of fourth year Apply for medical school – another four years Highly competitive but open to foreign students

Requirements First Professional Degree (M.D.) Excellent academic records Fluency of English Extra-curricular activities Good score on MCAT

Postgraduate Medical Education Clinical Residency Programs Non-Clinical Study: Masters & Ph.D in Health related majors Short-Term Programs ECFMG International Fellowships Clerkships Chances of obtaining medical education in the U.S. are much better for those who complete their first professional degree in their home country.

Clinical Residency Lasts three to seven years Participants gain expertise in a medical clinical specialty Participants gradually take on increasing responsibilities for patient care within a supervised clinical environment Advanced medical technology and facilities, expert faculty and wide variety of educational programs 8,000 educational programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education

Application Process Clinical Residency International Medical Graduates (IMG’s) to obtain certification from the Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Testing for this certification may be begun while still in medical school Though IMG’s must receive final medical diploma before being actually certified.

USMLE Clinical Residency Why take USMLE? Equivalency & Licensure Step 1, Step 2, Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA), Step 3 Computer-based tests http://www.usmle.org

USMLE -Step 1 Basic sciences Anatomy, microbiology, pathology, etc. Students must finish 2 years of medical school Eight hours, 350 multiple choice questions divided into seven 60-minute blocks Passing score: 75 percent received 6 weeks after test Fees: US$ 645 Practice CD Rom sent by ECFMG Exam administered all year round at Amideast Abu Dhabi and Dubai Students should apply for a three-month Eligibility period after receiving the official scheduling permit

USMLE - Step 2 Describes clinical situation Internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, etc. Not more than twelve months to graduate 9 hours, 400 multiple choice questions divided into eight 60-minute blocks Passing score: 75 percent received 6 weeks after test Fees: US$ 645 Practice CD Rom sent by ECFMG Exam administered all year round at Amideast Abu Dhabi and Dubai Students should apply for a three-month Eligibility period after receiving the official scheduling permit

USMLE Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) Reasons for introducing the test Clinical skills and English 11 stations, ten are scored Eight hours Pass or Fail Fees: US$1,200 Student or graduate from a university listed in World Directory of Medical Schools Can be taken after Step1 and TOEFL Applications on an ongoing basis Location: ECFMG CSA centers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Atlanta, Georgia.

ECFMG Certification Requirement Clinical Residency What is ECFMG? Pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 -scores valid for seven years Pass TOEFL with at least 213 (computer-based) and 550 (paper-based) – scores valid for 2 years Pass Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) – valid for three years Graduate of a medical school listed by World Directory of Medical Schools

Investigating Options Clinical Residency Consult the Graduate Medical Education Directory, published by AMA database (FRIEDA) on http://www.ama-assn.org/go/freida, for residency program search and statistics Correspond with programs of interest Obtain information on salary, length of appointment, elements of program, hours of duties and provision of health and professional liability insurance 1- Apply directly to programs of interest using their application forms OR 2- Apply electronically using Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) – Required by majority of programs. 3- Optional: Apply to the National Resident Matching Program ** Must pass all ECFMG exams by January 1st of the residency year

Non-Clinical Study Graduate academic programs (Masters, Ph.D’s) Medically related fields – not involving patient care No ECFMG certification required TOEFL and GRE are required Examples: Masters in public health, health administration or hospital administration. Ph.D. in anatomy, microbiology, physiology http://www.petersons.com/educationusa/

Short-Term Programs Non-degree programs Conferences and short-term courses From one day to several months No patient contact, No ECFMG certification Potentially valuable programs Examples: Observe-type programs Intensive hands-on training in areas such public health Handouts

ECFMG International Fellowships in Medical Education Selected international school faculty to study in a U.S. medical school Period ranges between six months and one year Areas of study: educational methodology, curriculum design, evaluation systems, medical school governance… ECFMG arranges a match with a U.S. medical school Approximately 20 fellowships awarded annually http://www.ecfmg.org

Clerkships Many international students are accepted to U.S. clerkships each year Types of Clerkships: 1- Core Clerkships 2- Electives

Core Clerkships Delivering medical care Participate in actual patient care management and decision making See patients under the supervision of licensed doctor Lectures or discussions Time intensive One to four months Family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, neurology, psychiatry, pediatrics and surgery

Electives Greater variety Better odds for acceptance Patient interaction: Primary responsibility for patient care Diagnostic/therapeutic plan under directions Histories, physical examinations, diagnosis and therapeutic alternatives Limited or no patient contact: Information gathering Therapy administration via sophisticated techniques Electives in the basic sciences and other disciplines

Cost Clerkships Cost varies widely from one school to the other U. of Virginia does not charge tuition to its visiting students Harvard charges over $2,000 per month

Qualifications & Application Clerkships Final year of medical school Some might require USMLE testing Meet the admission requirements of the individual school Current transcript Recommendation from home school Fluency in English Up-to-date immunization record Health Insurance

Finding a Clerkship Determine your selection criteria (subject area, location, cost, …) Browse the university catalog List of 125 accredited medical schools http://www.aamc.org/meded/medschls/start.htm

J-1 Visa ECFMG Sponsorship: ECFMG issues IAP-66 ECFMG certified Official offer from a U.S. accredited program MOH Statement of need ECFMG issues IAP-66 ECFMG tracks the status of J-1 physicians J-1 visa information found on Embassy’s consular page http://www.usembabu.gov.ae/consular/niv/EXCHANGE%20VISITORS-detail.html