Last Updated on July 28, 2023
It is the only hospital in Europe where a doctor can practice with a U.S. medical license. American doctors hoping to work in Europe would normally have to re-do their residencies before practicing independently.
In general, students who wish to practice medicine in the U.S. must first earn a college degree that includes at least three years of what is known as pre-med education. Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry and biology usually fit into the pre-med mold, and some schools offer programs that are straight pre-med with an eye towards gaining admission into medical school. Once admitted into medical school, the next four years will be spent in pre-clinical and clinical education periods that culminate with graduation and the granting of a Doctor of Medicine degree before heading into internship and residency.
It said that the US has high-quality standards when it comes to medical licensing. While foreign physicians may have gone through an exceptional amount of quality training overseas, the American medical industry has taken extra strides to confirm that foreign physicians looking to practice medicine in the US go through the educational training that’s set by American standards.
If you are a foreign physician interested in practicing medicine in the US, then you’ll need to prepare yourself to pass the US Medical Licensing Exams, get certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign-Trained Medical Graduates, enroll in a residency program, and then take a third licensing test.
Foreign physician, Abdelsalam Elshaikh of Sudan, reported to MPR News that all of the first year pre-med courses such as physiology, biology, etc. weren’t taught to them. This is because the curriculum for some overseas education usually focuses on what the physician will actually have to deal with when treating patients—fieldwork. US standards require that physicians are fluent in the English language and have a basic understanding of the science field in general along with understanding the core requirements set by accredited universities such as:
- Introduction to Chemistry
- General Biology
- Anatomy and Physiology
- College Algebra
- Physics
- Calculus
- Molecular and Cell Biology
- Human Embryology
- Epidemiology
- Biochemistry
- Research Writing
- Principles of Genetics
Educational Differences in the American Physician Training System
Unlike physician training programs in other parts of the world, there is no foundation training in the U.S. because medical students can choose to specialize, or not, upon getting their M.D. degree. The Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programs often taught in Asian colleges, for example, are unheard of in the U.S. It is not uncommon for an American pediatrician to have earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology plus a Master of Health Sciences before qualifying for medical school.
US Medical Licensing Exam Requirements
With the above in mind, it is more likely for an American doctor to be able to practice overseas than for a foreign counterpart to work in the U.S., and this is a matter of licensing and education. FMGs in the U.S. must deal with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
So how can foreign doctors practice in the US? These are the US medical exam requirements for any for foreign medical graduates and practicing physicians to obtain ECFMG Certification:
- Certifying that the FMG obtained a degree listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools
- Completing missing education requirements
- Medical Science Requirements – You must pass both the USMLE Step 1 and USMLE Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge)
- Clinical Skills Requirement – To practice medicine in the US after graduating from med school in another country, you must also pass the USMLE Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills)
- Going through a residency program
- Obtaining final ECFMG certification
Once you pass all three of these US medical licensing exams, you’re eligible for ECFMG certification. You don’t have to wait until you graduate from medical school to apply. Feel free to apply as a med student. However, you won’t receive confirmation until you provide graduation confirmation.
After you receive ECFMG certification, you can begin your residency in the US. But be sure to apply for your residency long before graduation and certification. The application process may take some time.
While it is true that many foreign physicians work and train at U.S. hospitals, they are often enrolled in special cooperation programs that may be sponsored through diplomatic exchange channels or the U.S. Agency for International Development. FMGs who may have already worked at an established practice in other countries will find the equivalency, licensing and certification program to be particularly arduous.
