Faire son internat de médecine aux Etats-Unis, c'est possible!

To do your residency in the US as a foreign medical graduate, there are 2 different types of visa you can get: - The J1 visa, most common. This is a nonimmigrant visa that most programs offer (as it's sponsored by the ECFMG). It is quite easy to obtain at the US Embassy with some paperwork. - The H1b visa, which very few programs offer because they have to sponsor it themselves and it is extremely expensive. The advantage is that it's an immigrant visa so you can stay in the United States at the end of your training. Here's a little more information about the J1 visa. To obtain it, you will need: - DS160 form that you can to download online from the Embassy website - Photo with a specific size 5x5cm - you might want to ask if there's a photo booth at the embassy - Proof of payment of SEVIS fees ($ 180, specific fees for this type of exchange) - DS2019 form that the program you've been accepted to will send you - this is the time limiting factor to get an app...

Step 2 is composed of two parts, CK (Clinical Knowledge) and CS (Clinical Skills). Step 2 CK is very similar to Step 1, the main difference lies in the content that is much more focused on clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic questions. I thought it was easier than Step 1. Same format with this time 8 blocks of 40 questions and one hour break, 9 hours of exam in total. In terms of resources, I mostly used UWorld and took the exam 2 weeks after my French national board exam (very similar) so I did not need more than that. SketchyMicro videos are also very useful for this Step. There is a book "Step up 2 medicine" but it is not as complete as the one for Step 1. The Step 2 CS is a practical part and has to be taken in the United States. For now the 5 available centers are located in Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, LA. This part lasts a whole day during which you will have to see 12 patient-actors. You have 25 minutes per patient. 15min maximum for the interview and...

As of this year, Step 1 has 7 blocks of 40 single-choice questions to do in 1 hour each. So it lasts a total of 8 hours with 1 hour break which you can divide as you want between each block. The scoring system depends on the others (it's a bit like a ranking exam but it's not officially said). Depending on the years and the schools you are aiming for, for IMGs it is recommended to get about 10 points or more above the American average (which my year was equivalent to 240 I think). I'm sure there's a lot of data online on how to prepare for this exam but here are my thoughts on how I did it. First of all you need a book called "First Aid for the USMLE Step One". There's pretty much everything you need to know for the exam. On average, Americans take 6 weeks to prepare specifically (they have already seen everything in class during the year), you should plan a little more. I took 6 weeks myself but I had already studied the 70% of clinical knowledge (ana...

The steps to apply take place on an annual basis: on September 15th , your application will be submitted to the programs you have selected. Between October and January, you will (hopefully) receive invitations for interviews (usually December-January for foreigners). The interviews last a whole day and usually include a general presentation of the program, a tour of the hospital, sometimes morning rounds or a lecture, and usually two 15-20mn interviews. You will also be invited to a dinner the night before with interns and residents in a more relaxed atmosphere. I recommend you to go and enjoy the opportunity to see the atmosphere between interns/residents, ask them about wellness, what they like/don't like about their program etc. This is the best time to try to learn important things that will not be said during the official program presentation. You will have until mid-February to rank your list of programs. The programs will also rank the candidates  and mid-March a computeri...

The first thing to do is to create an ECFMG account. The ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) is the commission that manages things related to foreign medical graduates: registration for exams, visas etc. To do this go to the ECFMG website and click on "Obtain a USMLE / ECFMG identification number". You will be redirected to the page to create your account, and once this is done you will have to wait a few days to receive your number. FYI they always respond to emails but it takes 3 to 5 business days. Once you have created your account, you will need to register to for Step 1 and 2. Two board exams that all American students and Foreign graduates must take. This process takes a little longer. You first have to pay the registration fee then print a form that you must sign and send in an envelope stamped by your school; inquire with the schooling department to find out who takes care of that. And be really nice to that person, you will most likely ha...

The most important thing is going to be your US experience: summer internships, observerships, exchange programs... Residency programs like people who have some experience, know how the system works and what they're getting into. 2/3 of the candidates are not retained because they have no US experience. And during those times, ask for letters of recommendation - they will be very useful for your application. What's included in your application? - Your resume/CV. Americans really like original experiences and volunteering. So try to get involved in college, in any field you like, if possible on a regular / long-term basis volunteering. If you have had unusual experiences that have nothing to do with medicine (for example I gave a hand for the accounting of my father's company who ran a French-Cambodian TV channel), do not forget to put it on your CV! - Your Step scores. Really important. Some programs have filters, and don't even read applications below a certain s...

Why the US? Well, I first started with an exchange program that existed between my med school in Paris and UTSW, Dallas. I spent 6 months there as a medical student. As opposed to most observerships you can do in the US during the summer time, I was considered as a full med student so I could take care of my own patients and also take the SHELF (end of rotation exam) like a regular American student. I wasn't especially planning to go back but I really liked working there (and met my boyfriend haha) so now I'm back! I took Step 1 and Step 2 the summer following med school graduation. I applied the following September, I had some interviews in December, matched in March and started in June. During that time, I did a first semester of anesthesiology residency in France - I didn't want to spend a year doing nothing, and that was guarantying me a residency spot in France if things didn't turn out as planned. The anesthesiology part is because I'm interested in ICU and ...

Hi there! If you are here, you are probably wondering if it is possible to do your medical residency in the United States. The answer is YES, despite all those who might tell you the opposite. I can't speak for other countries, but in France that represents a lot of people! Watch out, I'm certainly not saying it's easy. Just doable. I graduated from Med School in Paris, France in 2017 and decided to come to the US for residency. The process is somewhat complicated at times, so I wrote this blog to share my experience, tips, and problems I encountered along my way (and eventually how I solved them). Please feel free to share, comment, ask questions, and give feedback! I hope this is helpful. Enjoy the read! French people - some things are specific to France (equivalences etc), please refer to the French version on the left menu.