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Q: Medical credentials in Brazil vs. United States ( Answered,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Medical credentials in Brazil vs. United States
Category: Business and Money > Employment
Asked by: xenophile411-ga
List Price: $30.00
Posted: 24 Aug 2006 15:10 PDT
Expires: 23 Sep 2006 15:10 PDT
Question ID: 759244
A friend of mine is a dermatologist in Brazil.  I would like to know
very specifically what, if any, additional hoops she would have to
jump through in order to practice in the U.S.  For example, would she
need to pass new boards?  Or completely re-take medical school?  How
many years would be involved?  How much money?  Please spell things
out completely, as I myself am not a medical professional and have
very little knowledge of the training required.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Medical credentials in Brazil vs. United States
Answered By: scriptor-ga on 24 Aug 2006 15:33 PDT
 
Dear xenophile411,

I have searched the websites of the relevant medical organizations and
found information regarding the question: What must a foreign
physician do to get a license to practice in the United States?

The brief answer consists of these steps:

1. Pass the tests to get an Educational Commission for Foreign Medical
Graduates (ECFMG) certification.

2. Undertake residency training.

3. Pass the 3rd and final exam of the United States Medical Licensing
Examination (USMLE).

4. Apply for a license to practice in a particular state.

The complete process is a bit complex. I tried to summarize its most
important points in words as plain as possible:


International Medical School Graduates (IMGs) who wish to be certified
as physicians in the USA must pass a program of evaluation,
examination, and certification of the Educational Commission for
Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). ECFMG certification provides an
assurance that IMGs have met the minimum standards, including
proficiency in English, required to enter the following residency
training programs.

To be certified by ECFMG, IMGs must pass a series of exams; they must
also provide copies of their medical diplomas, which ECFMG will verify
directly with their medical schools. The certification process begins
when they submit their first application for examination to ECFMG.

Once they have achieved ECFMG certification, IMGs can enter training
programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
Education (ACGME). All IMGs must undertake residency training in the
United States before they can obtain a license to practice medicine in
the United States even if they were fully trained, licensed, and
practicing in another country.

IMGs must also be certified by ECFMG if they wish to take Step 3 of
the three-step United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).
Passing this examination is required to obtain a license to practice
medicine in a US state. In the United States the individual medical
licensing authorities ("state medical boards") of the various states
grant a license to practice medicine. Each medical licensing authority
sets its own rules and regulations and requires passing an examination
that demonstrates qualification for licensure. Results of the USMLE
are reported to these authorities for use in granting the initial
license to practice medicine. Because the individual medical licensing
authorities make decisions regarding use of USMLE results, IMGs should
contact the jurisdiction where they intend to apply for licensure to
obtain complete information.


Step-by-step information and instructions on how to apply for and
obtain ECFMG certification, as well as important additional materials
and forms, can be found on the ECFMG website:
http://www.ecfmg.org/cert/index.html

In case you have specific questions not covered or not explained
clearly on their website, here is contact information for the ECFMG:

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
Applicant Information Services
3624 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685
--
Phone: (215) 386-5900
Fax: (215) 386-9196
E-Mail: info@ecfmg.org
Website: http://www.ecfmg.org/


Information on the ACGME-accredited residency training programs
necessary for obtaining a license to practice medicine is available on
the ACGME website:
http://www.acgme.org/

Here is full contact information for the ACGME:

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
Suite 2000
515 North State Street
Chicago, IL 60610-4322 
--
Phone: (312) 755-5000 
Fax: (312) 755-7498


The USMLE, whose examination for medical licensure is necessary for
obtaining a license to practice medicine, also offer information on
their website:
http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/2006/TOC.htm

Here is full contact information for the USLME:

USMLE Secretariat
3750 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3190
--
Phone: (215) 590-9700
Fax: (215) 590-9457
E-Mail: webmail@nbme.org
Website: http://www.usmle.org/


For basic instructions on how to get a license to practice medicine in
a state of the USA, please read this introduction provided by the
American Medical Association (AMA):
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2644.html

The AMA also provides an overview of the steps foreign physicians have
to take if they wish to be allowed to practice in the United States:
http://www.ama-assn.org/aps/physcred.html#foreign


I hope that this is what you needed to know!
Best regards,
Scriptor

Request for Answer Clarification by xenophile411-ga on 24 Aug 2006 16:06 PDT
Scriptor,

Thanks for your answer.  As I know nothing about medical training in
the US, can you provide a time and cost estimate for completing the
process?  Perhaps in the form of averages?  E.g., residency training
in Brazil (at least for my friend) was 3 years.  Do you know how that
works in the states?

Also, is there anything specific that might differ for dermatologists
as opposed to, say, general practitioners?

Troy

Clarification of Answer by scriptor-ga on 25 Aug 2006 04:19 PDT
I will do additional research. Should I get useful results, I'll let you know.

Best regards,
Scriptor

Request for Answer Clarification by xenophile411-ga on 29 Aug 2006 12:13 PDT
Hi Scriptor,

Part of my original question requested information about
time-to-complete the requirements as well as cost estimates.  Have you
located any information about these issues?

Thanks,
Troy

Clarification of Answer by scriptor-ga on 29 Aug 2006 16:17 PDT
Finding that kind of information is, alas, much harder than I thought
it would be. I searched for hours in the past days, but the tiny bits
of information I found were much too vague. I won't give up yet; but
should my research concerning these things remain fruitless, I will
let you know. In that case, I recommend that you contact the
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates who should have
some data. But for now, I'll keep on searching!

Regards,
Scriptor

Request for Answer Clarification by xenophile411-ga on 30 Aug 2006 15:01 PDT
Thanks Scriptor, wherever things end up, let me know so I can rate your answer!

Best,
Troy

Clarification of Answer by scriptor-ga on 04 Sep 2006 10:19 PDT
Dear xenophile411,

I did what I could during the past days, but alas to no avail. The
only positive result is that there is no reference to dermatologists
or other kinds of physicians being treated different from the rule.
But as for the rest, no useful data is available. I really hope that
this is not too annoying and that the other information I provided you
will prove useful.

Best regards,
Scriptor
Comments  
Subject: Re: Medical credentials in Brazil vs. United States
From: pharohmartin-ga on 17 Sep 2006 13:23 PDT
 
I'm currently researching residencies to complete after my med school
training. Dermatology residency is 5 years. Year 1 is a
transitional/general internship and then Years 2-5 are dermatology
specific. Therefore, to practice, you'd have to get a visa, pass the
US foreign graduate exam, complete 5 years of residency, and pass Step
III of your boards. In total, it would take about 6 years if you are
on top of your game.

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