Test). For details about these requirements
see Medical School Admission Requirements. The MCAT is
given twice a year. MCAT bulletins may be obtained by
writing to:
MCAT Program Office
P.O. Box 4056
Iowa City, IA 52243-4056
www.aamc.org
Admission to medical school
is very competitive even for American students, and some
schools are legally barred from admitting out-of-state
students, thus the chance of admission for a foreign application
becomes even smaller. There is a slightly better chance
of admission if the foreign applicant has satisfactorily
completed several years of undergraduate study in the
U.S. However, such students in 1998-99 still constituted
only about 1% of the total new entrants to U.S. medical
schools. Of the total number of medical school applicants,
2.93% were foreign, and of that only 25% were granted
admission.
Licensure
Licensing is a function of each of
the states. However, all the states require at least
possession of an MD degree or its equivalent, and passing
Step 3 of the U.S.M.L.E. (United States Medical Licensing
Examination). In addition, all require from one to three
years of graduate medical education after receipt of
the MD.
Graduates of foreign medical schools listed
in the World Director of Medical Schools are also eligible
for licensure if they have ECFMG (Education Council
on Foreign Medical Graduates) certification, one to
three years as graduate medical education in the U.S.,
and have passed U.S.M.L.E. Step 3.
The requirements for the states for licensure
for both U.S. and foreign-educated physicians are given
in the Graduate Education Medical Directory.
Graduate Medical Education
Chances of obtaining medial education
in the U.S. are much better for those who complete their
first professional degree in their home country. All
the options below are available to them:
Clinical Residency Programs:
These may last for three to seven
years, at the end of which the resident may be certified
as a specialist in the appropriate field. This requires
certification by the Education Commission on Foreign
Medical Graduates, a U.S. based organization. An important
part of obtaining the certification is passing Step
1 and Step 2 of the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing
Examination). For more information about the USMLE and
ECFMG certification, write to:
Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
3624 market Street, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-2685
Or: www.ecfmg.org
For information about how to apply to the residency
programs see the Directory of Graduate Medical Education
Programs.
Non-Clinical Study:
Ph.D. programs in one of the basic medical sciences,
such as anatomy, microbiology, or physiology, prepare
physicians for research or teaching careers in medicine.
For other career goals, a master's in public health,
health administration, or hospital administration may
be a good choice. TOEFL and GRE may be required. Since
patient contact is not necessary for these programs,
ECFMG certification is not required.
Short-Term Programs:
Short-term, non-degree programs for the purpose of observation,
consultation, teaching, or research are available. For
many of these programs, ECFMG certification may not
be required. These opportunities are often arranged
informally, through direct personal contacts.
References:
Medical School Admission Requirements, United States
and Canada. Washington, DC:
Association of American Colleges. For M.D. programs
only.
Graduate Medical Education Directory.
Chicago: American Medical Association, Annual.
Listing of clinical residency positions available.
Information Booklet, ECFMG Certification
and Application: Step 1 and Step 2 of the
United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
and ECFMG English
Test. Philadelphia: Education Commission for Foreign
Medical Graduates, Annual.
World Directory of Medical Schools.
Geneva: World Health Organization,
http://www.who.int/hrh/wdms/en/
NURSING
First Professional Qualification
(R.N., A.D.N., or B.S.N.)
The R.N. (Registered Nurse) diploma or A.D.N. (Associate
Degree in Nursing) requires at least two years of education
beyond high school, and is sufficient for entry-level
positions. However, the four-year Bachelor of Science
degree in nursing is desirable for management opportunities
and career advancement. Entrance requirements include
high school courses in science, and the SAT may be required
for entry to the B.S.N. programs.
Licensure
All states require graduation for
a nursing school accredited by the state, and passing
of a two-day national licensing examination (usually
the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered
Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for licensing). At least one state
has made a BSN a requirement for licensing as a R.N.
Many states require that foreign nurses, before being
eligible to take the NCLEX-RN, must first obtain certification
from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing
Schools (CGFNS).
CGFNS Certification
CGFNS certification includes a review
of the applicant's nursing credentials to determine
the nurse is a first-level, general nurse. When the
review is successfully completed, the applicant is eligible
to take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, a one-day test of
nursing knowledge and proficiency in the English language.
For information about the CGFNS certification and the
exam, write to:
Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools
3600 Market St., Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2651
Or search at: http://www.cgfns.org
Graduate Nursing Degrees
Entry into master's and Ph.D. nursing
programs requires at least licensure as an R.N., or
for foreign nurses, at least passing the CGFNS with
the obligation to take the state licensing exam at some
stated point after entry into the program. Other requirements
include TOEFL, GRE, and a bachelor's or master's degree
from a NLN (National League for Nursing) accredited
program.
References:
Path to CGFNS Certification: Applicant
Handbook. Philadelphia: Commission on Graduates of Foreign
Nursing Schools, Annual.
Graduate Education in Nursing. New York,
NY: National League for Nursing, Annual.
State-Approved Schools of Nursing:
RN. New York, NY: National League for Nursing, Annual.
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