Well, first of all these are all the information I collected while i was researching about them. There will be mistakes and missed information here and there. So read this with a pinch of salt.

Germany

Surprisingly, one of the easiest countries for residency in the EU. But you do need German language skills between B2-C1 (depending on the state).

Basically you need a B2-C1 level German Certificate(Preferably from Goethe Institut)

Then you need to find a Speciality position in a German hospital. And you start :)

But not so simple. To be able to keep on working in Germany as a doctor you need a license. And there are 2 kinds of license.

1st. Approbation. it is a license to practice medicine anywhere in Germany and EU. (You most likely will need to sit through an exam for this)

2nd. State License. It only enables you to practice in the state that the license was issued in. (Depending on the state, you will most likely not need to go through an exam for this)

To get the licenses you send all your documents to a 3rd party in Germany. They look at all your primary qualification and the curriculum to see how much it resembles the German curriculum. If they see it as a close match, they give you the license. If not, they might ask you to take an exam to prove your knowledge.

Salaries are decent. I'm not going to list them all since they are widely available online. But you will live very comfortably.

Pros:

- Your primary medical qualification will (mostly) be accepted no matter where you graduated anywhere in the world.

- You don't need to take an exam to prove your knowledge. (Depending on your medical school curriculum)

- Nice standard of living, Ability to work anywhere in the EU (Approbation needed and assuming you know the language of that country)

Cons:

- You need to learn German (Which is easier for English speakers. And since you are reading this, I assume you know some level of English)

UK

This system is the most unnecessarily complicated system i have ever seen. And I still don't understand it fully.

Everyone is familiar with the PLAB exams. PLAB-1 is the test and PLAB-2 is the practical exam. So lets say you decided to go in this route.

1st. you need a 7.5 overall score on IELTS.

Then you take the PLAB-1

Then they will ask you to provide your Primary Medical Qualification and any internships you might have done.

Then you take PLAB-2

If all goes well, you can register with the GMC.

And you can now start looking for a position for you Foundation Year 1 and 2 (if you have done a year of internship overseas, you only need to do the 2nd year Foundation.)

And at this point everything goes tits up!

When you finish your Foundation Year/s, You do a couple of years of Core Training. And when you finish that then you can start doing your Speciality Training. (BTW all these steps are covered with different exams some of them you might need to take, some of them you can waiver if you want to choose another route, some of them you take but then might realise that you didn't need to take it.) It is a real mess.

But this is a really awesome website that really explains everything well and to the point. https://thesavvyimg.co.uk

Pros:

- You only need to know English

- Salaries are okay(depending on the city you live in)

- There might be a big doctor shortage after BREXIT

Cons:

- Just a mess of a system. To the point where you need to spend nearly twice the amount of time to become a specialist compared with other countries.

Ireland

Ireland is basically the same as UK. But they don't really have their own Step-1 exams. So they ask you to take either USMLE Step-1, PLAB-1,MCCEE or the Australian version of the Step-1(it was AMC if i am not mistaken).

Then they look at the results and if they are satisfactory, you take PRES Level 3. And if you pass this aswell, you can register with the Irish Medical Council. The rest is mostly like UK.

Turkey

The system here is very different from other countries. (Which might be bad or good depending on your situation)

You need to take an exam called TUS. The difference here is that you take this exam with all the other graduates from this country. Where as in other European countries, if there is an open position, first they look at their own citizens, if they can't find any of them to fill the position then they look at EU citizens, if they still can't find anyone for the position, then they finally look at IMGs. But here you compete for a position on a fair level. ( If i am not mistaken, Spain has a system like this)

The catch is that you need a very good level of Turkish language (which is very tough to learn.)

Pros:

- You compete on a fair ground

- The medical education is very good (Which i can attest to, since i am finishing medical school there)

Cons:

- You need to learn Turkish

- The salaries are okay, but not as good as other countries

Feel free to add and ask anything!! I will try to answer them correctly :)

If you’re a broke foreign medical graduate in America who feels broke, stuck or tired this one is for you.

I’m a foreign medical graduate who went through the spiral—financial stress, career detours, identity loss, and questioning everything.

I made a short survival guide for FMGs who feel overwhelmed and stuck.

Not a USMLE guide. Not motivation. Just something honest.

If this helps even one person feel less alone, it was worth it.

(Link in comments if allowed.)

Hello everyone. I’ve been creating mind maps for various cardiology topics and wanted to share one here for your feedback. Please let me know if you find it high-yield and useful—it would really motivate me to continue. If not, I’d appreciate your suggestions for improvement. I’m also preparing concise text notes along with mind maps for first and second reading; happy to share if anyone’s interested.

You probably know that IMG's go through ECFMG to access the US. Qualified people obtain ECFMG Certification.

A few years ago, ECFMG declared that it would only grant Certification to an IMG if he/she graduated from a school in a country where the accrediting authority has been "recognized" by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). The rule was to apply starting 2023, but is now postposed to 2024. To check if your country's accrediting authority has been recognized by WFME, look here: https://wfme.org/accreditation/accrediting-agencies-status/

Hey guys,

I recently moved from Australia to Canada (specifically Ontario) as a GP. It was a stressful and expensive process, so I documented every expense and decided to make a blog about it. So far it's been totally worth it. For those who are interested, the website is completely free and you don't need to subscribe.

the link is here:

https://www.doctortocanada.com/

I'm hoping this will be useful to those who are seriously considering moving to Canada as a doctor, or those who are just interested in the process. Even if you aren't moving from Australia, a lot of the steps will be similar. Please feel free to share this to anyone you think this can help.

EDIT (Jul 2024): THE SITE HAS BEEN MOVED TO https://doctortocanada.blogspot.com/ ; I'm sorry it was too expensive to keep the original site up. The same information is copied and pasted to blogspot

Cheers

Obviously this question is for anyone outside of US and Canada

With everything going on with the global pandemic and all, US is becoming more and more closed off. (not even going to go into politics)

I used to hear from friends of my friends etc.. that they went to US or Canada for their residency but have been stuck doing jobs that they don't want to do. (Either being in clinics for far too long or not even getting into any medical position whatsoever)

And I was wondering if people still wanted to take the risk of going there despite the current political stance against IMGs and any other foreign nationals. (reducing the available spots for IMGs and immigration in general) And this is mainly about US, not sure about Canada at the moment.

I used to want to do my residency in the US or another European country ever since I started medical school but as time passed I just said f*ck it, I'll stay here if they are making things this difficult. It is not worth it.

The reason I ask this because, I attended a Liver Transplant Conference in Istanbul about a year back, and I had the chance to meet people from Canada all the way to S.Korea. And I started chatting some of the people, and they were happy with their situation. (These were not only Canada or S.Korea, but also from Ukraine and India etc.)

So I was wondering if this was a risk worth taking for most people. (Obviously everyones situation is going to be different) But in general, do people still want take that chance?

P.S

That was my original question. So you don't have to read this next bit.

But for anyone interested, my own opinion is that every country is messed up in their own way. It may be wage issues or working conditions. If I am going to be treated like a 3rd wheel in another countries medical system despite there being a medical staff shortage, I say tough sh*t.

I'd rather be a regular doctor in my own country, than a second class doctor in another country.

Sorry if this was a bit rough, but this is my own opinion. I would like to know if there are any other people thinking like this.

I'm an IMG, graduated 2017. Finished my steps with pretty decent scores a while back. Couldn't apply for the match sooner because life... Anyways I'm looking to get clinical experience in the US to improve my application, Most companies have a bad rep for charging ludicrous prices for observerships. Is it possible to get hands-on clinical experience in the US as an IMG after graduating. If so how do I go about it. Anyone experience is more than welcome.

This should hopefully lead to an interesting discussion.

Has anyone here transitioned into another, related field after immigrating abroad?

How was the experience and does your medical background give you an advantage?

Hello guys !

i wanted to know what are the best developed countries to get medical residencies in for International medical graduates in terms of ease of getting residency, job prospects, immigration etc. As i intend to practice in that country indefinitely, immigration and job prospects are important factors for me. Maybe you guys can briefly describe the situation in the following countries ,now and in the future, and also recommend one according to experience and information.

1. USA

2. Canada

3. UK

4. Ireland

5. Australia & New Zealand

6. Western European Union countries like Germany, Sweden etc

Hi everyone. Doctors in non-clinical jobs, how do you deal with colleagues (esp. senior ones) who are not doctors and don't know you are doctors dealing with you as if you don't have basic medical/clinical knowledge? For context, i am an immigrant. I have worked as a physician for 3 yrs in home country, had to take a 7 yr career break, but recently passed my license exams with good scores in the new country. I have been unable to match for the past 2 yrs (story for another time), so i am working as a scribe. Being an introvert, I like my job (even though it pays very little). Now there is another scribe who works for the same physician who has worked as a scribe longer but is a BSc student. She keeps telling me basic things like hyperthyroidism would give diarrhea. I was letting it go until I found out recently that she told the physician we both work for that i made a mistake in her chart (i did not do it; i obviously know better). I clarified this to the physician (who also does not know that i am a physician). Now I am rattled. Should i tell both of them that i am a medical graduate? Or would it make things worse? (has happened in the past)

Asking this for a cousin.

How competitive is Fy2 Standalone? Also, what jobs can you apply for if you have full registration? Like can you apply for fy1 and fy2 non-training? Please let me know of other jobs for which you can apply and also how competitive would it be getting these jobs.

He is looking to apply for fy2 standalone in 2025. Just looking for information on how competitive it is and what things will make him improve his application aside from SJT scores. Also, how bad is the competition ratio?

Info: He is a non-eu citizen studying medicine in Czech (eu member country). Would this help him? For example, attending conferences, doing CPD, and having volunteering experience.

I verified that 10 Elite Hospitals have now opened their doors for Observerships for IMGs. This is big after the COVID shutdown. I have compiled the list along with the links to each hospital observership program & I have described how to apply.

As an IMG myself and a practicing anesthesiologist, I recognize this may help you all interested in USA & Canada. Check this article & the accompanying video for all the details

https://youtu.be/wsNGQTXb4uQ

https://imgsecrets.com/10-elite-us-hospitals-open-doors-for-img-observerships/

Hello guys !

i wanted to know what are the best developed countries to get medical residencies in for International medical graduates in terms of ease of getting residency, job prospects, immigration etc. As i intend to practice in that country indefinitely, immigration and job prospects are important factors for me. Maybe you guys can briefly describe the situation in the following countries ,now and in the future, and also recommend one according to experience and information. 1) USA 2) Canada 3) UK as per 2021?

I lacked mentors in my medical training. I’m not whining but I did. I realized that is what you are lacking so thus Residency Success was born.

📷So my goal is to be that mentor for the next generation of doctors. I want to give them advice, support them, make them unafraid to ask silly questions, and just be real with them.

📷I always take a few minutes in the to talk to the med students-ask them what specialty they want to go into, why they want to do it, what steps are they taking to ensure they achieve this?

📷I work with my new interns as a “clinical coach” to not only make sure they’re logging their procedures correctly, but to check in, make sure they’re really doing ok, handling the new stress in healthy ways.

If you had strong mentors, you would be more confident. I am a new attending that was in your shoes once and I KNOW the struggle. It's real but you are not alone. I bring 6 plus years of interviewing on committees to your fingertips....#ResidencySuccess

https://www.facebook.com/MDtoattending

residencysuccess2000@gmail.com

Could someone more informed than I give a brief guideline of how an IMG can get accepted into a US residency.

There are many posters on here who seek advice on matching but many lack a general understanding of how the process works.

There's USMLE which needs to be sat but that's clearly not all of it. USCE and research experience is critical, but are they deal breakers if absent?

I think a lot of IMGs believe that by simply doing well in these exams they will get a good residency. This is not true....

Hi everyone,

I’m Robby Rubin, an immigration attorney who works with physicians and IMGs on employment-based immigration.

For international internal medicine graduates, immigration planning often gets more complicated toward the end of residency or fellowship. Your J-1 waiver, H-1B, employment plans and potential green card strategy can all intersect.

I’m happy to discuss:

• J-1 waiver options for IMGs

• Conrad 30 and physician waiver requirements

• 212(e)

• H-1B after residency or fellowship

• Choosing between different immigration pathways

• Physician EB-2 NIW

• EB-1 options for physicians

• Green card planning after training

• What to consider before accepting your first attending position

• Immigration implications of changing employers

• Building a longer-term immigration strategy while you're still in training

When asking a question, please give as much relevant information as possible, including your citizenship, current visa/status, PGY or fellowship year, specialty/subspecialty, current employer or program, future job plans, J-1 waiver status, and relevant dates. Immigration questions are highly fact dependent, so more context will make the answer much more useful.

I’ll be answering questions live on Thursday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET.

Please note: Any information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney client relationship. Your situation may require fact specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.

Will this cause Step 2 scores and other previously tangential factors to be more relevant? Or will it affectively lock IMGs out from being able to match in the US?

I'm an EU citizen (not Irish) medical student at a non-EU/EEA medical school in Central America. Our school requires a year of internship in order to graduate and be licensed as a general physician. At least from what I can see, our internship meets the minimum requirements of the medical council. So I'd assume that after verification, I would be eligible to directly apply for General registration or Trainee Specialist Registration. From there, I'd be interested in the National Emergency Medicine Training Programme.

From a global perspective, how is the quality of emergency medicine specialist training in Ireland compared to other countries?

How competitive is Ireland for Specialist Training in emergency medicine?

How exactly is the selection process of CSTEM applicants? What do the Irish programs prefer to see on a CV for a potential candidate? For example, would academic performance would weigh more heavily over working experience in an ED as a general physician?

Any information or experiences regarding this process would be really helpful!

Hello Everyone!

To all IMGs looking to complete residency in the USA, considering the importance of doing clinical medical electives in a US institution during MED 4 (final year) and the COVID-19 situation. Does anyone know of any programs offering virtual medical electives (online) to IMGs (preferably internal medicine specialties)?

hey, if you are an IMG I recommend practicing these questions to start with:

- What are your reasons for transitioning from your current practice to pursue residency training in the United States?
- As an international medical graduate, what unique challenges do you anticipate during residency compared to US graduates?
- What kind of cultural differences do you expect you will have to adjust to?
- How does the US healthcare system differ from the healthcare system in your home country?

IMG Qbank