by CaribMD » Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:38 am
To clarify MD=MD , it means that no matter what you want to do you will not be hampered by going to a school outside the USA, an MD from outside the USA is the same as a MD from a USA school, the difference comes in two places but have nothing to do with money,
1. Board scores this is the same board as the US graduates so you are in direct competition with them for residencies.
2. When getting a residency you are in competition with US students and in some cases a US student may match where a FMG student does not.
This is debated everyday somewhere on the internet but the fact is that on the whole it is harder for a FMG to get a residency they want but this is PGY1
if you do a residency in Family practice there is nothing stopping you from leaving PGY2 or after that residency and doing a Surgery residency or something else, in fact a few do these things if they decide they want to. What is always debated is PGY1 not the rest of the time. Fellowships are just about never talked about for example. You are not locked in because you went to a school outside the USA, you are only limited by your own performance mostly, this is what we try to tell people.
What you do matters more then US grad or FMG, if you work hard and get good board scores (Step one better then 220 for instance, 185 is passing) then you will have a better chance of getting the residency you want.
In the end a US MD and a FMG MD will make the same money for the same Job in the area of the USA they work.
That's Dr. Carib now! Graduated Aureus U of Med 2011
