ECFMG Certification (Doctor)

[Mary T 0]

We are a young couple, a young American woman and a young man from Spain. We have been dating for almost two years now and we are hoping to get married in the future and live in the United States. Right now, however, finances for us to get married are difficult and we would like to wait a few more years until I am done with school and better off financially. I am beginning graduate school and my boyfriend is a resident physician in Spain. His specialty is psychiatry and he would like to practice in the United States. He recently applied to the the USMLE exams which he needs to get ECFMG certification. They told him he is accepted to take the test but needs to wait for a test date to be set. We know that his medical school is accredited by the ECFMG and he can take the exam in Spain, but we are wondering how long it will take for him to be permitted to take the exam and apply for ECFMG certification in order to apply for a United States residency. Does anyone have any idea or experience in this? Also, when we do decide to get married in the future, how can we avoided getting separated again when he finishes the residency and his work visa expires? Anyone who has been (or knows of) a foreign doctor and has immigrated to the United States would be extremely helpful! We just aren't getting the answers we need and we feel very confused and frustrated.

Thank you so much!

[Darnell 8,479]

when you use the word ,"residency" here, you are solely writing of a doctor's residency in some medical facility, right?

[Mary T 0]

Yes that's what I mean! A doctor's residency, like in a hospital, etc.

[JDD1 0]

Hi Mary,

I have been married to 2 Chinese doctors. (My first wife is deceased.) The main problem for foreign doctors is that it is very difficult to obtain a residency in the U.S. I know one Chinese doctor who passed the medical boards but couldn't get a residency. My current wife was an ultra-sound doctor in China, and she has decided to get certified as an ultra-sound technician here because she knows of the difficulties of getting a residency here.

Best wishes,

JD

[justashooter 430]

Hi Mary,

I have been married to 2 Chinese doctors. (My first wife is deceased.) The main problem for foreign doctors is that it is very difficult to obtain a residency in the U.S. I know one Chinese doctor who passed the medical boards but couldn't get a residency. My current wife was an ultra-sound doctor in China, and she has decided to get certified as an ultra-sound technician here because she knows of the difficulties of getting a residency here.

best wishes,

JD

you are comparing apples to coconuts. chinese degrees are generally not accepted in USA. euro degrees are.

[Darnell 8,479]

but we are wondering how long it will take for him to be permitted to take the exam

That's entirely up to the testing facility.

Please check in with them - after all, he's given them monies to get on their calendar.

[JDD1 0]

you are comparing apples to coconuts. chinese degrees are generally not accepted in USA. euro degrees are.

Justashooter: Degrees don't entitle you to practice medicine. Passing the medical boards does. The U.S. accepts Chinese medical degrees as making the holders of the degrees eligible to sit for the exam. My first wife, solely based on her Chinese degree, sat for and passed the 1st of several medical board examinations. That being said, I don't know if European doctors are able to obtain residencies easier than Chinese doctors or if there are other factors that practically affect European doctors differently than American or Chinese doctors. On the other hand, there is generally a shortage of residency slots, and anyone coming to the U.S. needs to be aware of that. Also, I have observed that Chinese doctors have more difficulty obtaining residencies than American doctors.

JD

[justashooter 430]

Justashooter: Degrees don't entitle you to practice medicine. Passing the medical boards does. The U.S. accepts Chinese medical degrees as making the holders of the degrees eligible to sit for the exam. My first wife, solely based on her Chinese degree, sat for and passed the 1st of several medical board examinations. That being said, I don't know if European doctors are able to obtain residencies easier than Chinese doctors or if there are other factors that practically affect European doctors differently than American or Chinese doctors. On the other hand, there is generally a shortage of residency slots, and anyone coming to the U.S. needs to be aware of that. Also, I have observed that Chinese doctors have more difficulty obtaining residencies than American doctors.

JD

i understand the system, and am aware that most chinese degrees are not accepted as US equivalent.

if your first wife got thru, it was an exception.

there is a reason for this truism.