Chinese doctors who went to the United States as doctors have long proved to be a successful way to go. But this is not an easy path. From impossible to possible, generations of medical students have been trying and exploring many ways to practice medicine in the United States.
At that time, the common practice was to apply for a study abroad, and then get a green card and then pass the qualification test of a practicing doctor to be a resident doctor. However, along with the policy changes, a new generation of doctors found a new way to become a doctor in the United States - taking USMLE test in the country, and then directly applying for US residency training. This is also the lowest cost path and is ideal for medical students or in-patient residents.
Ordinary candidates may not have heard of the USMLE exam at all, but this is not the case for medical students, especially those who want to go to the United States as doctors. USMLE, the full name of The United States Medical Licensing Examination, refers to the American Physician Qualification Examination, which is the first and most difficult step for all medical students to be qualified to practice medicine in the United States.
The USMLE exam is divided into Step1 basic medical exam, Step2 clinical medical exam, and is divided into three steps: clinical knowledge (CK) and clinical skills (CS) and Step3 clinical medical exam. Among them, the latter two can only be tested in the United States.
USMLE claims to be the most difficult standard test. It takes at least 2~3 years to complete all 4 USMLE exams. Zhang Wei, a graduate of the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine who was trained in the medical residency program at the JFK Medical Center at the University of Miami, shared his experience on the Internet. He believes that the most important thing to do when going to the United States as a doctor is to insist. Almost every exam step may encounter very frustrating things, but you can't give up because of a test.
After passing USMLE, prospective American doctors can apply for a residency training program at the hospital. Usually, the National Resident Program will leave approximately 7,000-8,000 places per year for foreign applicants, accounting for approximately 30% of the total number of admissions. If you can successfully pass the interview and the hospital match, you can enter the hospital as a resident doctor.
Whether in China or the United States, it is not easy to be a doctor, meaning that you have to spend more time and energy than others. Students who are determined to study medicine need to be fully prepared to apply for medical school. For example, taking courses in biology, physics, and chemistry, participating in various extracurricular activities, having a GPA that is infinitely close to 4.0, and taking the Medical College Entrance Examination (MCAT) in the third year.
Even with good MCAT scores and GPA, there is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the medical school. Usually, applicants need to invest in more than 20 medical schools in order to receive a sufficient number of interview invitations, and then get the offer of Xinyi School. In addition to study and internships, one of the most important tasks for medical students during the medical school is to take the USMLE exam and qualify for medical practice.
In the fourth year of the medical school, the last year, students need to apply for a residency training program, and after the interview is successful, they will receive resident training. At this time, the resident doctors are still in the training stage, and there is no independent medical qualification, nor is it a formal employee of the hospital.
The high income and high social status of American doctors, coupled with more relaxed career growth and environment, have attracted more and more Chinese doctors and medical students who want to go to the United States as doctors. They continue to join the USMLE exam team, hoping to match high hospitals and projects with high scores. But no matter how you go to the United States as a doctor, it is not easy. Self-learning, work stress, plus review preparation and technical terminology are all challenges. But high investment also means high returns, as long as you can persist in the exams, applications and interviews, you can always get the reward.
