online NP to MD - is this possible?

caldje · May 11, 2007

yes, and she is making a huge mistake. These places prey on people like her. She'll likely never get licensed to practice... she'll just have an expensive degree that means nothing. What is even more funny is that they do the didactic in the US but not clinicals. If this is true, it is opposite of what you need to be sure you can get licensed in most states, you need to do greenbook clinicals in the US. Most states are adopting verbage that says online education is unacceptable though.. others just dont license them. there is a 5th pathway program, which MIGHT get her licensed in some state somewhere, if she can get the right residency and a hospital to work with (unlikely) she may be able to manage that. You should probably warn her (gently). She'll have her hopes up, so be careful.

caliotter3 · May 11, 2007

Samoa? I agree with caldje. Have also read an instance or two of people who went out of the US for medical school and could not get licensed in the US. If these places were such a good thing, there would be no end to the line of people going that route.

tiredfeetED · May 12, 2007

online program...not possible!

core0 · May 12, 2007

online program...not possible!

There is a place like this in the Carribean for PA's. Yes you can get an MD. No you can't practice in the US. Or most of the rest of the world.

David Carpenter, PA-C

MrChicagoRN, RN · May 12, 2007

Hi all,
An instructor in my FNP program is leaving because she has been accepted to a medical school that has an online FNP to MD program. I don't know the name, but she said it is in PA. The first two years are basically online, although she does have to fly out to PA fairly often. The second two years she does her clinicals in Samoa? Anyone heard of this?

It's not truly an online program as she has to go to Pa regularly, maybe a weekend once a month, then spend 2 years in an overseas medical school.

Assuming the school has the proper accredidation, she'll be a graduate of a foreign medical school & will have to jump through all the same hoops that foreign students go through.

I hope she's looked at their track record; passing of boards, if quality US residency placements occur, etc.

Although probably much more expensive, she'd probably be better off applying to medical schools here.

core0 · May 13, 2007

It's not truly an online program as she has to go to Pa regularly, maybe a weekend once a month, then spend 2 years in an overseas medical school.
Assuming the school has the proper accredidation, she'll be a graduate of a foreign medical school & will have to jump through all the same hoops that foreign students go through.
I hope she's looked at their track record; passing of boards, if quality US residency placements occur, etc.
Although probably much more expensive, she'd probably be better off applying to medical schools here.

She should probably look at this. Not all IMG's are eligible for US residency. Not all US residency grads are eligible for license in all states (notably California).

http://abc.net.au/ra/pacbeat/stories/s1302313.htm

http://www.valuemd.com/australian-medical-schools/126276-oceania-university-medicine-samoa.html

It looks like you would be able to sit for USMLE step I and II. The likelihood of getting into a residency approaches 0. Some states let US grads practice without a residency. No state allows IMG's to practice without a residency. $120k to get this degree ouch.

David Carpenter, PA-C

MrChicagoRN, RN · May 13, 2007

Hmmmm....

Oceania University just graduated it's first class of six.

FAQ: http://www.oceaniamed.org/faq.htm

core0 · May 13, 2007

Hmmmm....
Oceania University just graduated it's first class of six.
FAQ: http://www.oceaniamed.org/faq.htm

Old saying in medicine never be first never be last. It is very unlikely that you will be able to get a clerkship in the US despite what they say. If you do not have a US clerkship you have almost no chance of getting a residency. If you do not have a residency you cannot practice in the US. There are other programs like this in Mexico and the Carribean. Similar results. There is no real shortcut for medical school.

I think that the internet coursework may make some sense. If you look over on studentdoctor.net a lot of the students don't go to class and study on their own. However for clerkship your attendance is mandatory and that is what you are really paying for. The reputation of the school and its clerkships is what gets people into residencies.

Also consider the cost. according to the australian article the cost is around $100k. Consider then the opportunity cost. If you take the average NP cost for salary.com (not saying this is accurate, just using it for comparison) of $77k and the average FP salary of $150k. then the opportunity cost is:

2 years of clerkship (-$154k)

3 years of residency ($40k (resident salary) - 77k = - -$74k

So you are looking at a cost of $325k which will take at least 5 years if you make the average salary for FP which is unlikely in your first few years (this does not include the cost of living in Samoa for two years). So it would take at least 10 years for this to pay off financially. If you make more than the average it would take longer. Once you are established in practice it rarely makes financial sense to go to medical school. Finally there is a very real and fairly high (in my opinion) chance that you will not match to a residency. Then you have just wasted a ton of money for nothing.

Let them start showing residency placement in the US and its worth another look.

David Carpenter, PA-C