Why would foreign MD wish to go thru RN program for the US?

Woodenpug, BSN · Sep 3, 2007

A foreign MD was in my nursing program. The requirements to transfer an MD to the US are extremely difficult, unless you are already a us citizen who just couldn't get into a US medical school.

or a better answer:

Shouldn't all MD's want to become nurses?

jonRNMD · Sep 3, 2007

why would people want to go from being an MD to RN?

why not?

dave787 · Sep 4, 2007

well they want a new career since doctor here in the philippines is not that profitable and i think they have any reason also. once they passed the RN exam they can bring there family. they can also pursue there career as a doctor there when they pass the USMLE exam which is also a series of exam.

Crux1024 · Sep 5, 2007

Sad story. We had a philipino nurse just go BACK to the Phillippines b/c her physician husband could not get into residency here (He was internist in the Phillipines). He was working in central supply cleaning IV poles...It was sad. They had high hopes for their lives in the US, but it didnt work out.. He did consider going to nursing school, and I think he actually started taking classes, but he just couldnt handle not being able to practice as he wanted so they all left...

If they can have a nursing equivilency exam why not a medical one for doctors?

suzanne4, RN · Sep 5, 2007

There is not a nursing equivalency exam for nurses, the nurse must complete the nursing program in an approved school of nursing before they can even write the NCLEX exam.

The physician must pass the medical exams, but the issue is that the residency completed in most other countries is not acceptable in the US and the physician must complete an approved residency program again. Medicine and nursing are completely two different things, and he did know about this before he came to the US. And if a physician comes to the US from most other countries, they are required to complete the residency here. And do not expect it to change. Just not going to happen.

lawrence01 · Sep 5, 2007

And I've also heard that some programs would require the foreign MDs to do 1 year internship first even before they are allowed to do their 1st year residency program.

lost_stranger · Sep 5, 2007

The physician surely must have known about the USMLEs, guess he might not have successfully cleared them all.

One's got to clear at least the first 2 USMLE exams for being eligible for residency. The USMLE II has a clinical part which can be given only in the US. So even before being eligible for residency, the foreign physician must clear 2 really expensive exams in home country and then get to US to give the clinical part and obtaining a visa for this exam itself is a dicey affair.

The foreign medical graduate must do really well in the USMLEs as compared to the US graduate to stand a chance of getting into residency program as there are fewer hospitals offering to sponsor a foreign physician for H1B or the J1 visa. There are other criteria too making it difficult for foreign physicians.

Considering all this, I guess its easier for nurses than physicians.

suzanne4, RN · Sep 6, 2007

And I've also heard that some programs would require the foreign MDs to do 1 year internship first even before they are allowed to do their 1st year residency program.

Actually the first year is required to be able to get licensed in the US, even all American trained physicians are also required to do that. However, now some of the internships are done in conjunction with the residency and under the same specialty. That is across the entire US, not state specific.

Fiona59 · Sep 8, 2007

I've worked with RN's who were doctors in eastern Europe. Getting a residents position as a foreign trained doctor is very difficult and can take years. One told me better to be an employed and earning nurse than a "I am a Dr. in my own country" whiner.

Having said that I've also met refugee male doctors from Afghanistan and Iraq who will go on forever about "in my country". One man actually admitted he had never examined a woman or a child and in the next sentence was saying he couldn't understand why he couldn't practice in Canada which in his eyes was a "racist society".

lawrence01 · Sep 9, 2007

I think we should be sympathetic to them. Notice that all these MDs turned RNs came form not so rich countries and I'm pretty sure they won't open it up unless someone asked them why they did so, such as the member that started this thread.

This is also not unique to the health care industry. You will always be hearing an immigrant that has a good degree or has worked in a good position on their own countries but are working in the US as something else such as a NY cabbie driver, a nanny, a maid or whatever it is.

They will still explain if asked by someone why that it is still better in the US and working so, albeit in a much lower capacity than be on their own countries and working as doctors or engineers alright but in really poor conditions and very poor compensation.