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Abstracts Online Below, you will find a full abstract from the association's official journal, The Advisor. If you are a member of NAAHP, and an abstract piques your interest, please feel free to request a full copy of the article free of charge from the national office, c/o Jerolyn Attwood If you are not yet a member, please email Jerolyn Attwood to request the latest on NAAHP membership, services and publications, including a year's subscription to The Advisor. Back
to Main Abstracts Online page Foreign Medical Scholars
Carlos Pestana, M.D., Ph.D. Editor’s Note: The following article is an update to Carlos Pestana’s book Foreign Medical Schools for U.S. Citizens. References to the main text are made from time to time. V5-3-2
Where Have All the Students Gone? Thomas D. Dublin, M.D., Ph.D.; Bernard S. Bloom, Ph.D.; Robert S. Knorr, M.P.H.; Ray L. Casterline, M.D. Abstract — Larger and larger numbers of U.S. nationals are studying medicine abroad and they now comprise the foremost national group of foreign medical graduates (FMGs) seeking to enter the U.S. health care system. The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is currently conducting a comprehensive study of 205,542 graduates of foreign medical schools who, during a 14-year study period, 1969 through 1982, have sought its certification, an established pre-requisite for FMGs applying for training in an accredited hospital residency program and/or licensure within the United States. This report summarizes preliminary data on the 17,642 U.S. citizens included in the study who attended 431 different medical schools in 79 foreign countries. Particular attention is given to their performance on the combined medical knowledge — English language competence examinations requisite to the awarding of ECFMG certification. V5-4-1
United States Citizens Studying Medicine Abroad Their Backgrounds and Test Performance Davis G. Johnson, Ph.D., August G. Swanson, M.D., Paul Jolly, Ph.D., Judith Teich, and Samuel P. Asper, M.D. Abstract — To acquire information about the characteristics of U.S. citizens who had recently studied medicine abroad, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and the Association of American Medical Colleges merged independently collected data on a study group of 10,460 U.S. citizens who attended 359 medical schools in 75 foreign countries and who took their first ECFMG examinations between 1978 and 1982. The study group was markedly heterogeneous: 21 percent were not U.S. citizens at birth, 32 percent did not have English as a native language, and 12 percent had two or more years of undergraduate college education in Puerto Rico. Sixty-seven percent resided in New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, or Puerto Rico, and 74 percent studied medicine in Mexico or the Caribbean. Forty-six percent passed the ECFMG examination on their first attempt, and 22 percent passed a subsequent examination. Only 45 percent had applied to a U.S. medical school, and 65 percent had taken the Medical College Admission Test. The means of the college grade point averages, known for 39 percent of the study group, and of the scores on the admission test, known for 65 percent, were lower than those of both accepted and unaccepted applicants to U.S. medical schools in the 1976 and 1978 entering classes. The finding that 55 percent of the study group did not apply to a U.S. medical school does not support the widely held belief that most, if not all, U.S. citizens who attend foreign medical schools do so only after several unsuccessful attempts to gain admission to a U.S. school. (N.Engl.J.Med., 1986;315:1525-32.) V7-2-1
Evaluating a Foreign Medical School Stephanie Muff Foreign medical schools vary considerably in the quality of education that they offer. Therefore, it is imperative that you investigate each school thoroughly before making your choice. You want to go to a school that will enable you to do a residency in the United States and to obtain a medical license in the state in which you want to practice medicine. It is also desirable to go to a school that places its students in U.S. (or U.K.) Teaching hospitals for clinical rotations (3rd & 4th years) as this makes it easier to get a U.S. residency. Do not depend entirely on the school’s brochure and other information that they supply. Some schools are highly ethical and do their best to provide accurate and up-to-date information, while others may stretch the truth or manipulate statistics in an effort to sell you on their program. It is up to you to verify all information that the schools supply as to their basic sciences program, clinical training, and postgraduate affairs (residencies, licensing, etc). If they refuse to give you information or are evasive, be very wary of that school. Listed below are some suggestions and resources to help to evaluate the various programs and choose the school that will be best for you. V10-2-2 |