Two recent blog queries were by physicians trained outside the USA interested in Stanford Anesthesia:
Question#1
I am a last-year medical student in Milan, Italy. I am taking the USMLE Step I this year …. in case I decide to apply for the 2010 Match do you think I could make it to get an interview?
Question#2
I’m an Italian doctor working in Paris as anesthesiologist. I would like to move to the USA. I took my step 2 (CS and CK) and I’m preparing my step 1. I will participate in the 2010 match for a residency position. Do you have specific requirements and do you need the California letter?
Answer
Over the past several yrs we have matched a few international medical graduates in the residency, and we have many faculty who trained outside the USA. However, it is more difficult now (paperwork and time) than a decade ago for trained anesthesiologists from other countries to work at Stanford. For International Medical Graduates interested in residency training, the necessary steps needed to qualify for application are summarized: http://med.stanford.edu/gme/intl_med_grads.html
For residents, Stanford Hospital uses the J-1 visa program sponsored by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (www.ecfmg.org). The ECFMG J-1 Visa Sponsorship Fact Sheet http://www.ecfmg.org/evsp/j1fact.html provides an introduction to ECFMG sponsorship of foreign national physicians for the J-1 visa.
J-1 exchange visitor physicians are required to return home for at least two years following their training before being eligible for certain U.S. visas.
Stanford does not sponsor H-1B visas for graduates of international medical schools. Graduates of Canadian medical schools must also use the J-1 program.
Graduates of international medical schools must possess a valid ECFMG certificate, pass USMLE III, and complete two years of ACGME residency. They must be licensed by the first day of their fourth year of residency.
International med school graduates seeking training in USA at levels prior to their 4th year (in other words after medical school or after internship) must provide a valid Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter from the Medical Board of California. Please see www.medbd.ca.gov and http://www.mbc.ca.gov/applicant/application_international.pdf
for more information.