Residency programs in USA

International Graduates who have completed their undergraduate medical degree oversees and want to pursue their post graduate studies and training in USA, are required to go through the certification process before being eligible to apply for residency programs in USA. This process is monitored by the ECFMG and it requires a successful completion of USMLE exams part one and part two. Upon successful passing of these two exams, the candidate can apply to the licensing certificate and then he becomes fully entitled to apply to a slot in a hospital where he can get the training he desires in his specialty.

Medical residency programs in the USA are almost exclusively set up to accept new residents through the National Resident Matching Program. Universities and teaching hospitals work on a highly structured timetable for application review, interview, and acceptance base on the specific needs of each hospital.

The biggest challenges that SACM faced in the start up phase of the placement of Saudi residents, were familiarizing universities and teaching hospitals with our medical program and showing them the possibility of placing residents outside the National Match Program under specific conditions. Building such a new program within the existing teaching hospitals structure required collaboration and approval between the Graduate Medical Education programs, the legal and the finance departments and the directors of the international programs. The coordination between these entities has taken long months and a great deal of oral and written communications and intense negotiation.

We are happy to report to you that currently SACM has built a consortium of 24 hospitals interested in participating in the direct placement program. In addition, SACM have made several arrangements with other health institutions to accept research fellows for one year and arranged short-term rotation in hospitals for undergraduate medical students who want to spend their summer training in USA. SACM is very well positioned to be able to place doctors within the regular placement cycle beginning September/09 using the network that has been established in the past year and half.

We encourage all physicians to apply through the National Match Program. However we would advise our applicants to include one or two institutions from our network to increase their chances of being accepted this year.

Following also are the general requirements and credentials of Saudi Medical Graduates ("Trainees") who have completed the requirements of the Educational Commission For Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG):

1. Statement of purpose, indicating the field of desired training.
2. Recent C.V.
3. Medical school transcripts
4. Scores of USMLE part 1 and part 2, (including CK and CS) and well as ECFMG certificate
5. Three letters of Recommendation
6. Financial support letter, indicating that the Cultural Mission will provide the training fee as announced annually by Institution