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Application Process and Interview Program for Graduates of Foreign Medical Schools

Thank you for your interest in the Pediatric Residency Training Program at the University of California, San Francisco.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from interested International Medical Graduates are as follows:

Minimum USMLE Score Requirements

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) may be at a disadvantage in competing for Pediatric residencies in the U.S., partly because of large variation in the formal training and clinical experiences offered by foreign medical schools, when compared to the relatively uniform curriculum and clinical requirements offered by U.S. medical schools. Our residency program is concerned with any International Medical Graduate's educational, clinical, and cultural preparedness for the American medical system, so as to lead to successful completion of our program. Although we have no minimum USMLE score requirements, strong scores (>230) would help document an applicant's educational readiness for our program, and strengthen an application.

Prior U.S. Clinical Experience

Since clinical and cultural preparedness are also keys to success here, we require prior clinical experience in the United States. We expect letters of recommendation from these experiences as well, which will further strengthen an IMG applicant's documentation of overall readiness to begin residency training in the U.S.

Visas

Our program does NOT sponsor visas of any kind for IMGs. The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) will sponsor a J-1 visa for candidates. Please refer to their website at: http://www.ecfmg.org.

Other Policies Regarding IMGs

We have no additional policies regarding the selection of IMGs for our residency training program. Once minimum application requirements have been met, we consider every applicant's merits and weigh them accordingly. Each year, we are able to consider a few highly qualified IMG applicants for matching in our program.

Before you may apply to our clinical training program, however, it will be necessary for you to accomplish the following:

Step 1 - You must hold a current, valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). This is mandatory for appointment at this Institution as well as for medical licensure in the State of California. If you do not yet have this certificate, you will need to contact the ECFMG office directly and arrange to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). After you pass the examination, including the English test, you will be granted an ECFMG certificate.

Step 2 - After you have received your ECFMG certificate, and prior to applying for training at UCSF, you must contact the California Medical Board (CMB). The CMB will require that you complete their application form and submit various documents and records along with a processing fee.

Upon successful review of your application credentials, your education, and your USMLE scores, the CMB will issue an "Applicant Status Evaluation Letter". This letter allows you to submit an application for training at UCSF. This letter should then be submitted to ERAS (see below) as one of the four letters of recommendation.

If, however, you have undertaken prior postgraduate training in the United States, the CMB will require that you obtain a full, unrestricted California Medical License before beginning any level of training in this State. If you are required to obtain this license, you must submit a copy of your license with your completed application so that you may be considered for the program.

Please DO NOT forward your application via ERAS to the UCSF Department of Pediatrics for consideration UNTIL you receive the "Applicant Status Evaluation Letter" from the CMB (or your California Medical License, if this is deemed necessary by the CMB).

INCOMPLETE APPLICATION PACKETS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED OR CONSIDERED UNTIL THEY ARE COMPLETE AS DEFINED ABOVE.

Step 3 - ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA E.R.A.S. (Electronic Residency Application Service), which is provided to you through ECFMG.

PLEASE NOTE: The basic components of your application (the common application form, transcript and Dean's Letter) MUST BE RECEIVED by us by November 7, 2008.

You may apply to either the General Pediatrics Program ("categorical track" in ERAS/NRMP), the "Pediatric Leadership for the UnderServed, P.L.U.S. Program ("primary care track" in ERAS/NRMP), or both. Revisit our program options page if you wish. Each has separate ERAS registration and NRMP ranking numbers.

As you become more familiar with the UCSF Pediatric Residency Training Program during the application season, you may ADD or DELETE one or the other of the "categorical" or "primary care" program tracks to suit your residency training goals. Since the P.L.U.S. program has significant overlap of core educational experiences with the General Pediatrics program, many applicants who are primarily interested in P.L.U.S. apply to BOTH programs. Conversely, applicants who are primarily interested in the General Pediatrics program do not necessarily appy to the P.L.U.S. program, owing to its more specialized curriculum at the slight expense of a more "general" residency training.

Step 4 - If you are eligible to submit an application to UCSF, please use the following checklist to ensure that your application is complete. All items must be in English or have an official translation attached.

1. ECFMG certification (you must have passed both the medical and English sections, and hold a valid, current ECFMG certificate).

2. Applicant Status Evaluation letter (or a valid California Medical License) issued from the California Medical Board.

3. ERAS Application, and should include the following:

a) CMB Applicant Status Evaluation letter or California Medical License

b) Three letters of recommendation: at least two of these letters must be from faculty at academic institutions in the United States who have worked with you in a clinical setting.

c) Medical School transcripts.

4. A copy of your current visa status or green card.

IMPORTANT!!!! As noted above, an application WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED unless it complies with all of the above. Incomplete application packets will not be considered.

The Department of Pediatrics, following review of completed applications, will request interviews of selected candidates. Interviews will be scheduled only AFTER our selection committee reviews applications. We will send interview invitations to you by email, so be sure to indicate your preferred and accurate email address on your ERAS application.

If you have further questions about the application process, you may contact the Housestaff Affairs Office at:

Pediatric Housestaff Affairs Coordinator
Box 0110, M-691
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94143-0110
(415) 476-5001
E-mail address: pedsapp@ucsf.edu

Relevant Addresses and Telephone Numbers

CMB (California Medical Board)
1426 Howe Avenue, Suite #54
Sacramento, CA 95825-3236
(916) 263-2382
http://www.medbd.ca.gov

NRMP (National Resident Match Program)
2450 "N" Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037-1127
(202) 828-0566
http://www.nrmp.org

ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates)
3624 Market Street, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685
(215) 386-5900
http://www.ecfmg.org

ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service)
http://www.aamc.org/eras

Updated: February 14, 2008
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