Becoming a doctor in the United States is a highly coveted career for prospective medical students. However, many medical students opt to complete their education abroad, such as in the Caribbean. Obtaining a medical degree in the Caribbean is a favourable option for many reasons, including a less competitive admissions process and the opportunity to study in a diverse medical community with international experience. Foreign medical students studying medicine internationally may have plans to study internationally and eventually practice in the United States. What is the process to become a doctor in the U.S. if you intend to study internationally?

There are a few specific requirements to practice medicine in the U.S. that international medical graduates must complete before they can become licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. Upon graduating, foreign medical graduates must complete certification exams produced by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). The ECFMG oversees a series of exams that evaluate the qualifications and credentials of international medical graduates to make sure that they are in line with the U.S. healthcare system. The first step in this process is to ensure that the international medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools and that its graduates are eligible to apply for ECFMG, such as the American University of Barbados (AUB), School of Medicine, in the Caribbean.

Next, medical graduates will need to complete an Application for ECGMG Certification and write the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). This USMLE is a multiple-choice exam that is written by graduates of American medical schools and foreign medical graduates alike. The USMLE is a standardized exam ensuring that all practicing physicians within the U.S. meet the same standards of medical practice, regardless of where they obtained their medical education. The USMLE evaluates both clinical skills and communication competency. In order to complete the ECFMG, one must demonstrate a satisfactory ability to communicate in English, as displayed by a passing score on the Occupation English Test (OET) Medicine.

Foreign medical graduates who wish to practice as physicians in the U.S. must complete medical residencies in the U.S. Completing a medical residency in the U.S. will allow foreign medical graduates to navigate the U.S. healthcare system and become familiar with the particularities of practicing medicine directly within an American hospital. This will also allow the prospective physician to network and interact with various medical professionals in the field and gain important practical and hands-on skills, knowledge, and experience working with the types of medical professionals and patients that they will be dealing with in the future as a physician practicing in the U.S.  

While there are some additional steps involved in becoming a doctor that is officially licensed to practice in the U.S., completing a medical degree in the Caribbean, such as at the American University of Barbados (AUB), School of Medicine, is a highly desirable option because it has established strong relationships with U.S. teaching hospitals, allowing graduates to match with U.S.-based medical residencies with ease and go on to become very successful physicians in the U.S.