State-specific Requirements for Initial Medical Licensure

A common question that comes up frequently is: "I don't want to complete my residency training. Should I just get my medical license and start working?"

As you can imagine, many residents don't enjoy residency training. The grueling hours and the sleep deprivation can be disheartening.

Back in the "old days," it was relatively easy to finish internship and practice medicine as a GP (general practitioner). Many states will still grant a medical license to a medical school graduate who has completed a single year of post-graduate training (internship) if you graduated from a U.S. medical school. If you're an international/foreign medical graduate (IMG or FMG), then you'll be required to complete 2-3 years of residency training in many states.

Right now, Nevada appears to be the only state that requires 3 years of residency for U.S. medical graduates who wish to obtain a medical license. 

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) maintains a chart that outlines the State-specific Requirements for Initial Medical Licensure. The current version was updated in June 2009 and you can view it here. 

Physician Executive MBA

I don't have an MBA (yet), but I'd like to pursue one someday. Like many of you, I've been thinking about the pros/cons of an MBA. When's the right timing? Given the current economic conditions, I feel like I should be saving instead of spending towards further education. After all, I don't "need" an MBA to work right now. Therefore, when would it make sense to make the time and financial investment? What type of ROI (return on investment) will I see if I invest an an MBA? Why do tuition costs vary so much from one school to the next?

If you're thinking about getting an MBA in healthcare management, there's a long list of programs that focus on healthcare or medical management. One program that comes to mind is the University of Tennessee College of Business Administration. This program is offered exclusively for physicians seeking high-quality leadership, management, and business operation skills. This program is conveniently available nationwide, requiring only four, one-week, on-site residence periods during the 12-month program. All other course hours are available at your computer desktop through the Internet. Classes start in early January; graduation is in December of each year.

Want to see some of the profiles of recent graduates? Click on this link to see graduates from 2009. You'll see a mixture of U.S. and foreign/international medical graduates (IMGs/FMGs) in various hospital positions throughout the country. Modern Physician has consistently ranked the University of Tennesse program as the "#1 Preferred MBA Program Exclusively for Physicians."

IMGs or FMGs and non-clinical careers

• IMG = international medical graduate
• FMG = foreign medical graduate

They mean the same thing, but you may be more accustomed to using one acronym vs. the other. Hence, let me use both in the title, but to be consistent with the AMA (American Medical Association), I will use the term IMG.

If you're an IMG and you're considering a non-clinical career, do you know where to begin? I've found that there are very few resources for those seeking non-clinical careers in medicine for U.S. grads, let alone for IMGs. I've written on this topic before, but I'd like to highlight a few points:

• If you're an IMG, it's critical that you have very strong language skills if you wish to excel in a non-clinical career in the U.S. I've met many IMGs who have medium U.S. language skills and that's going to make it very difficult for you to get into any position outside of clinical or basic science research.
  
• If you're an IMG, social networking is critical. You want to have many connections in the corporate world so that you can gain a "foot into the door." By expanding your social network, you may meet people who can help you gain entry into different companies.
  
• Visas - these can be a real obstacle in certain situations. You can't rely on a J-1 Student Visa anymore. Make sure to ask any potential employer about issues related to an H-1B Non-Immigrant Work Visa.

There are many IMGs who hold very high positions in different non-clinical industries ranging from pharma/biotech to medical communications. How did they get there? Some may have entered by working internationally and then transferring to the U.S. Others slowly worked the corporate ladder and "climbed" to success. If you feel lost, perhaps you'd like to start by Finding a Non-Clinical Mentor.