[Cassiopeia]

Hi to all,

First of all I would like to congratulate the creators and members of this forum for maintaining such a wonderful and informative website...
I am a final year student (4th year) doing graduation in Karnataka, India. I shall be giving my final year exams in January 2011.
This is my first post on any USMLE website, so please be considerate. I shall be really grateful if you could answer my queries.

I shall be doing my internship (5th and last year of graduation) from Delhi starting March 2011, which I'll be dividing as-

· 10 months: Internship either in Sir Gangaram Hospital or RML.
plus
· 2 months: PSM posting from a community health centre (the above mentioned hospitals do not provide PSM postings)

I would like to apply for electives in US (most likely in internal medicine) rather than externships, which I understand are easier to get. I would like advise regarding-

1. Keeping in mind my internship schedule, when should I plan my electives?

2. Do I need to do a full 12 months of internship in India? Our medical system allows us to do different postings from different hospitals. So if I take up an elective in internal medicine in the US for 2 months, would it be considered in place of the internal medicine posting I'll be doing in Gangaram or RML?

3. Suppose I apply to the elective programme as a student (i.e before my internship gets over). Then by the time the paperwork gets sorted out & my dates for the electives are finalised, I complete 12 months of internship in India...Technically I'll be a graduate when I'l be doing my elective with them...Is this possible? This would save me a trip back to India after my electives just to complete my internship in India. I can finish step 2ck and cs along with my electives and apply for residency straight away, without having to come back... Possible?

4. In my case, when would it be best to start applying for electives?

 

[lee-usmle]

Answers

Welcome to USMLE Forums and hopefully we can help you throughout your USMLE journey.

The best time to start looking for electives in your case is September-October 2011. Start contacting US medical schools and universities at that time. So that you can be ready for them in January 2012.

If your school is going to recognize your US elective as part of you core clinical rotation then there's no harm and the ECFMG won't mind that as long as it is endorsed by your graduating committee.

Once you start an elective your status won't change even if you actually became a graduate back in India. So yes you can start an elective while you are still a student but you need to be careful not tell them that you will be a graduate by the end of your elective.

Your choice of doing elective rather than externships is an excellent choice.

 

[Cassiopeia]

Thanks

@Lee-

Thank you so much for explaining everything so crisply...I'm amazed at how you were able to grasp my entire situation so accurately and give such perfect answers!

Hope you wouldn't mind if I bug you with some more questions later on...Thanks once again

 

[kardio4kd]

Welcome to USMLE Forums and hopefully we can help you throughout your USMLE journey.

The best time to start looking for electives in your case is September-October 2011. Start contacting US medical schools and universities at that time. So that you can be ready for them in January 2012.

If your school is going to recognize your US elective as part of you core clinical rotation then there's no harm and the ECFMG won't mind that as long as it is endorsed by your graduating committee.

Once you start an elective your status won't change even if you actually became a graduate back in India. So yes you can start an elective while you are still a student but you need to be careful not tell them that you will be a graduate by the end of your elective.

Your choice of doing elective rather than externships is an excellent choice.

I am also in same boat.....
my internship starts in june 2012 in india Is it possible for me to do whole internship in US?
IF yes whts the procedure?
I am done with step 1 with 260 score..
thanks

 

[vaibhavmanu]

Well you can't do that since according to MCI's rules you have to do your internship in the hospitals on the list provided on their website. And there is no way around it. Believe me, i've tried a lot!

 

[kardio4kd]

Well you can't do that since according to MCI's rules you have to do your internship in the hospitals on the list provided on their website. And there is no way around it. Believe me, i've tried a lot!

Thanks for quick reply......
actually I did my mbbs from china n I am done with screening test in india so that I can do my internship in india but just thought of doing intern in US hospital because that can increase my chances of getting residency...
so you mean we can just do electives there and that too just for 3 months....

 

[rakshaykaul]

clerkship vs internship

i am also interested in applying for clerkship but i want to know if i will have to extend my internship officially to compensate for the time period i utilized in my clerkship lest i should be questioned by U.S officials as to how i did the two things simultaneously ?

 

[Cassiopeia]

i am also interested in applying for clerkship but i want to know if i will have to extend my internship officially to compensate for the time period i utilized in my clerkship lest i should be questioned by U.S officials as to how i did the two things simultaneously ?

The US officials will have no problem. If your college is willing, you can include the US clerkships in your internship schedule..

 

[rakshaykaul]

The US officials will have no problem. If your college is willing, you can include the US clerkships in your internship schedule..

is there any letter requirement,from the hospital i am currently working in, that states they are allowing me to go for clerkship or no such thing is required ?

 

[Cassiopeia]

is there any letter requirement,from the hospital i am currently working in, that states they are allowing me to go for clerkship or no such thing is required ?

If you are going for electives (before graduating), the US hospital you are applying to might ask for a letter from your medical college stating that you are still a student there (depends on what their paperwork is). There will be no need for a letter from the hospital you are working at right now.

Before going you must confirm from your medical school if they will include your rotation in the US as part of your internship; if not then you will have to extend your internship once you come back from the States...

 

[rakshaykaul]

If you are going for electives, the US university you are going to might ask for a letter from your medical college stating that you are still a student there. There will be no need of a letter from the hospital you are working.

But before going, you must confirm from your medical school if they will include your rotation in the US as 1/2 months of your internship; if not then you will have to extend your internship once you come back...

Right sir , i have already spoken to certain officials and they said that attendance will not be an issue so during my clerkship i presume i will be given attendance for the time i am outside. Thank you so much sir for clearing my doubts