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The 12 Weeks Clerkship (Electives) Limit of New York State for IMGs applying to Residency

33056 Views 33 Replies 19 Participants Last post by  DrBear, 
Sabio
Today my friend got an interview from a residency program in New York. They asked him to fill a form about a 12 weeks clerkship (electives) and he's scared and confused about it.

The form that he received is attached to this thread under the name of (Brooklyn Medical Center) in the form of a PDF. Long Island College Hospital has a similar form which is also attached to this thread.

Many International Medical Graduates are confused about this rule and whether it affects their eligibility to apply for residency in the state of New York which certainly one of the most IMG-friendly states of all the states.

Another confusing part of the rule, is that it's accompanied by a list of medical schools that are "approved" by the NYS.

Here's the list of medical schools:

  • American University of Antigua, Antigua
  • American University of the Caribbean, St. Martin, Netherland Antilles
  • The Autonomous University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara Mexico
  • English Language Program, Univ of Debrecen, Medical & Health Science Ctr, Med School, Debrecen, Hungary
  • English Language Program, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
  • English Language Program, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
  • Fatima College of Medicine, Manila, Philippines
  • International Health & Medicine Program, Ben Gurion Univ of the Negrev, Beersheva, Israel
  • Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India
  • Medical University of the Americas/Nevis, Nevis West Indies
  • Ross University School of Medicine, Roseau, Dominica
  • Saba University School of Medicine, Saba, Netherland Antilles
  • St. George's University School of Medicine, St. George's Grenada
  • St. Matthew's University School of Medicine, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Here's the deal
The State of New York won't accept you as a resident (or at least you need to file for an exception) if you have done more than 12 weeks of clerkships (electives) in a country outside the country from which your medical school of graduation is located.

For example if you graduate from Mexico and you did 14 weeks of clinical clerkships in USA then you need to file for an exception.
The medical schools listed above are exempt from this rule and it does not apply to them.

If you did your clerkships in the same country as your medical school then you absolutely have no problem.

The important point to remember is that this rule is talking about clerkships and electives are part of your curriculum and are mentioned in your medical school transcript. Any elective or clerkship that you do on your own and that's not mentioned in your medical school transcript and that's not a requirement for graduation is NOT COUNTED.

For further information am attaching two important documents
The original rule as updated in 2006 under the name (NY 12 Weeks Rule) and if you have done more than 12 weeks of clerkships then you can use the attached form (Eligibility Form) to file for exception.

Attachments

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D
this is a retaliatory policy against many caribbean schools which load up heavily on clinical clerkships in the US. It is barred by law to "discriminate" on the basis of the nationality of the individual or the school which he/she graduated from. However, medical schools in the carib and some other locations take students away from the US education system and re-insert them at the residency level.

This should not affect indian applicants, lest they were overenthusiastic and did nearly a mini-residency in clerkships already!
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Sabio said:
The important point to remember is that this rule is talking about clerkships and electives are part of your curriculum and are mentioned in your medical school transcript. Any elective or clerkship that you do on your own and that's not mentioned in your medical school transcript and that's not a requirement for graduation is NOT COUNTED.
Click to expand...
Mmm...this what I want to see :D.
Our university obligates us to do 2 months as a part of curriculum...If I want to do 4 months then 2 months of them are not in curriculum.

May you provide me with an official confirmation regarding this point ?
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Sabio
You are OK

good_boy_1234 said:
Mmm...this what I want to see :D.
Our university obligates us to do 2 months as a part of curriculum...If I want to do 4 months then 2 months of them are not in curriculum.

May you provide me with an official confirmation regarding this point ?
Click to expand...
Then you should be OK.
This means that you'll be having only 8 weeks as "out-of-country" clerkships and that rule does not apply to you.
I have no official information to quote for you, but one thing you can do is that you yourself call the New York State Department of Education,
here's the contact info

State Board for Medicine
89 Washington Avenue
West Wing - 3nd Floor, Albany, NY 12234
Tel. 518-474-3817, Ext. 560 Fax 518-486-4846
E-mail:[email protected]

If you do get some info from them please post it here
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Thanks Sabio.
The e-mail you provided above replied they are responsible for electives only, not the residency eligibility. It is NY Department of Health responsibility.

I found an email for General mailbox. I sent them a message 4 days ago but no reply till now...
I will add their reply when they do.
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G
I got the answer from NYS Department of Health :

Thank you for contacting the NYS Department of Health regarding residency training in NYS. If you completed more than 12 weeks of clinical clerkships outside the country in which your medical school is located, you are not eligible to undertake residency training unless you are a graduate of a medical school/program "approved" by the NYS Education Department. However, the New York State Department of Health regulation (Section 10, NYCRR - 405) only applies if the clinical clerkship rotation(s) is counted as part of a medical education degree requirement. If these rotations are less than 12 weeks this regulation is not be applicable towards your residency application in NYS
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V
Hi,
I have extended my internship period after my internship was done so that i could persue electives in US. As we all know that once internship is done we cant do electives. So i read your qoute here and what i wanted to ask is that whether this rule also applies to me since i will be doing my electives by extending my internship period i.e without interfering with my curriculum. Kindly give me some advice reg the same.
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A
no problem

Vendetta said:
Hi,
I have extended my internship period after my internship was done so that i could persue electives in US. As we all know that once internship is done we cant do electives. So i read your qoute here and what i wanted to ask is that whether this rule also applies to me since i will be doing my electives by extending my internship period i.e without interfering with my curriculum. Kindly give me some advice reg the same.
Click to expand...
dear vendetta,
i dont think the rule applies in your case either, as u are pursuing electives out of CHOICE, and not coz its a part of ur med school curriculum.
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G
Another Confirmation from NYS Department of Health, specific for electives not part of curriculum :

This New York State Department of Health regulation (Section 10, NYCRR - 405) only applies if the clinical clerkship rotation(s) is counted as part of a medical education degree requirement. If a person performs more than 12 weeks outside his country but only receives academic credit for 12, then the fact that he exceeded the limit has no effect on this regulation.

NYS has no provision to grant any waivers regarding this requirement. Please feel free to contact DOH if you have any further questions.
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G
I have another query,

After I get the interviews from NY univs/hospitals, they will send a form to be completed by me to see if I am eligible or not ,yes ?
Do any have information about this form ?
Is it required to write all clinical clerkships in my transcript where & when ?
or attaching Transcript is sufficient ?
Do they have the access to my ECFMG/MyEras information ?

Thank you
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Sabio
Yes. Yes. Yes.

good_boy_1234 said:
I have another query,

After I get the interviews from NY univs/hospitals, they will send a form to be completed by me to see if I am eligible or not ,yes ?
Do any have information about this form ?
Is it required to write all clinical clerkships in my transcript where & when ?
or attaching Transcript is sufficient ?
Do they have the access to my ECFMG/MyEras information ?

Thank you
Click to expand...
Examples of the forms requested by NY residency programs are attached to the first post of this thread.
Yes, they need your transcript.
Yes, they have access to your CAF if you applied to them via ERAS.
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M
Hi! I have a question, if the international medical school you are going to is not on the list of approved medical schools to do more than 12 weeks of clinical clerkship, what can be done in order to be eligible to apply for residency in NY state? How can we file for exception and what are the criteria we need to meet? Any information would be greatly appreciated! thanks!
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Sabio
mcar9880 said:
Hi! I have a question, if the international medical school you are going to is not on the list of approved medical schools to do more than 12 weeks of clinical clerkship, what can be done in order to be eligible to apply for residency in NY state? How can we file for exception and what are the criteria we need to meet? Any information would be greatly appreciated! thanks!
Click to expand...
Does your school send you to do clerkships in USA for more than 12 weeks? If the answer is NO then you don't need to worry.
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Sabio said:
Does your school send you to do clerkships in USA for more than 12 weeks? If the answer is NO then you don't need to worry.
Click to expand...
Yes...they do. We do a total of 8 months in Chicago and New York. =(
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Sabio
Then this is what you should do

mcar9880 said:
Yes...they do. We do a total of 8 months in Chicago and New York. =(
Click to expand...
Then in that case you have to contact them for exception as pointed out in the previous posts.
However, I think th best thing you can do is to ask your senior colleagues and your dean's office and what have they done about that in the past.
Your medical school should probably contact the New York State to get listed in that exemption list.

Good luck
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M
now is this also has to do with our one year internship?

cause in college we study for 3 years basic sciences(anatomy,phisyo,patho,micro,bio,histo,pharma) and then we study 3 years clinical clerkship(opth,ENT,OBGYN,Ped,I.M.,Surgery) then we do one year internship

so is internship counts a clinical clerkship that we dont have to take more than 12 weeks outside the country we study in
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Sabio
MedicalDR14 said:
now is this also has to do with our one year internship?

cause in college we study for 3 years basic sciences(anatomy,phisyo,patho,micro,bio,histo,pharma) and then we study 3 years clinical clerkship(opth,ENT,OBGYN,Ped,I.M.,Surgery) then we do one year internship

so is internship counts a clinical clerkship that we dont have to take more than 12 weeks outside the country we study in
Click to expand...
Yes. It applied to any core clerkships that you take as part of your curriculum outside the country of your medical school.
Please read the first post, any clerkships you do that is listed in your medical school transcript is governed by this rule.
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D
Hi guys
I attended two medical schools: first i studied medicine in Azerbaijan for 4 years where I did some of elective and clerkships, then I transferred to Moscow Medical Academy in Russia where studied for two year until my graduation in 2004. I got my diploma from Moscow Medical Academy but some of electives and clerkships were done in Azerbaijan prior my transfer to Moscow. Does this 12 weeks limit apply to me?
Thanks.
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R
sabio reply plz

I read all the posts. reply me plz on my question

I m an IMG. our college does not send us for electives. it does not have have any affiliation with any US college. we do electives on our own and is not counted as a part or our curriculum. but if we do 3 months elective outside then our course duration extends for 3 months in my home country college.

so does that rule regarding electives apply to me ??
plz reply
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Sabio
doc.elman said:
Hi guys
I attended two medical schools: first i studied medicine in Azerbaijan for 4 years where I did some of elective and clerkships, then I transferred to Moscow Medical Academy in Russia where studied for two year until my graduation in 2004. I got my diploma from Moscow Medical Academy but some of electives and clerkships were done in Azerbaijan prior my transfer to Moscow. Does this 12 weeks limit apply to me?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Yes, it applies to you.

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