please give me advice guys - sansfree

[ArchivalUser]

Hi guys,

I am back after 6 years since I asked a question here

Let me tell you what I did during this 6 year.

As I told you I did my plastic surgery residency in turkey and finished in 2006. I came to US for a fellowship . I was planning to go back but I kept continue and did 2 more fellowships. Then I got a job offer in a university hospital as assis prof position. I am still not board certified but I have an unlimited license.but I learnt that there is a policy for foreign trained plastic surgeons to take board exam. I need to stay at university at least for 5 years which I don't care since I am getting paid well. This is not just I learnt from someone but I have official policy in my hand

I came here with h1b visa. And I just got my green card last month with employment based petition. So everything is working out

I want to say that I reached my dream and nothing is impossible


Good luck to everyone

[ArchivalUser]

Hi sansfree,

I am happy that you achived your goal. I am looking for an advice. I got low 220s in Step 1 and 2 CK, passed CS in 2013. Passed Step 3 with low 210s in 2014, no attempts at any of the exam, would need visa. Applied for the 2014 Match (IM and Psych) and went unmatched. I used my savings to stay home and finish the exams (used to work as postdoc for 3 yrs in the US-non-clinical field) but I could not get a job and we ran out of money. My husband salary was not enough to support both of us. We were close to being homeless, did not had enough money for another application. So I had to look around in my home country. I accept a Radiology residency spot back at home. The program is wonderful, I cannot ask more proffesionnally. But I cannot forget about the US. I lived there for 5 yrs and I miss it everyday... it is not about the money, I get good salary here. Besides this my husband is struggling to get a position in our country but the job market is easier for him in the US (he lived there for 10 yrs). So both of us thinking how to get back. I signed a contract for finishing a residency with my current program (3.5 yrs left) and working for them for 3 yrs after board certification (kind of 'return of service'. During this time I hope to pass the European Union Board Exams.
Do you think that I would have a chance to get back after 7-8 yrs with these scores and working as a physician there? How did you do this? Should I apply fellowships and if so which program should I approach (small uni, community based)? Will be there a problem that my scores will be old by that time?
thank you for your consideration. Any help would be appreciated. I tried to read a lot about this situation but all I could find was only failure. It is good to see that somebody succeed.

[ArchivalUser]

Wait I'm confused. So you're an assistant professor but you aren't board certified. That means you aren't doing surgeries right? Are you a lecturer/researcher? Also what is this policy about taking your board exam after 5 years? I haven't heard of this at all. I thought you had to do residency here to practice regardless of whether you do a fellowship or 2.

This doesn't impact me in any way of course, I'm just curious to how this all works.

[ArchivalUser]

Also how did you get an unlimited license?

[ArchivalUser]

Hi Sansfree, can you clarify some info about your pathway and about his it works, well this year I am finally done, got rematched in IM.
I am a old img with background in surgery/ laparoscopy, residency and some years working in home country ( well I am US citizen but raised and went to school md and residency in South America ), when I researched it, all I got was, I was eligible for fellowship but then I would not be able to work or get licensed / board certified in that fellowship in USA, needed to go back to the country I am a certified surgeon, because I needed to get surgery residency first, after some struggles finally got premature death in IM which is ok with me , but I really which you can clarified if you will be eligible to get board certified in plastics or surgery after fellowships in USA ? Or basically as a faculty in an academic program ? Situation which could be great as well.
Would I be able to do surgery fellowships after finishing IM residency ? Is that a pathway to get a surgery certification as well ? Just wondering !!!
Thanks for sharing and hope you can answer and give some info ...
Merry Christmas !

[ArchivalUser]

What !!!
Sorry about typos !!! This cell phone autocorrection is crazy !!! Hahahahahaha
First .... About how it works ( in the beginning ) , then pre- matched not rematched. Hahahahahaha
Then I can believe it was like pre mature death. !! !!!!!!! It was meant to read pre- matched in IM
Hahahahahaha can't belive it when I read it. 😝😝😝

[ArchivalUser]

Guys,

Having a license and being board certified are two different things

You can get a license after postgraduate training in USA( 2-3 years depending on the state)

After you get a license you can practice medicine. suppose you can open an office by law and do office based surgeries as long as you don't have complications. but hospitalls will not give you privileges dto do surgery unless you are a full time faculty there

Having a license and getting privileges in a hospital , you can do surgeries and teach residents and so on without board certification as long as you are hired as full time faculty

Board certification is imp for hospitals to give you privileges to do surgery if you would like to work for exam in private practice. Don't get confused here. For example i am not board certified yet but I have priviledges to do surgery, teach residents and do research in this university hopspital

Yes i am an assistant professor, I am doing surgery, i have residents.

I hope you did not get confused

[ArchivalUser]

I got your explanation , so doing fellowship and paying your dues working as staff surgeon and faculty is another way to get certification without doing residency again ?
Do you think by doing IM I can not longer do that pathway through surgery fellowships as well and get certification as surgeon as well, because I plan to finish IM residency , I just got it , so I better do it , no ?
Or by getting IM trained and certified I will just get trashed my surgery background for good ?
Can I get both over time ?

[ArchivalUser]

Bravo!, well done..
Inspiring!

[ArchivalUser]

I think this pathway is closing for upcoming IMGs, because ACGME Fellowships are no longer given without prior ACGME Residency.