How I Obtained Clinical & Research Experience in the US

vinegar · 01-03-2007, 07:54 AM

I'm an American national, studying in a government medical college in Pakistan.

I'm in the process of applying for a clinical elective at a university in the US, but almost all the places I've tried at have 2 requirements which immediately disqualify me:

You have to have completed your 4th year of study
You have to be studying at a school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or Education Department of the American Osteopathic Association.

See, for example the Stanford site. It says on Application - Visiting Clerkships - MD Program - Education - Stanford University School of Medicine

Quote:

International Medical Students
If you are attending a Foreign Medical School, unfortunately we are unable to accommodate your request for a clinical rotation here at Stanford. We regret that the demands on our resources allow us only to consider students who are currently enrolled in their fourth or final year M.D. or D.O. program at a school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or Education Department of the American Osteopathic Association. We wish you well in obtaining a suitable clinical experience.

Now what?!?

Would appreciate any help...

maik7upurz · 01-03-2007, 09:22 PM

Why not find a different college besides Stanford!

vinegar · 01-03-2007, 09:38 PM

Most of the colleges I've tried have the same problem. Johns Hopkins, St Louis...

Rehan · 01-03-2007, 09:50 PM

Vinegar, I've found that many times what's written as policy and what's actually followed or enforced are two pretty different things.

You may not be outright eligible for a clinical elective but sometimes doing a research elective first with a faculty member in the department you're interested in can open the door for an "unofficial" clinical elective at the recommendation of the faculty member.

Harvard, Mt. Sinai, Cornell, and Brown all do take foreign students, just to name a few off the top of my head. So you still do have options.

vinegar · 01-03-2007, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rehan

Vinegar, I've found that many times what's written as policy and what's actually followed or enforced are two pretty different things.

You may not be outright eligible for a clinical elective but sometimes doing a research elective first with a faculty member in the department you're interested in can open the door for an "unofficial" clinical elective at the recommendation of the faculty member.

So you're suggesting that I do a research elective this year, and wait till next year to do a clinical?

Rehan · 01-03-2007, 10:41 PM

Yeah you could try doing that or you could get in touch with a faculty member and see if they're able to be lenient regarding their rules about doing clinical electives. I went to Hopkins planning on doing a research elective and it turned out to be 100% clinical...so yeah, its not always so black and white.

vinegar · 01-03-2007, 10:49 PM

Well, I've spent the whole of yesterday doing just that -- emailing the faculty members at different hospitals. Most of the replies say:

1) we are forwarding your mail to the elective department. And then the elective deprtment says that they dont consider applicants who aren't from LCME accreditted schools.
2) we don't have any positions this summer

or something of the sort.

They just don't seem to be that cooperative now! :S

MastahRiz · 01-04-2007, 03:08 AM

just keep trying. I had to send about fifty emails before I even got one rejection, so just imagine what I went through for an acceptance.

maik7upurz · 01-04-2007, 10:43 PM

you sent 50 emails and got one rejection? so 49 people wanted u?

vinegar · 01-05-2007, 12:34 AM

I think he meant that he sent 50 mails, and got 1 reply. Which was a rejection.

MastahRiz · 01-05-2007, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MastahRiz

just keep trying. I had to send about fifty emails before I even got one rejection, so just imagine what I went through for an acceptance.

Get it?

maik7upurz · 01-07-2007, 03:57 AM

Ok I get it now. He sent 50 emails, 49 didnt didnt even reply, and the 1 that did rejected him. heh