Importance of Clinical Externships in Applying to U.S. Medical Residency

Irvine -- Free-Press-Release.com-- Jan 7, 2011 -- The practice of medicine in the U.S. differs from any other country in the world: physicians in other countries enjoy a tradition of being the final word in care and not being questioned by their patients or attorneys. Unfortunately, due to the litigious nature of medical practice in the United States, our physicians are constantly questioned by attorneys and various officials and even by an ever increasing number of patients who may go to their doctor’s visit with the perceived “self-diagnosis” already downloaded from the internet. This fact, along with differing technology, medications, cost of care, and treatment protocols, produces an environment to which IMGs may experience difficulty transitioning, adapting, assimilating, and acculturating.

Residency Directors view this transition period as a liability, in that first-year medical residents who are IMGs and have never experienced a U.S. healthcare facility till their first day of residency, are nevertheless held to the same standards and expectations as U.S. medical graduates with years of U.S. healthcare and cultural exposure. To make matters worse, IMGs without any personal U.S. healthcare network (family or friends who are already practicing physicians in the U.S.) have an enormously difficult time gaining true “U.S. hands-on clinical experience” that would help them assimilate into the U.S. healthcare culture, and thus put the minds of Residency Directors at ease.

Knowing this, the Program Advisory Board of Advanced Colleges of America (ACA) is aware that IMGs will benefit from being able to exhibit satisfactory performance in various U.S. clinical settings in preparation for applying to U.S. medical residency. ACA's Externships are designed to give a condensed yet broad scope of experience to IMGs in specialties that our country needs most. As you will read below, the Clinical Externships which our current students partake in are truly noteworthy.

“Hello Everyone,

Hope you all are healthy and happy.

Yesterday was my last day with Dr. X and the FM externship went very well. I was able to learn and reinforce clinical skills and knowledge in the 70/30 split that was expected.

Specifically, I was allowed to take complete patient histories and conduct physical examinations. After most encounters, I would present my history and physical findings of the patient to the attending, and then propose my management plans. The attending would then agree or disagree with my plans and also comment on how to improve my histories, PE's and management plans. She would then explain what her management plans were and the reasons for them. In this way, the learning process was amazing. In addition, I was allowed to assist with pap smears and OB/GYN procedures; skin biopsies; removal of sutures, warts and toenails; casting/splinting; tx of impacted ears; and joint injections.

While working with the other MA's and staff at this clinical site, I was allowed to prepare examination rooms, bring back patients to be roomed, take vital signs, give immunizations, draw blood, perform EKG's, PFT's, and ABI's. I also gained much experience with EPIC (the EMR used at this site). Pre-authorizations, referrals, receiving and returning patient calls, communicating with pharmacies, were other responsibilities given to me.

I'm so thankful because I know these skills and experiences greatly enhance my residency application. I hope all of you are having similar experiences during your externships. Overall, I was extremely pleased with this externship. I am in great anticipation of my next externship, hoping that it will be similar, if not better, than this one.

Happy Holidays,”

-Current Advanced Colleges of America-Medical Residency Track Student

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Advanced Colleges of America
Summer Goebel
888-823-6765
http://edu.advancedcolleges.us