A Profile of 314 Americans Graduating From Foreign Medical Schools

Some students rejected by US medical schools enter foreign medical institutions, but little is known about the quality of their training. Questionnaires were completed by 314 Americans who successfully finished their education in medical schools outside the United States and Canada and received a license to practice in America during 1963-1965. Ninety percent attended medical schools in Europe or Mexico. Forty-five percent earned their degrees after five years of study, while almost the same number took six or more years. Time taken for graduate studies, however, generally equalled that of their contemporaries from American medical schools. Sixty-four percent were board certified or qualified and one-half were engaged in private practice. Seventy-three percent of the group received a passing grade the first time they took the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) examination; almost all (91%) passed a state licensure test the first try.