transfer from debrecen to the US

[wild]

Hi
I'm a second year medical student in the university of debrecen in hungary with a us citizenship , haven't studyed in us and I was thinking of transfering to a us med school after a few years in debrecen possibly 3 and maybe getting straight into a med school without having to do 4 undergraduate years , like regular us med students...

would appreciate any advice preferably from people whom have done this sort of transfer especially from debrecen about how to go about starting this procedure , if my plan is even possible and any helpful links.
Thanks
wild

[cristagali]

It will be next to impossible. Sorry. Only a few US schools accept transfers (outside AAMC schools) and then you have to have a completed Step 1, and a very very good reason (wife studies at school, family, spouse has job reassignment, etc.) It's really not an option. you can transfer inside Hungary up to the 3rd year, or as many US student at DOTE have done, transfer to the caribbean and do your clinicals in the states. I have several frineds who have been successful with that strategy. Go to aamc.org and you can look for schools that accept transfers, but the odds are against you. 8)

[wild]

thank you for your reply
I guess I knew it was sort of impossible to do such a thing.....
I guess the best thing to do is stay the full 6 years in debecen and try to do my residence in the US.
What is that option you mentioned about doing the clinicals in the US if transfereing to the caribbeans?
can you give me some more details about this...
what do you mean clinicals? I know that in DOTE the clinical studies start after 3 years ...so you are saying is that people transfer from dote to the caribbeans..... why? is a degree from there more accepted than from dote? to what year do they get accepeted to in the caribbeans?
thank you
wild :P

[Miklos]

thank you for your reply
I guess I knew it was sort of impossible to do such a thing.....
I guess the best thing to do is stay the full 6 years in debecen and try to do my residence in the US.
What is that option you mentioned about doing the clinicals in the US if transfereing to the caribbeans?
can you give me some more details about this...
what do you mean clinicals? I know that in DOTE the clinical studies start after 3 years ...so you are saying is that people transfer from dote to the caribbeans..... why? is a degree from there more accepted than from dote? to what year do they get accepeted to in the caribbeans?
thank you
wild :P

Wild,

IMO, the one advantage someone has going to a decent Carib. school after finishing three or (usually) four years in Hungary (provided that they have passed Step 1) is two years of US clinicals.

Why can this be important?

I think it is because medicine is practiced very differently in North America than in Hungary (or anywhere in Europe for that matter). Medical students have greater responsibilities and their training is focused on building their clinical skills. (This is not to say that you can't get the same in Hungary, but unlike North America don't expect to find too many mentors who will 'lead you by the hand.') Also, while doing clinicals in the US, IMGs have a chance to network and land the ever important letters of recommendation in addition to getting a feel for how a residency in a particular specialty is like.

So, what's the downside?

Transferring into the best of the Carib. schools can be a tricky matter, as some require that you essentially repeat a year before you can go on to clinicals. I have heard that the preferred destination for students from Hungary has been St. Eustasius, as a number of students have transferred there. I can't comment on the quality of the school, as I do not know enough about it.

There are several downsides, however:

1) By comparison to Hungary, it is not cheap. A semester costs roughly what a year costs.
2) You will probably need to take out private loans to cover your tuition.
3) You will receive a diploma from the Carib. school, which means that you will only be eligible for licensure in states wher that school is eligible. I don't know where they may have issues. (Currently, the only issues for Debrecen are California and New Mexico and my understanding is that Debrecen is in the process of applying for California recognition. Should it receive it, then New Mexico would also not be a problem.)
4) When it comes to applying for a residency, you must be prepared to answer the question: "Why did you transfer?"
5) When it comes to licensure, transferring makes the paperwork twice as complicated.

Finally, if you work hard and set up your own electives in the US after passing Step 1, you can get the same advantages as someone paying for far more after transferring to a Carib. school after basic sciences. However, the work is up to you. No one will find you rotations at ACGME approved hospitals, you have to do it all. The question then becomes: is it worth the trade off(s)?

So the choice is really up to the student. I believe that one or more students who went this route have posted on this forum. Contact DesertEagleMD who I think went to St. James after doing four years in Hungary.

Another option outside the Caribbean is the Fifth Pathway, whereby you do your final year in the US and enter the match apart from IMGs. I don't have the time to explain it, as that is another post this length. Check out http://www.nymc.edu/depthome/fifth.asp for more information from the only school doing a fifth pathway program in the US and http://www.fifthpathway.com/ for a student run site. Students from Hungary have taken this option as well.

Good luck.