You are mistaken about students from KMU doing residencies in CA - as KMU ( or any Polish school for that matter) , are not approved by the State of California Medical board.

kmufangs,

Thanks for offering the info. Are you in the 4 or 6 year program? Was English your primary language? Any thoughts for someone heading over to Poznan?

Thanks ........ Gerry

ABCD,

I think the six year programs are California approved, but I could be wrong.

Bye ...... Gerry

none of the english language programs in poland are approved in california.

Neil is correct. None of the English language programs in Poland are approved in California. To my knowledge, the six year Polish language ones are all approved.

The only way someone from a Polish school is doing a residency in California now is:

1) A Polish language program graduate, who does not face the same restrictions.

2) Only conceivably (!) an English program graduate who entered the residency program before the restrictions on the programs were enforced and who received a 'California letter' prior to that time. By this, I mean that such a person would be near the end of their residency.

N.B. This does not mean that the school is California approved! Many graduates from Eastern European English language programs gained licensure in California prior to the restrictions being enforced.
What matters now is whether or not the school IS California approved at the time of graduation for the individual graduate!

Also, note that if your school/program is not approved, you cannot do clinicals in California!

OK...I was doing electives this past fall at UIC and I had an opportunity to work with a resident who was doing rotations for his 3rd year at Mercy Hospital. Now, that hospital is affiliated with some California school where he came from. Anyhow, we talked for some time exspecially since he himself is a foreign grad from Mexico. When I told him that I am studying in Poland he asked where. I told him Poznan, and he said "hey I had an interen working with me last year from there". He told me his name, and I recognized it as a student who graduated UMS in 2001.

Now, how he got the position....I DON'T KNOW. I am just telling you what I know. Oh, and about that same time, KMU was working on somekind of recognition by the state of California, as I was told by a student who graduated last year. Haven't confirmed it, because I am not planning on doing residency there. What happened with those talks...not sure. Maybe they had given it up, it's anybodies guess.


I do have to add, that sometimes connections go a long way. Oh, he was also from California. Don't know if that had any impact on it.

What I heard from Pat Park of the California State Medical Board is that no english programs from Poland are approved yet. Lubli & Silesia have submitted applications which will get reviewed by a consultant sometime. The consultant may recommend a site visit. So if all goes well it could be a couple of years until resolution one way or the other.

KMU has asked for and received the application frfom CA but has not submitted it yet and from my discussion with their NY office - they could give no specfic dates.

Speaking with Alliance, which interfaces to the program at Lodz, they are also in the process of completing the app and hope to be submitting it in the next three to six months.

From Scripps Mercy Residency Programs, Apply to our Program
http://www.scripps.org/1383_1396.asp

ERAS applications for IMGs must include the following supporting documents:

1) A copy of your Applicant Evaluation Status Letter from the Medical Board of California (issued within the past 12 months) which verifies that your medical education has been reviewed and approved as meeting their requirements.

Mutig25,

If you work hard, score well on your boards, do some research, get electives in the US, and obtain good rec letters, then I don't see any problem with you being "limited." UMS in Poznan will not be the limiting factor for you, it all depends on how bad you want to succeed.

The only limitations I know of currently are obtaining a residency in CA and NM. But that leaves you with another 40+ states to choose from. Most people I am in contact with, end up in the midwest or east coast, however, there are grads practicing all throughout the US.

So in the end it will be up to you to determine how you will succeed.
Best of Luck!

ctkMD

kmufangs,

Welcome to ValueMD! Finally another person from Poznan that can help provide some input about the university. Glad to see that you found your way here. Spread the word if you can, if there are more people from Poznan who participate, the more objective info we can share.

Keep on posting,

ctkMD