As posted by user: Picard

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Questions about California residency/licensure requirements come up from time to time, I've been asked to post some general informations on these topics. Bear in mind that licensing laws change frequently. So please double check and confirm everything you hear from this forum with official sources.

For California, the Medical Board's website is: www.medbd.ca.gov

CLINICAL:
We have affiliations in the following hospitals in California:
1) San Joaquin General Hospital in Stockton (90 miles east of San Francisco). We offer Medicine and Psych core rotations. Electives in medicine subspecialties are also available. Highly recommend our ICU rotation. There are talks of expanding our core rotations to other areas, but they are just talks now without any concrete plans. We have SGU grads in IM, FP, and Surgery residency programs in this hospital. Graduates who are in Surgery and FP sat out a year to wait for their California Letters (more on this later). Both chief residents in medicine this year are SGU grads (as well as last year's chief.) Housing is available on campus (Grand-Anse quality dormrooms), currently we charge $25 dollars per month including a in-house phone for local calls (and calling card OK) and utilities.
2) Highland General Hospital in Oakland. A busy county hospital with good teaching and patient diversity. It's in the Bay Area. Only Medicine core and medicine electives are available. You can do radiology elective here as well, but it will NOT be recorded as radiology elective (no radiology residency here), it will be recorded as medicine elective. We have SGU grads here in IM residency programs every year. Housing - you are on your own.
3) Kern County in Bakersfield. All cores are available here. You can potentially stay here your entire 2 years of clinicals. They only have limited spots here. Ross and AUC also rotate through here. They have minimum GPA/Step I score requirements. Don't know much about this place as it was not available when I was a student. They have SGU grads in medicine residency program. Housing -- don't know.
4) Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in City of Orange, next to Disneyland. Excellent pediatric core and electives, including critical care. Very good teaching. Unfortunately, they have virtually stopped taking our grads into their Pediatric residency programs in the past two years (the somewhat anti-IMG stance of the current program director). Housing -- on your own.

COLLECT L-6 FORMS FROM EVERY CLINCAL ROTATION YOU DO, including rotations in England. (See below for L-6 forms)

You will need to do 4 weeks of Family Practice rotation during medical school. This applies to both IMG's and USMG's.

RESIDENCY:
California is one of the states that do not trust ECFMG's ability to evaluate foreign medical education. They do their own individual evaluations of IMG's.
First of all, you need to attend (entire medical education, no transfers) and graduate from a California approved medical school. Currently only SGU, AUC, and Ross are approved from the Caribbeans. If you went to an unapproved med school, you will NOT be licensed in California, EVER. No loopholes. You can be a world famous board-certified chief of neurosurgery from an Ivy League hospital... if your med school is not approved by California, you still cannot be licensed. Board certification and/or licensure from other states do not get you around this rule. This rule applies to residency as well.
You will absolutely need to do all your rotations in hospitals that have ACGME-approved residency programs in the specialty of your rotation. Specifically, Family Practice residency CANNOT serve as the parent residency for other specialties except family practice.

In order to start residency in California, you need to have in your physical possession a "California Status Letter" (CA Letter) on Day 1 of your residency start date. Starting residency without the letter constitutes practicing medicine without a license and is a felony. To get this letter, you need to file and start your licensing process. You need to file paperwork and fulfill all licensing requirements except for Step III score and the two-year residency training requirement. It takes 60 days to get this letter... and your original diploma is required... so you don't have much time to play around.

For licensure/CA Letter, you will need to have:
1) Official transcripts from every school you attended since high school. Medical school transcript needs to show degree conferment. (So don't send it before you graduate -- see school paperwork below).
2) Completed licensing application.
3) L-6 Form from every single rotation you do. You can print this form from the CA board website. The form needs to be signed by DME of every hospital you rotate through for every rotation you do, and it needs to have either hospital seal or notary. COLLECT THESE AND HAVE THEM DONE AS YOU GO THROUGH YOUR CLINICALS. DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU GRADUATE...
4) School certification. These are forms the school needs to fill out to certify your education. As of now, the school CANNOT fill these out before you officially graduate (meaning, the date on these forms cannot predate your official graduation date). Let Bay Shore (registrar's office) know that you are applying for California residency/licensure. School charges a fee, but will Fedex your paperwork, including transcript with degree conferment back to California medical board on the day of your official graduation date. This is very important. This is where SGU shines in terms of "customer service."
5) Official/original proof of US citizenship (birth certificate/passport), or letter of intent to become US citizen.
6) Fingerprint (2-sets) -- remember it takes 4-6 weeks to clear FBI. Don't know if CA Med Board is now set up to accept "Live Scan." If they are, submit prints via "Live Scan" (available in most local police stations) will save time.
7) Black and White, studio quality photo of specific size/dimension (NOT passport size photo). Spec's are on the application form.
8 ) Application Fee -- Around $520, give or take a few.
9) Original Medical School diploma -- yes, original. It's best to show it to them in person if at all possible. This way, they can inspect it in person, make a copy, and give it back to you on the spot.
10) I'm sure I'm missing something -- check the board's website for other details I might have missed.

AFTER TWO YEARS OF RESIDENCY --
Complete your licensing process by submitting Step III scores and Certificate of completion of 2 years of residency from your program. Pay initial licensing fee of $300, show original ECFMG certificate with indefinite validation stickers.... and become an officially licensed physician in California.

Final words and advices:
There are plenty of IM/FP residency programs that will take SGU grads right out of school, on your word that you will obtain the CA Letter in time to start residency program. Don't burn them -- keep up with your licensing process so that you get your letters in time. We have graduates in USC, various UCLA IM programs, Loma Linda, White Memorial, various Kaisers, and of course SJGH, Highland, and Kern... and few other places I can't remember off hand. FP is also doable in CA. Other specialties are hard to come by in California because most are UC-associated. Most UC programs will NOT interview IMG's without seeing the IMG's CA Letter first. So this means if you are interested in other specialty programs, you may have to sit out a year, get your CA Letter, before entering the match. This is how the SGU grad in our hospital (San Joaquin) got the surgical residency spot.
If you are interested in IM residency spots in one of our CA affiliated hospitals, it is very, very, very advisible to do rotations in these hospitals. Every SGU grad we have taken in our hospital (San Joaquin) has been a student here during med school.
Don't wait until you officially graduate to submit your California licensing application for your CA Letter. Start the process as soon as you know you have matched into a California program. Submit what you can as soon as you have them. Do the fingerprints ASAP to give them time to clear FBI, and above all, pay the application fee ASAP.
California allows IMG's to take Step III without any residency training. You can sit for Step III in California as soon as you graduate from medical school. You may be interested in doing so because you are at your best in terms of general medical knowledge... (I waited until I was almost two years into my residency, and I couldn't remember much Peds/OBGYN... )

Best Wishes, hope this helps,

Picard

__________________
Steph
If you get a warning, put on yer manpants and stop whining about it.

EM bound


Post subject: CA letter Originally Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 12:19 am

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I recently went through this process just a few changes

only need medical school transcript; web site says differently but hasn't caught up with the policy changes

No longer need to send passport/birth certificate stuff if US citizen

You send both original and copy of the diploma

You can wait to apply after the match but have your stuff ready to submit on match day. I put my application in on April 2nd (did the electronic fingerprinting weeks before like in february) and had to have my letter faxed to me so that I could make the start date of June 24th; after pleading for help from both CA board and asking my program director to be patient. So sooner is better but if you need to save money you can do as above in case you don't match in CA. Remember to call your PD to explain to them that you have to wait for the letter until you get your diploma. You don't need your ECFMG certificate for the board but will need it for the program so don't hesistate on that either. Be nice and courteous to the Board as well it goes a long way to make things smoother.

__________________
Steph
If you get a warning, put on yer manpants and stop whining about it.

Use the "Back" key to return to the search results page, or click here to return to the ACP Internal Medicine Residency Database search page.

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Alameda County Medical Center, Highland Campus
Oakland, California

Residency Training In Internal Medicine
The residency program in Internal Medicine at Highland General Hospital offers an excellent opportunity for integrated three-year clinical training. The Medical service has an average daily census of seventy patients, the majority of which enter the hospital through the Emergency Department. A smaller number are admitted through our clinics. The average length of stay is short, and patient turnover is high due to the acuity and severity of these illnesses. The range of clinical conditions encountered at Highland General Hospital is broad and far more diverse than that of most hospitals: the underprivileged and impoverished present the medical problems so often found in these groups. The ethnic and social diversity of the East Bay brings to the hospital many patients with uncommon medical and psychosocial problems, urgently in need of care and assistance. Highland General Hospital serves these people and in so doing, provides its staff of resident physicians with an unusual opportunity for graduate medical training.

The clinical instruction in the Department of Internal Medicine is provided by a faculty of general internists and subspecialists who hold full-time positions at the hospital. All faculty physicians are board-certified and hold clinical appointments at the University of California-San Francisco. Daily work rounds and patient teaching rounds are made with the housestaff.

Beginning in 1992, an affiliation between Highland and the Kaiser Permanente medical system has given our residents increased opportunities and patient exposure. Rotations at Kaiser-Martinez for Ambulatory Care have broadened their experience, as well as given them exposure to an HMO-type delivery system. We are confident that this affiliation will continue to expand in the future.

In 1998, we began rotating Residents to California-Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco for an intensive four week experience in Critical Care Medicine. This rotation has proven to be educational and exciting and has added greatly to the program.

Housestaff accepted into the three-year program will be reappointed based on satisfactory performance. There are positions for all who wish to continue and who perform in a satisfactory manner.

Medical students are present on all services; requests for such rotations are welcomed, but available slots fill up quickly.

Three tracks are available for applicants of Internal Medicine: Preliminary Medicine Internship (C-15), Categorical Medicine Internship (C-16) and Primary Care Medicine Internship (C-17).

In addition to these inpatient duties, every intern and resident is assigned to the General Medical Clinic for one half day each week throughout the year. The resident sees follow-up patients discharged from the hospital and new referrals to the clinic. Gradually, the resident accumulates a group of patients in the clinic who remain with the resident for the duration of his stay at Highland General Hospital. Block rotations in Ambulatory Care occur in PGY-II and III.

Internships-PG-I

All interns in the program are expected to assume primary patient responsibility assisted by residents and attending physicians. The patient load varies among the services but is generally between 8 and 12 per intern. Typically, one or two interns work with one resident, and one attending. The training "year" is divided into 13 four-week months resulting in 12 clinical rotations plus a month for vacation.

Interns in the Primary Care Division are scheduled for 3 months of each year on the Primary Care Service with activities in the Outpatient Clinics.

First-Year Medical Resident-PG-II

First-year medical residents are assigned to the adult medical wards of Highland General Hospital for part of the year and take subspecialty elective rotations for the majority of the year. There are no subspecialty wards at Highland-all patients admitted to the hospital medical service are cared for on the general medical wards. While on the ward rotation, the resident will work with two interns and two medical students. Each such team usually cares for 15-20 patients. Night call is every fifth night. A system utilizing a "night float" is in place. Attending rounds are made every day, and attending physicians are available at all times for consultation. Subspecialty rotations in the PG-II year include: Cardiology, Ambulatory Care, Neurology, Pulmonary, and Gastroenterology. One of the strengths of the Highland residency is that senior subspecialists are in close and daily contact with the housestaff to provide consultations, teaching, and guidance on the management of difficult problems.

Second-Year Medical Resident-PG-III

The second year of medical residency is the continuation of the PG-II year with additional months spent on general ward rotations and with completion of additional medical subspecialty rotations-hematology, oncology, consults, infectious disease, etc.

Third-Year Medical Resident-PG-IV

Three Residents remain for a final, fourth year of training during which they serve as Chief resident, performing the traditional duties of that position-administration (scheduling and planning conferences), liaison with the chief of the department, consultants to other departments, serving as junior faculty, etc.

Primary Care Training Program

The Primary Care Division of the Internal Medicine Department at Highland General Hospital offers a three-year training program designed to teach general internists skill in both ambulatory and hospital care. It is the aim of this program to train competent and compassionate physicians who will practice in medically underserved areas.

The Primary Care Program includes three to four months yearly of rotations in ambulatory medicine. The remainder of the year is spent in ward medicine and subspecialty training similar to the traditional internal medicine tract. The objective of the program is to enhance Highland's excellent training experience in intensive, acute illness with teaching in non-internal medicine specialties, behavioral science, preventive health care, and cultural awareness and sensitivity.

The Primary Care curriculum includes a yearly didactic rotation with teaching in behavioral science, ambulatory medical practice, multicultural medicine, bioethics, clinical preventive medicine, medical decision making and research methods. Additionally, during the first year of training Primary Care interns spend rotations developing skills in gynecology, office ENT, dermatology, radiology, laboratory medicine and ophthalmology. During the second two years of training the primary care rotations include substance abuse training, geriatrics, HIV care, endocrinology, community practice and elective time. Second and third year residents also have two weekly continuity clinics: one at the Highland General Medical Clinic and the second at a community primary care site. The community clinics provide a rich experience in multicultural community-based medicine.

The curriculum also includes a behavioral science practicum in which housestaff work with our staff psychiatrist, to develop interviewing skills, to learn the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, and to become trained in the case management model of primary care. The geriatrics program includes work in the Highland Geriatric Evaluation Clinic, the local community geriatric primary care clinic, supervised home visits, conferences, and objective-based materials. The computer project offers training in literature searches, database, use of diagnostic tutorials, and assistance in independent research. Time is allotted for independent study projects during the Primary Care rotations. Didactic sessions include behavioral science conferences, weekly ambulatory medicine conferences, and multidisciplinary case conferences.

The three-year program fulfills the requirements for Internal Medicine Board eligibility.

Applications

We accept applications from all LCME accredited U.S. medical schools and osteopathic schools. International applicants must posses and authorization letter from the California Medical Board, have satisfactory USMLE scores, be fluent in the English language, and be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident.

Appointments to all programs are made through the National Resident Matching Program. There are separate NRMP numbers for each of the tracks within the Program (Preliminary, Categorical, Primary Care).
Internship applications must be made via ERAS, the Electronic Residency Application Service. Paper and non-ERAS applications are not accepted.
All interviews are offered after initial application review and are by invitation only.
Applications for PG-II positions are welcomed. Interviews will be scheduled after receipt of completed applications and are by appointment only.

Internal Medicine Residency Training Program Faculty

Theodore G. Rose, Jr., M.D., FACP
Chairman, Department of Medicine
Director, Internal Medicine Residency Training Program
Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Stephen D. Yee, M.D.
Attending Physician
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Colin M. Feeney, M.D., FACP
Attending Physician
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Steven Sackrin, M.D.
Attending Physician
Program Director Transitional Internship
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Kathleen Clanon, M.D., FACP
Attending Physician
Chief, HIV Services

Sonia Levingston, M.D.
Attending Physician

Robbin Green-Yeh, D.O.

Cardiology Division:

Walter S. Stullman, M.D.
Chief
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Garwood Gee, M.D., FACC
Associate Chief
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Thoracic Medicine Division:

Jamie Bigelow, M.D.
Chief

Gastroenterology Division:

Michael Silpa, M.D.
Chief

Ralph Bernstein, M.D.
Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Bob Narayan, M.D.

Juergen Mueller, M.D.

Infectious Disease Division:

Robert McCabe, M.D.
Chief

Valerie Chirurqi, M.D.

Primary Care Medicine Division:

****** H. Wofsy, M.D.
Chief, Division of Primary Care
Assistant Chief of Medicine
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Linda Engelstad, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Lyn Berry, M.D.
Program Director
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Jim Mittelberger, M.D., FACP
Director, Geriatrics Section
Assistant Clinical Proffessor of Medicine, UCSF

Sharone Abramowitz, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Instructor
Department of Psychiatry, UCSF

Nephrology Division:

Mario Corona, M.D., Chief

Swati Patel, M.D.

Dermatology:

Elizabeth Reed, M.D., Chief

Neurology:

Claudine Dutavet, M.S.
Chief

Twenty Questions about the Medicine Residency at the Alameda County Medical Center and Kaiser Hospitals

How many Interns will you take this year?
We plan to take nine (9) Interns in Categorical Medicine (3 yr.), Six (6) Interns in Primary Care Medicine (3 yr.), Two (2) Interns in Preliminary Medicine (1 yr).

What do you look for in an applicant?
Academic excellence, commitment to under-served and minority populations, ability to work hard, and desire to learn are all important factors. Applications by minorities and women are encouraged.

Is an interview required?
An interview is strongly recommended, but is not required, particularly if financial and distance constraints make it impractical. Interviews are by invitation after an application is received.

Are you affiliated with a University?
The Department of Medicine has been affiliated with the University of California-San Francisco for over fifteen years.

Do you have any foreign graduates in the program?
On average, we have four to five international medical graduates out of a total of 50 Residents in the program. Nearly all are Americans who've attended St. George's University in Grenada.

What is the success rate of your Residents in passing the Board Exams?
Average over three years, 80% for the first attempt.

What do your graduates do when they complete the program?
After passing the Boards, about two-thirds begin private practice or join an HMO, group, or other public arrangement. Approximately one-third of our graduates go on to Fellowship training in a subspecialty of Medicine.

How often are you on call?
As an Intern, on call varies from one in five to one in seven. Resident on-call schedules on Ward Medicine are complex and involve a night float arrangement. We have eliminated 24-hour shifts by this system.

Is there any elective time?
One month of elective time is scheduled. Primary Care Residents do not have elective time, but have seven Primary Care rotations during the PG II/III years.

How many admissions does an Intern work up on a typical on-call night?
Admissions average three to five per intern on Highland Wards.

What percentage of your admissions are HIV-related?
Roughly 8% are HIV-related admissions.

Is there training in Neurology?
The Neurology experience consists of out-patient and consultation services at Highland.

Are any aspects of internal medicine not available at Highland?
At present, we do not do cardiac surgery, cardiac catheterizations, PTCA, or transplants on site. We do have arrangements with local centers to provide facilities for these services, often using our own staff. Elective rotations on these services are available.

Are clerkships available for medical students?
Clerkships are available for medical students in all subspecialities as well as Ward Medicine. However, no living accommodations can be provided. We usually do scheduling one year in advance and students must have completed their third year prior to arrival here.

Are there medical students on service?
At any given time, we have between 40 and 50 students rotating on Internal Medicine and its subspecialities.

Where do your Interns and Residents live?
Most live in the Oakland/Berkeley area, although some commute from San Francisco and other area locales.

Are there any other training programs at Highland?
There are residencies in Surgery and Emergency Medicine, and a Transitional Internship. Applications for these programs are available from their respective offices.

Is Oakland a safe place to work?
Oakland is not more nor less "safe" than any other U.S. city of its size in the 1990's. Many of us work, play, and live in Oakland.

Are there PG-II or PG-III positions available?
Applications for these positions are kept on file in the unlikely event a position becomes available. Decisions are made in January for the following July.

How would you sum up the "Highland Experience"?
Hard work, excellent teaching, camaraderie among housestaff and faculty, ability to "handle anything", and a feeling of self-fulfillment in providing care to the people who need it the most.

Top

__________________
Steph
If you get a warning, put on yer manpants and stop whining about it.

Just learned that during your intern year you NEED to send L3 form which is diiferent than the L3A form to maintain your file as "active" with the licensing process. Frequently your program will have these forms if not sent directly to you. In addition, you must file an L8 form every year to inform the board of what training program you are currently in and your intention to continue to pursue licensure in California. I just learned about this from randoming calling the board to ask a question about timing for sending my other documents. It was a surprise to me becuase the board is "supposed' to send the additional forms with your letter of authorization. My due date was June 11th and was told that my documents are now late. So be sure that when you receive your CA letter that you also get the golden colored L3 form and the L8 form and send them back after you start residency. Then call the board to make sure that these are received. Our medical director's office handles this at my hospital and informed me the the board has lost several records. So follow-up , like ususal, is key to successfully navigating the CA med board's licensing process.

Hello friends,

I recently received correspondence from Therese ***** who works at the CA Medical Board and deals with IMG paperwork/issues. She emailed me (December 2004) the following information regarding the CA status letter.

Following is an outline of the requirements to obtain a Postgraduate
Training Authorization Letter to commence ACGME-accredited postgraduate training (internships, residencies) in California:

Complete an Application for Physician's and Surgeon's License (forms
L1A,B,C, & D). Answer all questions and provide any necessary
explanations/supporting documents.

Mail forms L2 and L5A/B to your medical school for them to complete and
return either to you or to our board.

Form L5A/B is the breakdown of your undergraduate clinical clerkships.
You are required to have completed the following clinical training
during medical school:
eight weeks/256 hours of medicine
eight weeks/256 hours of surgery
six weeks/192 hours ob/gyn
six weeks/192 hours of pediatrics
four weeks/128 hours of psychiatry (or a combination two
weeks/64 hours psychiatry + two weeks/64 hours neurology)
40 weeks in clinical electives in any sub-specialty of medicine
or surgery. We consider 32 hours to equal one week.

If you graduated from medical school after May 1998, your are required
to have four weeks/128 hours of family medicine in addition to the
other core requirements noted above.

Send an original official medical school transcript stamped with the
medical school seal and registrar's signature or a certified
photocopy, sent directly to the Medical Board from your medical school.
The certified copy must be affixed with the official medical school
seal, and be signed by the dean or registrar who also indicates, on the
photocopy, that it is a true and accurate photocopy of the original
transcript. If you choose to submit your original transcript, it will
be returned to you via certified mail. The certified photocopy will
remain a permanent part of your licensing application. PLEASE NOTE:
Undergraduate transcripts are no longer required; we only require
medical school transcripts.

Send your original medical school diploma with one 8½ x 11 photocopy or
a certified photocopy, sent directly to the Medical Board from your
medical school. The certified copy must be affixed with the official
medical school seal, and be signed by the dean or registrar who also
indicates, on the photocopy, that it is a true and accurate photocopy
of the original diploma. If you choose to submit your original diploma,
it will be returned to you via certified mail. The certified photocopy
will remain a permanent part of your licensing application.

Request a Certified Transcript of Scores from the Federation of State
Medical Boards (contact them at www.fsmb.org) Do not send your
personal copies. We must have the certified transcript from FSMB.

If you have completed any postgraduate training in the US or Canada,
please have the program(s) complete form L3A, Certificate of Completion
of ACGME/RCPSC Accredited Postgraduate Training.

If you are licensed with a full and unrestricted license in the US or
Canada, please contact the appropriate licensing authority and request
that they send directly to our office an official Letter of Good
Standing. PLEASE NOTE: You are no longer required to document
citizenship; therefore, you do not need to submit original licenses
from your home country, INS documentation, passports, or any other
documentation regarding citizenship.

Submit with your application two fingerprint cards (enclosed in the
application sent from our office or available by contacting our
Consumer Information Unit at 916-263-2375)Take the cards to your local police dept or sheriffs office to have your prints rolled. The prints must
be done by a peace officer.

Submit the application processing fee of $505. Upon receipt of your
application it will take approx 60 business days before we are able to
get to your file and conduct our initial review. You will be advised
in writing of your eligibility to commence postgraduate training in
California.

To meet the postgraduate training requirement for licensure, you must
satisfactorily complete two years of ACGME or RCPSC (Canadian
equivalent) postgraduate training. Passing USMLE Steps 1, 2, and 3
meets the written examination requirement.

Please e-mail me with any additional questions or visit the board's web
site at www.caldocinfo.ca.gov . Thank you.


Therese *****, Licensing Analyst
Medical Board of California
(916) 263-2375
Fax (916) 263-2487

I'm a med student in Sweden and I have some questions about the status letter. I am very confused!
About the clinical training, there is one form called "Official breakdown of undergraduate clinical clerkships" but as I understand it, if you have done parts of your clinical training outside the "primary teaching hospital" of the medical school, you have to complete the "clinical training" form for each of these clerkships. Now to my question: do you have to complete a clinical training certificate for the clerkships you have done at the primary teaching hospital aswell? (or is it enough with the breakdown of undergraduate clinical clerkships?).
If you have done all your clinical training at the primaty teaching hospital you're not required to complete the clinical training form for each clerkship, but how can the CA board know wheather the clerkships in the "official breakdown" form took place at the primary teaching hospital or somewhere else??
If you're "lacking clerkship"s for some reason and don't want to do externships (or whatever it's called) to add up, I've read that residency training anywhere in the U.S. can count and help you to get enough training to obtain the status letter, is this valid information?
I have one more question: If you're for example required to have 8 weeks of surgery and you've had a couple of weeks of gastro surgery, couple of weeks of urology, a couple of weeks of ortho, a couple of endocrine etc, would they all add upp to these 8 weeks (or more?) Or do the 8 weeks need to be in a certain field of surgery? The same question go for IM.
I would really appreciate if someone could answer any of my questions (I'm not planning on applying for the letter yet, I'm just curious as to how the rules work)!! Or if you know someone who could (I couldn't find any email addresses on the CA board website)
Ok, one last thing, how hard is it for an FMG get a residency in CA w/o a green card? Is it possible to get J-1?

Thanks! /Helena

Sounds like you went to a true "domicile" medical school, not a foreign school catering to Americans. There may be some differences in rules regarding your situation. I would urge you to call the California Medical Board and discuss your situation with them directly.

As for J-1 -- nearly impossible to come by in California. There are more people who want California residency than there are spots in California.

P

__________________
Jean Luc Picard
Academic Hospitalist/Assist. Professor of Medicine, Star Fleet Medical, Earth, United Federation of Planets
Borg-Certified... Resistance is Futile.

In Glock, We Trust... Everyone Else... Keep Your Hands Where I Can See Them.

http://www.odmp.org/search.php?searc...=2001&cause=27
http://www.nypdangels.com/wtc.htm
http://www.hampsteadnh.us/police/A%2...ica%20Died.htm
http://longmontpolice.com/MEMORIAM.HTM

This is probably a dumb question but I have looked for an answer to it for hours to no avail. Do you need to have passed the USMLE steps I, II CK, and II CS in order to recieve the California status letter? The reason I ask is I'm thinking about taking the step2 after graduation and don't want to run into timing difficulties with applying for the match in CA.

Hello,
Just to update this thread, Saba is now an approved school in both California and New York.

Thanks for all the useful information.

Bigguy