The Path to Medical Residency in Ivy League Schools of America

THE PATH TO MEDICAL RESIDENCY IN IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS OF AMERICA

Doing a medical residency in the United States

As we mentioned in our previous articles, medicine in the United States is not an education that can be taken directly at the undergraduate degree. Students can enter medicine at the master's level after completing a bachelor's degree in a different field and taking courses that are prerequisites for admission. 

Alternatively, students can choose to go to America after studying medicine at the undergraduate level in a different country. However, medical education in America will proceed a little differently than in our country. 

As a first step, students are required to apply for Residency. Broadly defined, residency can be compared to the expertise system in Turkey. Afterwards, students can start working directly in the field where they receive residency, or they can optionally participate in fellowship programs. For some departments, post-residency fellowship is mandatory. For example, someone who wants to become a cardiologist enters a cardiology fellowship program after completing residency in internal medicine or pediatrics.

Each university in the United States can set its own requirements for admission to a residency program. In this article, we will talk about what the residency route is like in Ivy League universities. 

What is the Ivy League?

The Ivy League is an association of 8 universities that are among the best in America and the world. These universities are as follows;

1. Brown University - Rhode Island

2. Columbia University - New York 

3. Cornell University - New York

4. Dartmouth College - New Hampshire

5. Harvard University - Massachusetts 

6. Princeton University - New Jersey 

7. University of Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania 

8. Yale University - Connecticut 

Academic excellence as well as extracurricular experience and skills must be high for admission to these universities. In addition, success is expected in exams such as SAT/ACT/LSAT/GRE/GMAT/MCAT/IELTS/TOEFL. 

For medical residency, the USMLE exam is the first step. 

USMLE:

USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam) is an exam that everyone who wants to work as a doctor in America must take. This exam consists of a total of three parts. While the first two parts can currently be completed in Ankara center, the last step is done only in the United States. 

The Step 1 exam, which is the first step of the USMLE, measures knowledge of basic sciences. This exam lasts 8 hours and the questions are divided into 7 blocks. Each block has a minimum of 40 questions, and the total number of questions is up to 280. Topics in the Step 1 exam include Biochemistry and Nutrition, Genetics, Anatomy, Embryology, Histology, Immunology, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biostatistics. On January 26, 2022, the passing score in the Step 1 exam was 196 and the pass/fail system was introduced.

Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge): There is no pass/fail system at this stage. It is important to be able to identify clinical information and diseases. 

Step 3 consists of multiple-choice questions and computer-based case simulations. It is a two-day exam. On the first day, a 6-session exam consisting of 232 questions in total is held. The first day exam takes an average of 6 hours. The exam on the second day lasts 9 hours. First, a 7-minute training is given. In addition to an exam of 30 questions x 6 blocks = 180 questions, 13 case simulations are carried out. 

Residency programs in the USA

If you are thinking of getting your residency in the United States after graduating from medical school in Turkey, you should plan for it from your first year and acquire the necessary experience and skills. In addition to requiring the USMLE exam, many of the Ivy League schools also require;

• High level of English grammar
• A qualified CV
• Dean's letter (MSPE)
• At least 3 letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Medical school transcript
• Success in the interview

There are also many advantages to specializing in American Ivy League schools. Here are some of them:

• Salary starting at around $60,000 per year
• Housing scholarship
• Meal card
• Unlimited access to learning resources
• Life and health insurance
• Paid annual leave
• Life and health insurance for dependents

Contact us for further information on residency programmes in the Ivy League universities.