In recent years, there has been an increasing demand from Brazilian doctors and medical students for medical residency in the United States. This is due to the political and economic situation in Brazil, combined with greater ease in finding information facilitated by social media. 25% of doctors working in the United States are foreign. Countries like India, Pakistan, Syria, and Latin American countries already have a tradition of doctors immigrating to the USA. In India, several colleges are in English because it is already known that students want to immigrate to the USA.
Despite this high number of foreign doctors working in the USA, almost all of them had to take all the exams for the revalidation of their diplomas. The responsible body is called the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The process consists of three exams, the so-called steps. In addition to the steps, the applicant must take a medical English exam. Currently, this exam is the Occupational English Test (OET). By taking these exams, the medical professional is eligible to apply for medical residency or do a clinical fellow, which is a one-year training in some subspecialty. More and more doctors are seeking to do residency here, many already with well-established careers in Brazil and earning good salaries.
But what drives these professionals to restart their professional lives in the United States? The reasons are many: safety, better salaries, better working conditions, better opportunities for family. And more experienced professionals can also apply for a green card through EB1 or EB2. Having a green card greatly helps the doctor or student applying for medical residency in the USA. However, most foreign resident doctors have a J1 or H1-B visa, which are temporary work visas. In recent years, the number of Brazilian professionals who have obtained the EB2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) visa approved by American immigration has increased. These are professionals with a curriculum focused on scientific research, with publications in high-impact international journals and who are cited by other authors in their work.
There are numerous opportunities for doctors in the United States. And there are different ways in which they can work and obtain a green card, whether by doing residency, working in research, or doing a clinical fellow. Brazil has lagged behind compared to other countries that already have the tradition of sending doctors to the USA. However, there is an increasing search by Brazilian doctors who have a good recognized medical education. The opportunities are numerous, and more Brazilian doctors will certainly shine in America.
DR. DIEGO LAURENTINO LIMA
General Surgeon
dilaurentino@gmail.com