FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATE APPLICANTS:

1.  VISA ISSUES

The University of Florida Department of Anesthesiology welcomes applications for residency and fellowship training from our international colleagues.  Please be aware, however, that the University of Florida College of Medicine will usually on sponsor visas of the J-1 (visitor exchange) type. The College of Medicine will only in rare circumstances sponsor any new H-1 type visas for training in any medical specialty. Permanent resident aliens who already have permanent work authorization are, of course, welcome to apply.

2.  APPLICATION PROCEDURES: 

All applications must be filed through the Electronic Residency Application System-E.R.A.S.  No applications will be accepted by e-mail unless specifically approved IN ADVANCE by the program director.  No applications will be accepted by regular mail unless specifically approved IN ADVANCE by the program director. 

3. QUALIFICATIONS: 

The program director reviews ALL applications received by ERAS and considers the entire application packet when making decisions regarding interviews for our international as well as U.S. applicants.  There are no minimum scores for USMLE parts 1 and 2.  However, both parts including the clinical skills test must be completed prior to rank order submission in order for international applicants to be considered for ranking in the match program.  If applying from a country where the medical education system is not well known and understood by faculty in this program and /or the program director, USMLE will play a more important role in determining competitiveness for an interview.  In that case, applicants with 3-digit scores under 200 for either parts 1 or 2 are not likely to be considered competitive.  In any event, the entire application is reviewed even with USMLE scores under that value. 

4. International Medical Graduates in our Department: 

Our department has always had a rich heritage of diversity with residents and faculty in our family originating from many different countries in the world, and well-qualified applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of their country of origin (see visa issues above). 

5.  ADDITIONAL MANDATORY ENGLISH EVALUATION:  

As an international graduate whose native language is other than English, please pay special attention to our requirement for the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC).  The TOEIC is not to be confused with TOEFL, USMLE, ECFMG, or CSA.  The TOEIC is a written and verbal examination that tests your ability to function in an English-speaking environment.  Many international medical graduate residents, who have successfully passed their ECFMG and are highly qualified, have experienced language difficulties in the OR arena and in the hospital where rapid, effective communication with colleagues in anesthesiology and other medical specialties is critically important.  Therefore, additional English speaking testing requirements have been implemented for all non-native English speaking applicants to our program.  The exam requirement may be waived by the program director if you have been raised or spent significant time in a country where English is the primary language and received your medical training in English.  Otherwise, the TOEIC exam is a MUST and the results  MUST be available prior to any consideration for listing in the match program.  Your application to our residency program will be reviewed once it is complete.  If your application appears competitive, we will issue an invitation for interview and advise you to take the TOEIC examination.  We do not advise signing up for the examination until your application is determined to be competitive.  The TOEIC examination results do not have to be available to be considered for an interview, but must be available to be considered for the matching program.  You must receive a score of 430 or higher on both the Listening and Reading Sections of this examination, and the results must be available prior to February 1^st in order to be included on our rank order list for the National Resident Matching Program.

Click HERE for information on the Test of English for International Communication.

page last updated 8/24/07