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Foreign Medical Study

Fifth Pathway Opportunities



Students who have completed all of the formal requirements of the foreign medical school except internship and/or social service may substitute a year of supervised clinical training for the required foreign internship (that is, clinical clerkship or junior internship) under the direction of an AMA-approved medical school. Upon successful completion, students may enter the first year of an approved residency program without having to complete the social service requirement of the foreign country. Before beginning the supervised clinical training, students must have their academic records reviewed and approved by the school supervising the clinical training and must pass a screening examination acceptable to the Council on Medical Education. The ECFMG examination and/or Step 1 of the USMLE are used for this purpose.



Currently only mainland U.S. medical schools offer Fifth Pathway clerkships. This option applies primarily to students in Mexican medical schools and is open only to physicians who have completed their undergraduate premedical studies in an acceptable manner at an accredited American college or university. The Fifth Pathway program allows U.S. students who have completed the requirements for a medical degree in Mexico to be eligible for a continuous academic year of supervised clinical training under the direction of a medical school approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The students who complete this supervised clinical training are then able to enter an AMA-approved graduate training program without completing the Mexican-required internship or social science obligation. This program facilitates graduates of Mexican medical schools to pass into graduate medical programs in this country. The following schools are associated with this Fifth Pathway program. They give preference to state residents. Inquiries should be addressed to the directors of these programs.

University of Arizona
College of Medicine
Tucson, AZ 85724
(Arizona residents only)
University of California, Irvine
California College of Medicine
Irvine, CA 92717
(Preference for California Residents)
Loma Linda University
School of Medicine
Loma Linda, CA 92354
(Out of state residents discouraged)
University of Colorado
School of Medicine
Denver, CO 80262
(Colorado residents only)
University of Illinois
College of Medicine
1737 West Polk, Room 204
Chicago, IL 60612
(Preference for Illinois residents)
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
The Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center
Fulton Avenue at 169th Street
Bronx, NY 10456
New York University
School of Medicine
Booth Memorial Medical Center
56-45 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11355
(New York residents only)
State University of New York
Downstate Medical Center
College of Medicine
The Brooklyn Hospital
121 Dekalb Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Fifth Ave. & 100 St.
New York, NY 10029
New York Medical College
Valhalla, NY 10595
Brown University
Division of Biology and Medicine
Providence, RI 02912

It should be noted that additional hospitals in California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas may also offer Fifth Pathway opportunities, and additional information can be obtained from the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association. Securing a Fifth Pathway appointment presents a significant challenge, because their numbers are very limited and competition is intense.

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Job Descriptions and Careers, Career and Job Opportunities, Career Search, and Career Choices and ProfilesGuide to Medical & Dental SchoolsForeign Medical Study - Admission, Transfer To U.s. Schools, Internship And Residency, Fifth Pathway Opportunities