International Applicants

We are interested in training the very best international medical graduates and have a long record of doing so. All international medical graduates must apply through ERAS.

We receive about 600 international applications and interview about 20 applicants or about 1 in 30. For various reasons we can only accept a maximum of 6 to 8 applicants for internship who require visas.

International applicants who have already completed a pediatric residency in another country and need to complete additional pediatric residency training in the United States may be eligible for a waiver of one year of training from the American Board of Pediatrics. Such applicants may wish to be considered for a position as a PL2 (see section on PL-2 and PL-3 Applicants).

Our two hospitals are able to sponsor both H1b and J1 visas, assuming there are no changes in US Immigration policies. An H1b visa is much more desirable but requires that an applicant successfully complete USMLE Step 3. With the rare exception of those who will graduate at the end of the academic year and cannot take Step 3 until they have graduated, we require that the USMLE step 3 examination be completed by January 15, 2025 for us to obtain an H1b visa. If you need an exception please contact Dr. Sam Lux on or after your interview date.

• To be seriously considered, international medical graduates must have an exceptional medical school record and have received the kinds of prizes, medals or awards that are given to the very top students. In most cases they will also have a strong record of accomplishment in research, or prior residency training in pediatrics, or both.
• International applicants should be ECFMG certified by October 31, 2024, our application deadline and must be ECFMG certified by the completion of interviews on Jan 15, 2025 or they will not be considered by the selection committee. In rare cases an exception will be made for candidates who will graduate at the end of the academic year and cannot apply for ECFMG certification until they have graduated. In these cases the applicant must obtain the approval of Dr. Lux and must pass all ECFMG examinations by January 15, 2025. This includes USMLE Step 1 and the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge test.
• USMLE scores must be above 210 on the first attempt and ideally should be above 230.
• Applicants must demonstrate excellent spoken and written English and the ability to work in a modern, high complexity medical center. This is best done by one or more rotations during medical school involving direct patient contact on a pediatric or internal medicine inpatient or consult service at a major teaching hospital in the United States or other English-speaking country. Applicants who lack such rotations will be considered if they have an exceptional academic record in medical school, have trained at other outstanding medical centers, have high USMLE scores and have extensive research experience.
• At least two of the letters of recommendation must be from physician who are very familiar with the applicant’s clinical skills. Letters from physicians at the applicant’s medical school or other training institution(s) who have trained in the US are especially useful. We rarely find “observerships” useful in evaluating applicants and suggest that applicants not have letters sent from such experiences unless the applicant worked very closely with the letter writer for a considerable period in caring for patients and had more than the usual “observer” role in patient care.