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Which Countries Allow US Physicians to Practice Clinical Medicine Abroad?

  • 3 days ago
  • 8 min read

With the surge in burnout and frustration with the US medical landscape, we are seeing increasing posts on our online physician communities from doctors exploring the option of moving to other countries. While some of these physicians may want to retire early, many of them still need income and/or want to practice clinical medicine, whether it be from abroad or by doing telemedicine in the United States while living in (or visiting) another country. We’ve separately covered the latter, so this article will explore frequently asked questions by physicians considering moving to another country but wanting to practice clinical medicine abroad. Below, we will cover which countries make it relatively easy or hard to practice clinical medicine with US board certification, how the situation may change depending on if you’re an MD or a DO, and other factors to consider when exploring practicing medicine outside of America.


Disclosure/Disclaimer: Our content is for generalized educational purposes.  While we try to ensure it is accurate and updated, we cannot guarantee it. We are not formal financial, legal, or tax professionals and do not provide individualized advice specific to your situation. You should consult these as appropriate and/or do your own due diligence before making decisions based on this page. To learn more, visit our disclaimers and disclosures.


Countries that make it relatively easy for board certified US physicians to practice abroad


Deciding what you’re looking for when exploring practicing abroad as a US trained physician


Before you get too far into what countries you can be licensed to practice clinical medicine in as a US based physician, you should decide what your motivations are for practicing abroad to help narrow the scope of your research and exploration. If you are moving abroad to be near family, this may be a more straightforward decision than if the whole world is an option. Things to consider include:


  • Do you want to be in an English speaking country? What other languages are you fluent in or would be willing to become fluent in?

  • How similar do you want the system to be to the United States? Are you open to different models of practicing medicine?

  • Are you willing to take a financial hit? Most countries pay doctors less than the United States on average, but the cost of living may also be lower. Additionally, depending on the situation, benefits may be better (country offers more benefits or preferred tax status, locums company offers free housing, etc.).

  • Do you want to work in a long term clinic or hospital, or are you open to locums opportunities or mission, public health, or humanitarian work?

  • Are you in a field that may allow you to continue practicing in the US via telemedicine or through occasional trips back to the United States for locums?



Factors that go into how easy or difficult it is to work internationally in a foreign country as a licensed US physician


In general, we are believers that when there’s a will, there’s a way, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. Some things to know:


  • Every country’s medical board equivalent has different policies about whether or not they will accept training from a US medical school and/or training program. These rules may be different for MDs and DOs, so you need to confirm whether your MD or DO will be recognized.

  • Some countries will require you to take their versions of board exams to be licensed to practice in their country. Others recognize US board certification and training, such as the USMLE steps and board exams.

  • Visa requirements can vary tremendously. Some countries allow you to apply for a work visa, whereas others will require someone to sponsor you (usually either an institution in the country or a recognized international locums company or organization)

  • Some companies require supervision before being allowed to practice independently

  • Different countries have different models of healthcare, from universal healthcare to socialized medicine to different prevalences of cash pay versus insurance based medicine. You’ll want to pick the one that most aligns with the type of practice you want to have.

  • Pay for physicians can be dramatically different from country to country. You’ll want to understand your current financial situation and where you are in relation to your financial independence or retirement goals to determine what you absolutely need to make. Also factor in things like health insurance and travel insurance if applicable, and what the tax situation is in the country you’re planning on working in.

  • Consider where you’ll feel at home, whether that’s because you are culturally or ethnically in alignment with a place, because there’s a large ex-pat community, or because it’s a country you’ve visited before that you’ve always wanted to spend more time in. Traveling in a country is often very different from living in it, so make sure you dig deeper into what everyday life looks like.



Countries that make it (relatively) easy for US board certified physicians to be licensed to work abroad


What constitutes ‘easy’ will be different for everyone, so we are simply providing some guidelines here based on feedback from group members and known licensing requirements. There are nuances to each of these when it comes to actually securing your license, and rules are always changing, so please do your own due diligence before making any decisions based on our lists.


While there are obviously ways to practice medicine in many countries other than the ones listed below, there are the countries we see being asked about the most in our physician communities. We always recommend going to the website for the individual countries’ medical licensing organizations to get the most up to date information about the requirements and nuances. There are also opportunities to practice abroad through various organizations that may not require you obtaining a license to practice medicine in that country, so look into those as well!



Countries that generally recognize US medical education and/or American board certification for physicians 


Note that even within this category, there is some nuance. Some will still require you to take licensing boards or similar exams, require fluency in a language, require initial supervision, etc. These are simply examples of countries that accept US training or education for purposes of licensing. Most of them require you to be board certified through the ABMS (American Board of Medical Specialties).


  • Canada: Particularly easy for Family medicine physicians, as there are reciprocity agreements in place, but is becoming increasingly easy for other specialists as well. To some degree, however, it is dependent on the particular province, with Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia generally not needing any additional training requirements or exams at this time. Other provinces may require the length of training to be the same as what you would have had if you had trained in Canada. 

  • US Territories: Many of the US territories make it very easy to practice medicine

  • Australia: Very popular as they recognize US board certification and training for purposes of registration with the Australian Medical Board, without the need for additional examinations or certifications. 

  • New Zealand: New Zealand also recognizes US licensing board examinations for many specialties (check to make sure this list is up to date). 

  • United Kingdom: The General Medical Council (GMC) of the UK issues the permits to practice medicine in the UK regardless of what environment you choose to work in (NHS or independent sector. You need a recognized medical degree, English language proficiency, a visa and work permit, and to meet standards that prove that they have the expertise and expertise to get a full license. Certification from some US boards may meet this criteria without having to take the Physician and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) exams, but you’ll want to dig deeper into what kind of license and what registrar you need to be on. 

  • India: Many US certified physicians will be able to practice in India, as the Medical Council of India accepts many board certifications from specialties within the American Board of Medical Specialties. These include internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, family medicine, emergency medicine, to name some larger fields, as well as many other boards in more specialized fields. Check with their website to see if yours is included. 

  • Pakistan: In general, the Pakistan Medical Commission is very open to allowing those trained in the United States to practice medicine in Pakistan. They recognize American boards, medical schools, and training programs, and for the most part will not require additional exams, qualifications, or training to practice in the fields that you are board certified in.

  • UAE: In general, US board certifications are sufficient to practice here.

  • Singapore: Many US certified physicians will be able to practice in Singapore, as the Singapore Medical Council accepts many board certifications from specialties within the American Board of Medical Specialties. These include internal medicine, general surgery and many surgical specialties, family medicine, and emergency medicine, as well as many other boards in more specialized fields. Check with their website to see if yours is included. 



Countries that can make it more challenging for United States physicians to practice, but where many US physicians have been able to practice


  • Ireland: You may or may not know that all of Ireland is not part of the UK. Therefore there is a separate process where you will have to apply for registration with the Irish Medical Council. This process is more complicated and there are different pathways as a generalist and a specialist.

  • EU countries: Unfortunately, like Ireland, many EU nations do not directly recognize US physician credentials. They may have varying levels of qualification required to recognize credentials, and may also have additional requirements about local language proficiency, require supervised practice or learning local practice patterns, etc., some of which may require additional training or exams. You’ll have to check with each individual country to see the situation.

  • Israel: While Israel accepts US credentials, things are a little more nuanced if you want to permanently move there, as you will require either being a citizen or permanent resident or to be eligible for these. There are also visiting physician options for those that want to practice temporarily. 



Conclusion


Many doctors practicing in the United States may consider moving abroad for various reasons. It’s important to understand where your current board certifications will get you in each of these countries, as well as decide what extra hoops you’re willing to jump through to make your vision a reality. We hope this article gives you a place to start with your research!



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