Licensure and Career
What happens after you match: getting licensed, planning fellowship, and understanding your first contract.
Licensure
State Medical Licensure for IMGs
How US state licensing works for IMGs: training versus full licenses, what varies by state, and how to confirm the rules with each state medical board.
5 min readStep 3 and Licensure: What States Require
How USMLE Step 3 connects to a full state medical license: when boards expect it, how time limits and state attempt limits work, and how to check your state.
5 min readAlternative Licensure Pathways for IMGs Without US Residency
What FSMB publishes about states that license internationally trained physicians through pathways other than US residency, how to check a state board, and the cautions.
6 min readCareer
Fellowship After Residency as an IMG
How fellowship applications work (ERAS, NRMP and SF Match), the timing, what is different for IMGs and how visa status carries through J-1, H-1B and waiver issues.
6 min readBoard Certification After Residency
What ABMS member boards generally require for certification, how IMG training is treated, and what ABIM's published policy says, with steps to check your own board.
6 min readUnderstanding Your First Attending Contract
The main terms in a first physician employment contract, from pay structure and call to restrictive covenants, tail coverage and visa obligations, and why to use an attorney.
7 min readMoonlighting During Residency: Rules and Visa Limits
What ACGME requires for resident moonlighting, how licensure and malpractice coverage affect it, and why J-1 and H-1B residents face visa limits on outside work.
6 min read