QUOTED: Residency Eligibility

[NotAProgDirector]

i am an IMG who is ECFMG certified. Unfortunately after my graduation I suffered a brief Psychiatric Problem (schizophrenia). I took treatment for it, am cured and totally functional. I wish to apply for residency in US, will it be posssible?

This is a very interesting question with no clear answer. Legally, there is no issue -- as long as you are now functioning well and can perform the duties of a physician, you will be able to get a license and train.

However, practically I see a few potential problems:

1. Programs may be worried about accepting someone with a serious psychiatric problem. Residency is stressful and sleep deprived, both of which tend to worsen / trigger psychiatic problems.
2. You mention that you are "cured". In general, schizophrenia is not felt to be curable condition. Theoretically you could have an "acute psychotic break" brought on by severe stress that would resolve. Or, it's possible that you are in some denial about your problem.

Much of what happens next depends on the field you are interested in and the competitiveness of the rest of your application.

You will also need to decide whether you want to declare this issue to programs. If not, you will likely have a "hole" in your CV that you might need to explain.

The only way to sort this out is apply and see what happens. My gut instinct is that you may have an uphill climb with this. Your goal will be to convince people that this is really in the past and will not come back.

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