As a current medical student or graduate, you may be considering a U.S. clinical experience (USCE) for a variety of reasons. If you are a current medical student, you know a USCE can provide knowledge on the U.S healthcare system, help fill school requirements, and provide an opportunity to expand your medical knowledge and terminology. If you are a graduate, you know that a clinical experience can help you practice for the USMLE, provide the skills necessary to communicate professionally with peers, and Letter(s) of Recommendation(LoR) needed to apply for residency within the U.S.

No matter the specialty, location, or extent to which you want to practice medicine in the future, a clinical experience can elevate your transcript, resume, and future job or residency applications.

Although a clinical experience can be beneficial, the high price tag can be scary. You might be wondering why a USCE cost so much. Although the cost of clinical experiences can vary based on the company, a clinical experience’s price tag reflects work the company does on your behalf. Clinical experience providers do the busy work so you can focus on your studies and planing for the future. Below we outline what affects the price of U.S. clinical experiences.

Want more information on how a USCE can benefit your education and future? Check out our post on ‘The Importance of U.S. Clinical Experiences.’

 

Factors of USCE Costs

 

Convenient Scheduling

Securing experience with a company like AMO makes scheduling easy. We do the work for you. Rather than having to seek out physicians, institutions, and hospitals interested in hosting individuals for clinical experiences, we connect you to programs ready to host. To apply, simply select the program and month you are interested in.

We work with physicians to determine your daily schedule and the skills you will attain. We also ensure they are willing to provide a merit-based LoR if requested.

These USCE costs account for the time we spend coordinating these experiences, so you don’t have too. After all, ‘time is money.’ AMO saves you time so you can spend it in other, more productive ways.

 

Personal Support

Participating in a clinical experience can be a big step, especially if it is in a different country. Many of the visitors that book clinical experience in the U.S. are international medical graduates (IMG). As an IMG, it’s important you feel supported from beginning to end.

Clinical experience providers can give you this support. At AMO, our Advisors and Coaches do just this! Our advisors are in place to help you select, apply for, and secure a clinical experience that meets your needs and interests. Once you reserve your clinical experience, we match you with a personal AMO Coach. This person will help ensure you are on track to be fully enrolled in your experience. They also provide information to help orient you for your stay in the U.S. Our Coaches are also your primary point of contact during clinical experiences.

 

Quality Mentors and Sites

In addition to coordinating programs and providing support, USCE costs can be impacted by a program’s site, its affiliations, and the hosting physician. These entities have busy schedules, and providing a quality clinical experience for a visitor can take time and effort. The cost of a program will reflect this.

Some experiences are more costly than others, included university or ACGME affiliated programs. The decision to book a more expensive experience or verses an affordable one is personal.

 

While there may be additional items that impact a USCE’s cost, the above generally bear the most weight. Despite the expense of a clinical experience, their benefits make them a valuable and priceless investment in your future.

Looking for more information on what costs are included and not included in clinical experience with AMO? Check out our blog post here.

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