New ‘pathway program’ offers possible solution to local doctor shortage [Video]

Kristina Sokolovska Konieczny graduated from medical school in 2012.She has her transcript, test results, and years of experience treating patients in her native Macedonia.But as a doctor now living in the U.S. with a foreign degree, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine said Konieczny needed something more before she could practice.”You have to go through the process of residency,” she said. “The Match, so called.”The Match is a big deal in the U.S., especially for students who’ve just graduated from medical school.They apply to programs at hospitals and doctor’s offices throughout the country for the opportunity to spend a few years getting on-the-job training. But since experienced doctors from foreign countries are required to get it too, they all compete with each other to get matched.”Of course, people who come from medical schools,” Konieczny said. “They know the system. They have the advantage of the language, and being fresh …