<< Can someone explain to me why a US MD residency would have a spot dedicated to Saudi nationals? I am quite confused by this. ---It's pretty simple, a program is only funded for X residents, so Saudi Arabia says "Hey, we will pay you $###,### per year to be able to afford an additional resident (salary, health care, benefits), but it has to go to someone that we choose". So then a program will offer X spots in the match with one to be filled and paid for by Saudi Arabi or whoever else. So it's not that Saudi Arabi is taking a spot away from an American and converting it to Saudi Arabi, it's more like Saudi Arabi paid to create an additional spot that wouldn't have been there without the funding. Not sure if this is exactly what happens with Tufts, but likely when somewhere foreign funds a spot. <this used to be the case, but that spot is no longer funded by SA, just an open SOAP spot this year
many programs might be approved by ACGME to have X +Y spots. However, only have funding from congress for X spots. Therefore, if they could find funding, they would have room for Y more spots.
but there must be some limit. Again, once a surgery program can demonstrate they have enough case volume to support another resident, they usually get approved for it so it doesn't seem like it's just a funding issue
Can someone confirm if the Tufts spot went unfilled at the SOAP?
does any other field do this whole thing with another country funding a residency spot? I guess I wonder what is the limiting factor for determine a derm residency and if it's reached per ACGME, then doesn't that additional resident eat into those resources? Like for surgery, it comes down to number of case logs required to graduate.