This question was originally posted on Quora.com and was answered by Dr G Bhanu Prakash, CEO & Founder Director at Proceum Pvt Ltd (2016-present) USMLE pros : 1. much higher mean pay during residency , and afterwards very handsome pay packages 2. excellent work environment and work ethics 3. professional and cooperative attitude from everyone around you 4. very high chances to do substantial clinical and non clinical research. 5. U.S lifestyle of having affordable electronics, car, house, and all other first world facilities. 6. ability to invest a lot of money back home in india, as your purchasing power here will be quadrupled. 7. very clear and fixed syllabus for studying for exam. no ambiguous questions. no ridiculous journal based questions asked. analysis and reasoning are more important than cramming of facts. USMLE CONS: 1. very very expensive undertaking. a lot of money needs to be initially invested without guarantee of a job/residency spot. 2. visa can be an issue if errors in documentation are there. 3. all or none phenomenon... in india you can get some seat if you get a decent rank...in USMLE its either matched or unmatched....no consolation prizes. 4. homesickness for those wishing to stay with family in india. 5. difficultly in coming back and adjusting to indian healthcare system after working here. also, the pay is not great here if you have a degree from there... you are paid the same as any other person in your respective specialty. 6. difficult to get surgical branches, and other high end branches such as radiology, ophthalmology, ent etc there. many of us have to compromise on branch to live in america. 7. complex pathway, with no simple straight forward exam-rank-counselling type system. lot of multiple factors are involved. apart from USMLE scores, clinical experience in america, visa, research , publications, contacts over there and overall conduct and behavior, and good communication skills all play a very substantial role. Source
