Countries > Qatar for Doctors > Residency
Qatar for Doctors
Hospitals like Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Sidra Medicine accept one of three international exams as proof of clinical knowledge: USMLE Step 2 CK, IFOM CSE, or MCCQE. Clear one of them, meet the English requirement, and submit a complete application within the window for your target hospital, and you are in the running. There is no national Match here — HMC and Sidra each run their own direct hospital application, review, and interview process. Both hospitals charge zero application fees.
Pathway Snapshot
Pick and pass one qualifying exam (USMLE Step 2 CK, IFOM CSE, or MCCQE), meet the English language requirement, apply directly to HMC or Sidra during their application window at no cost, attend an interview if shortlisted, and start your residency if selected.
Complete Journey: Medical Graduation → Pass Qualifying Exam → Meet English Requirement → Hospital Application (Free) → Interview → Residency Start.
Option 1
Covered in full on our USMLE pathway page. Same exam, same content, same prep, just an additional destination.
Go to Step 2 CK →Option 2
Covered in full on our MCCQE pathway page.
Go to MCCQE →Option 3
International Foundations of Medicine, Clinical Science Exam — details and booking below.
Go to IFOM CSE →
IFOM CSE (International Foundations of Medicine, Clinical Science Exam)
IFOM CSE is administered by NBME, the same body behind USMLE. It is 160 multiple choice questions in clinical vignette style, covering 4.5 hours
total across two 2-hour blocks, with a tutorial and break time built in. Qatar requires an IFOM CSE score equivalent to the current USMLE Step 2 CK
passing standard. The required score is determined by Hamad Medical Corporation and may change from year to year. The exam is offered at Prometric
centers in roughly 50 countries. The IFOM CSE is available in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Candidates applying
to Qatar typically sit the English version. Results arrive within 4 weeks of your test date. You are eligible if you are a currently enrolled medical
student or a medical school graduate.
What we offer
Full access to everything already described on our USMLE and MCCQE pages, applied to IFOM prep as well.
Start IFOM CSE Prep →How to Book: IFOM CSE, Step by Step
These are five separate steps handled by three different organizations — MyNBME (run by NBME), your own medical school, and Prometric. Follow them in this exact order:
| Step | Window 1 | Window 2 |
|---|---|---|
Registration | 2–30 January | 1–31 July |
Status Verification deadline | 29 April | 21 October |
Exam window | 20 March – 27 May | 21 August – 4 November |
In short: register and pay first, verification happens in the middle, and booking your actual seat at Prometric is the last step. Do not wait for verification to finish before registering — registering is what starts the verification process.
How Long to Prepare: IFOM CSE is built to the same standard as Step 2 CK, so scores translate across the two. If you are already working through Step 2 CK material, that preparation carries over directly. As a general estimate, 2 to 3 months of focused review is reasonable for someone with an existing clinical knowledge base.
Fee: $301 USD for the CSE, the current NBME fee for the 2026 cycle.
Scores below are based on best available information. Confirm current cutoffs directly with HMC and Sidra before publishing.
| Test | HMC | Sidra |
|---|---|---|
IELTS Academic | 7.0 | 7.0 |
TOEFL iBT | 87 (verify with HMC) | 87 (verify with Sidra) |
TOEFL PBT | 550 (60 revised) | 50 |
OET Medicine | 350 | 350 |
Results must be valid at time of application. Both TOEFL and IELTS are valid for 2 years from the test date.
What we offer
A dedicated English exam prep course built for physicians, covering IELTS, TOEFL, and OET Medicine.
Start English Exam Prep →HMC covers the full range of adult and surgical specialties: Internal Medicine, General Surgery, OB-GYN, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Anesthesiology, Otolaryngology, Orthopedics, Urology, Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Preventive and Community Medicine, Neurosurgery, Anatomic Pathology, Neurology, Plastic Surgery, Dermatology, Transitional Year, Radiation Oncology, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Pediatrics is not run by HMC — that is Sidra's program.
| Detail | Timing |
|---|---|
Application window opens | 25 October |
Application window closes | 30 November, 11:59 PM Qatar time |
Application fee | $0 (Free) |
You apply through HMC's own portal, SMApply. Once you submit:
International applicants may apply to one program choice only.
Sidra runs a single residency track: Pediatric Residency, a 4-year ACGME-I accredited program.
| Detail | Timing |
|---|---|
Application window opens | 1 August |
Application window closes | 30 September, 11:59 PM |
Application fee | $0 (Free) |
You apply through Sidra's own recruitment portal, separate from HMC's SMApply. Applications are online only — emailed applications are not accepted. Required documents include your CV using Sidra's own template, a Letter of Intent or Personal Statement, your medical degree, and a minimum of two letters of recommendation. Sidra does not publish a fixed public timeline for shortlisting, interviews, or final decisions the way HMC does. If timing matters for your planning, confirm directly with pediatricresidents@sidra.org rather than relying on an estimated date.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
IFOM CSE exam fee | $301 USD |
HMC application fee | $0 (Free) |
Sidra application fee | $0 (Free) |
USMLE Step 2 CK | See USMLE pathway page |
MCCQE | See MCCQE pathway page |
Note on Fees: Exam fees are set by NBME and Prometric. Hospital applications to both HMC and Sidra are completely free. Figures shown are for the 2026 cycle. Always confirm exact exam fees on the official websites before registration.