Your last post is exactly how I did it. The FAA medical is quite swift and costs $45 (from memory). You need a class 2 for a CPL although you can do the IR on a class 3. The class 2 is virtually the same as the class 3 - I seem to remember they were a similar price too. All the schools have an affiliated doctor and you should be able to crack it in half an hour.
The way I cracked the necessary hours was to do the majority over here to make sure I had done the bulk of the preparatory work before I went. This left me the longer cross countries to do in the States. Incidentally, on re-reading my AIM just now, I am reminded that the only long multi trip you need to do is the 2 hour night /with one 100NM leg. The 300NM day trip (a requirement for the multi rating) can be done in a single engine airplane.
The requirements are all laid down on the FAA web site. See <a href="http://www.faa.gov" target="_blank">www.faa.gov</a> and after a few clicks you can get to the FAR/AIM
[ 02 January 2002: Message edited by: unclearthur ]</p>