Match strategy?

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Hi All,

We are all excited as the match season is almost started. I am a relatively old IMG (8 years from graduation) and I know there's lots of us out there so I figured I could use your opinion on a match strategy. So if you have good scores (mine are 248,253 and CS pass) would you play it safe and apply to IM and FP everywhere or you would be willing to take more risks and apply to only programs you really like and are in the area that you'd prefer. If you have any other thoughts on a match strategy it would be nice to have them here.

Thx

Originally Posted by armscrubs

Hi All,

We are all excited as the match season is almost started. I am a relatively old IMG (8 years from graduation) and I know there's lots of us out there so I figured I could use your opinion on a match strategy. So if you have good scores (mine are 248,253 and CS pass) would you play it safe and apply to IM and FP everywhere or you would be willing to take more risks and apply to only programs you really like and are in the area that you'd prefer. If you have any other thoughts on a match strategy it would be nice to have them here.

Thx

We're missing a few important parts of your story (US citizen or foreign national?, what have you been doing in the last 8 years?, USCE?, US LORs?, etc), but I think the answer to your question is "yes."

You've got 2 strikes against you going in (IMG and old grad) so you are probably going to have to apply pretty broadly. But that's the (possibly only) nice thing about this process. You can quickly and easily add on more programs if needed based on the invites you're getting. So go ahead and start out with 30 or 40 apps and see what happens. If you get 10-20 invites out of that bunch, you're probably fine. If things don't look quite so rosy, throw out a bunch more apps (like 100+ total) It doesn't cost any more to apply to 100 programs all at once or in 2 or 3 batches.

But don't get me wrong...you're not going to Hopkins, Duke or Columbia unless there's something really amazing about your CV that you're not telling us.

Hey gutonc,
Thank you for your answer. So here is more about my profile:
I am a foreign national but I do not need a visa
I had my own practice for two years at home then I moved into research and got published (although in ophthalmology)
I have been volunteering in a free clinic here in USA, Observing a physician at his office, and I am going to have an observership in internal medicine in USC and I will have 2 US LORs

I think I am going to go with the strategy you suggested but I am afraid my chances will be much lower for the 60-70 programs that i would be applying later due to lack of interviews, any comments on this.
Thank you

When in doubt, apply broadly.

Thanks Jacob
Ya that's what I am probably gonna do.
How would you say IMGs should choose programs. I mean AMGs can easily go through hospital rankings and choose the top ranking ones but for IMG the options are limited. Any comments?

Originally Posted by armscrubs

Thanks Jacob
Ya that's what I am probably gonna do.
How would you say IMGs should choose programs. I mean AMGs can easily go through hospital rankings and choose the top ranking ones but for IMG the options are limited. Any comments?

IMG's applying for IM tend to find match more in Community Hospitals with Uni. affiliations than in any other category. For University programs, the smaller ones offer a better chance of an interview.

IMG's all tend to look in NY,NJ and CT., but that makes programs there more competitive.

I doubt you'll have difficulty finding a Residency with your scores but you will need to apply widely.

Thanks Carmenm
I really need that kind of morale boost

Originally Posted by gutonc

We're missing a few important parts of your story (US citizen or foreign national?, what have you been doing in the last 8 years?, USCE?, US LORs?, etc), but I think the answer to your question is "yes."

You've got 2 strikes against you going in (IMG and old grad) so you are probably going to have to apply pretty broadly. But that's the (possibly only) nice thing about this process. You can quickly and easily add on more programs if needed based on the invites you're getting. So go ahead and start out with 30 or 40 apps and see what happens. If you get 10-20 invites out of that bunch, you're probably fine. If things don't look quite so rosy, throw out a bunch more apps (like 100+ total) It doesn't cost any more to apply to 100 programs all at once or in 2 or 3 batches.

But don't get me wrong...you're not going to Hopkins, Duke or Columbia unless there's something really amazing about your CV that you're not telling us.

As an older grad who is US born and trained, I can tell you it sucks to not match. It sucks to not match several times. The fact that you have a good score isn't going to change the fact that you are out for 8 years. And I have learned he hard way that timing is everything. I you are willing to pay for 100 applications to go out, don't do it in batches. Do it all at once. I made the mistake of honking I bad plenty of time and that I could just send applications in whenever I wanted. I thought A's long A's I get these in before the Deans letter is issued, I'm good. Wrong. They read the ones at the top of the pile first. If you wait a few weeks to send more aps, you're not at the top of the pile anymore. Your in the middle or the bottom. The competition is insane. You're special but you're not that special. Throw everything youve got into the game at he beginning. You can sort through all those excess invites after you've already got them. There is a price for being arrogant, lazy or complacent and that price is not matching.

Originally Posted by VoodooDogma

As an older grad who is US born and trained, I can tell you it sucks to not match. It sucks to not match several times. The fact that you have a good score isn't going to change the fact that you are out for 8 years. And I have learned the hard way that timing is everything. If you are willing to pay for 100 applications to go out, don't do it in batches. Do it all at once. I made the mistake of thinking I had plenty of time and that I could just send applications in whenever I wanted. I thought as long as I get these in before the Deans letter is issued, I'm good. Wrong. They read the ones at the top of the pile first. If you wait a few weeks to send more aps, you're not at the top of the pile anymore. You're in the middle or the bottom. The competition is insane. You're special but you're not that special. Throw everything youve got into the beginning. You can sort through all those excess invites after you've already got them. There is a price for being arrogant, lazy or complacent and that price is not matching.

Totally agree with you, great advice.
BTW what are you doing now?