I have not receive an interview offer: Should I send a follow up email?

[Dr Vilo]

Hello there,

I am applying to FM. I applied to 20 residency programs. Most of them are big programs (10 residents per year or more) and very IMG friendly. So far, I have received just one rejection. I am getting desperate since I have not heard back from any other programs yet. Should I send an email basically showing my interest and stating why I have not received an invitation? I do not want to sound desperate at all. Another option would be to tell the people who wrote my LORs to call on my behalf. I have seen so many threads, and some of them say applicants should wait until the end of November. After programs start to have some cancellations from previous selected candidates, they will send further invitations. My scores are average (step 1=216, step 2=221, step 3 already passed), 2 previous year in general surgery, one year of a non-accredited internship in Neurosurgery and 2 previous year of research with some publications (all done in the US). The downside of my CV is that I graduated from medical school by the end of 2005. I never thought this application to FM would be so stressful and competitive. I was not expecting that the waiting will be so long. I do not know what to do. Any advise is more than welcome.

Thanks

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[timisdaman]

I would not wait more than the first week of November.

 

[Psyche Estrelle]

Hello there,

I am applying to FM. I applied to 20 residency programs. Most of them are big programs (10 residents per year or more) and very IMG friendly. So far, I have received just one rejection. I am getting desperate since I have not heard back from any other programs yet. Should I send an email basically showing my interest and stating why I have not received an invitation? I do not want to sound desperate at all. Another option would be to tell the people who wrote my LORs to call on my behalf. I have seen so many threads, and some of them say applicants should wait until the end of November. After programs start to have some cancellations from previous selected candidates, they will send further invitations. My scores are average (step 1=216, step 2=221, step 3 already passed), 2 previous year in general surgery, one year of a non-accredited internship in Neurosurgery and 2 previous year of research with some publications (all done in the US). The downside of my CV is that I graduated from medical school by the end of 2005. I never thought this application to FM would be so stressful and competitive. I was not expecting that the waiting will be so long. I do not know what to do. Any advise is more than welcome.

Thanks

Your previous years in multiple different residencies are actually a huge red flag for us. The #1 question on PDs' minds will be what happened that made you drop out of those residencies, and why you are "suddenly" interested in FM.

 

[Dr Vilo]

Your previous years in multiple different residencies are actually a huge red flag for us. The #1 question on PDs' minds will be what happened that made you drop out of those residencies, and why you are "suddenly" interested in FM.

Initially, I was interested in Neurosurgery. I did a year of neurosurgery as a non-accredited intern (not sponsored by the ACGME). It was a position just for a year to gain clinical experience in the US. Then, I did two years of general surgery (preliminary). It was not what I expected. Came back to my native country last year and worked as a rural medical doctor with indigenous population next to the Amazon. I like the experience quite a lot! The population that I took care was very diverse. The same applied for the clinical situations. Very sadly, there is no family medicine residency in my country. All the reasons why I would like to become a FM practitioner are in personal statement.

Thanks

 

[DocBlin]

The time from MD graduation of 2005 til today is 9 or 10 years, much to long a time frame to most PDs. Plus your SDN written posts #s do not add up. 3 years in residencies, 2 years in research and 1 year back in your country = 6 years. ALL FM programs would ask what about the OTHER years????

 

[Dr Vilo]

That is a legitimate question. I graduated in December 2005. Then after, I spent a year an a half between learning english (because I did not know anything), studying for the USMLEs and working as a general practitioner to make some money. Right in the middle of 2007, I went to the US and did several observerships (4 in total). In 2008, I started to work as a post-doctoral researcher in the US until 2010. Then, I did the neurosurgery non-accredited internship from 2010 until 2011. From 2011 until 2013, I was a resident in general surgery. Finally, I came back to my native country where I worked as a rural medical doctor until September 2014. I left the general surgery program in a very good standing position. As a matter of fact, two of my letter of recommendation are from previous general surgery attending. It was not about a personal incompetence. General surgery was not the right fit for me. Thanks everybody for taking some time and reply back.

 

[Dr Vilo]

The time from MD graduation of 2005 til today is 9 or 10 years, much to long a time frame to most PDs. Plus your SDN written posts #s do not add up. 3 years in residencies, 2 years in research and 1 year back in your country = 6 years. ALL FM programs would ask what about the OTHER years????

That is a legitimate question. I graduated in December 2005. Then after, I spent a year an a half between learning english (because I did not know anything), studying for the USMLEs and working as a general practitioner to make some money. Right in the middle of 2007, I went to the US and did several observerships (4 in total). In 2008, I started to work as a post-doctoral researcher in the US until 2010. Then, I did the neurosurgery non-accredited internship from 2010 until 2011. From 2011 until 2013, I was a resident in general surgery. Finally, I came back to my native country where I worked as a rural medical doctor until September 2014. I left the general surgery program in a very good standing position. As a matter of fact, two of my letter of recommendation are from previous general surgery attending. It was not about a personal incompetence. General surgery was not the right fit for me. Thanks everybody for taking some time and reply back.