IMG applicant Chances

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realdeal1988

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Hello everyone,

First, a big thanks to everyone contributing here to help us medical students, i hope i knew about this website earlier.
Anyway, I just need your opinion on my case. I am currently a med III student from American university of Beirut. Our university is well known in the region as most of its students match in the USA. In addition, the fact that most of its current attending are board certified speaks highly of it.

Nevertheless, lately I have been hearing news about the "near impossible" ENT residency for an IMG. I had very high hopes and ambition and is currently working hard on my step 1 as well as a research paper where I am the first author. But with all honesty, hearing all those discouraging news about ENT residency for an IMG got me questioning what to do.
That is bearing in mind that after 2015, IMG chances slope downwards as officials from the US reported in lectures held at our medical school.

I am going for an elective in USC. And I am willing to work a lot as this will help in getting very good LOR as well as boost my ability to match in USC.

I would appreciate an honest opinion about my chances and what you think is best to do in the remaining last medical school year I have left.

Thanks in advance.

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There are several threads here answering the IMG question. The bottom line it is extremely hard but not impossible. All the IMGs that I know of are exceptional candidates with high numbers (and I don't mean average US ENT applicant numbers) and substantial published research. Those two things are the only objective criteria that the programs can use to compare you to the US graduates. Finally, all the IMGs that I know of had spent serious time at the programs that they ended up matching at and had personal connections. There are several graduates from your school that are on ENT faculty in US, that is a plus because your school has some name recognition, but the it is still a very uphill battle. I would talk to people at Miami, they have a second year resident and I believe 2 faculty members from AU Beirut. University of Chicago had one graduate recently and Dr. Baroody (peds attending) went there as well. Good luck!
 
One should seriously think about having a sticky for this topic.

Alas, someone will always come across with the idea that they are somehow different.

The sticky should read:

"If you are an IMG/FMG, it is not impossible to obtain a US residency in otolaryngology. However, it is highly improbable, and the applicant should seriously rethink his/her application."

Sorry. The. Way. It. Is.
 
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