NON US IMG I am missing something?

[knosway14]

I have been recently saw some pessimistic post on other forums.
I.E. :

1) doctor X get 240s / 240s and CS pass all first attempt
Do some observers or research apply to medium and low tier IM
Programs and don't match
PD: doctor X need visa

I get why people with really low scores and multiple attempts don't match . but when I saw doctor X profile I wondering how he failed to match and other IMG matched with lower scores. Besides connections (wich is really variable and I don't have now ). What NON US IMG can improve to match ?

I got a decent score 243 on step 1 and working on step 2 ck . actually not coming here to get reassuring about scores .
I am a NON US IMG 2014 grad (December 2014).
Let's suppose I get a good score on step 2 ck and pass CS first attempt.
All within this year. How can I get closer to match in a low competitive specialty (IM or Neurology) ? Asking this because
It seens than score don't assure you a position.

Any advice is highly valuable.
Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Law2Doc]

No, a score doesn't assure you a position. There's a lot more that goes into making an applicant attractive to a residency than the numbers. You have to realize that most programs get literally hundreds of applicants with similarly adequate numbers and so frankly that becomes the baseline over which you must excel to get a spot. At the residency level while good step scores may reflect how you'd do on the inservice exam, they give no insight into how you'll do on the wards which is at least as important to PDs. So US ward experiences help. Connections and references help. Research may help. Language proficiency helps. And picking less competitive programs in less competitive cities can help. I'm not sure neurology counts as a relatively noncompetitive field for IMGs, and the fact that you said IM AND neuro maybe tells me you aren't content focusing on just the undesirable community IM programs in the underserved geographically undesirable locales. Nothing is a shoo-in and I think you need to realize that this process isn't all about the numbers.

 

[NeuroOsler]

You are assuming something that many FMG believe: step scores are everything. Fortunately scores are just one PART of your application that's why people with lower score match (also why people with higher scores sometimes don't). Also I've heard many times the "observership" thing. Yes, observerships are important but they are NOT U.S clinical Experience it is a Volunteer position. You can do well on those and make an impression and have a LoR and who knows maybe match on that program, but people believe that "240 + observership = I'm in".
It is a mistake to believe that a "low competitive specialty" exists, specially for FMG.

Work on your publications, make some connections and look at the NRMP data to see what the people who matched did.

 

[knosway14]

No, a score doesn't assure you a position. There's a lot more that goes into making an applicant attractive to a residency than the numbers. You have to realize that most programs get literally hundreds of applicants with similarly adequate numbers and so frankly that becomes the baseline over which you must excel to get a spot. At the residency level while good step scores may reflect how you'd do on the inservice exam, they give no insight into how you'll do on the wards which is at least as important to PDs. So US ward experiences help. Connections and references help. Research may help. Language proficiency helps. And picking less competitive programs in less competitive cities can help. I'm not sure neurology counts as a relatively noncompetitive field for IMGs, and the fact that you said IM AND neuro maybe tells me you aren't content focusing on just the undesirable community IM programs in the underserved geographically undesirable locales. Nothing is a shoo-in and I think you need to realize that this process isn't all about the numbers.

Please tell me why you consider neurology competitive for IMG?
Dude where I come from. Anything than have the word matched is a blessing
I mean I would be happy in any community program even in the Bronx or Detroit undeserved areas I don't care where really. I would consider myself lucky to get any position . we have standards than depends on our environment and from where I come from, there is a strong chances than any community program have more academic and medical resources than where I am now and that my friend is an step forward

 

[knosway14]

You are assuming something that many FMG believe: step scores are everything. Fortunately scores are just one PART of your application that's why people with lower score match (also why people with higher scores sometimes don't). Also I've heard many times the "observership" thing. Yes, observerships are important but they are NOT U.S clinical Experience it is a Volunteer position. You can do well on those and make an impression and have a LoR and who knows maybe match on that program, but people believe that "240 + observership = I'm in".
It is a mistake to believe that a "low competitive specialty" exists, specially for FMG.

Work on your publications, make some connections and look at the NRMP data to see what the people who matched did.

Thanks I had looked to NRMP - ECFMG data
It looks like step and lors are the main criteria
Plus a good YOG. But I don't know what to do to improve my chances and what not to do (I mean sometimes if someone got good scores and don't match is because they are doing something wrong and one must figure it out to not make the same mistakes )