Please help and old IMG with residency advice..

[Dasfugi]

Hello everyone at SDN, this is my first time on the forums. I am really happy I found this place. I'm not sure if I am posting this in the right forum, so if a mod finds this please kindly move it to the right one.

I am a very old IMG from a third world country. I was an OB/GYN with 10 years of experience and practice in the Middle East. I moved to the US with my family in '97 and am now trying to get back into the medical field. I have taken Step 1, 2 CK and CS. The problem I have is that I did absolutely terrible on my Step 1 and am wondering if I have any hope to find ANY residency.

I passed my Step 1 in 2007 on my 3rd try (eek..) with a 79. I was stupid and didn't research the test and thought that it only mattered if you pass/fail. On my Step 2's I passed and scored 89. I have lots of clinical observerships, hospital work, and hands-on experience with various doctors such as an OB/GYN, General Surgeon, and IM. My LORs are all great. I will take Step 3 this week as a hope to boost my application.

I applied to IM, FP, and Psych during the last match, but did not match anywhere. My dream would have been to get back into OB/GYN, but that obviously is not going to happen. I am starting to lose hope that I will EVER get into a residency program because of my dismal scores..

Is there anyone that can give me advice or recommendations on what to do with my scores/which residencies to apply to? I am really depressed with my situation and am hoping for some help. I will happily provide any other information you need. Thank you!

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[Law2Doc]

...
I passed my Step 1 in 2007 on my 3rd try (eek..) with a 79. I was stupid and didn't research the test and thought that it only mattered if you pass/fail. ...

I don't have any great advice for you other than to do whatever you can research-wise to enhance your app and network with folks who might help you. Competition for residency is tough, and since only about 40% of IMGs get spots through the match, you have to have relatively few blemishes to be successful. A bad step 1 track record is a big black mark, and your explanation isn't going to be comforting to PDs.

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

Hello everyone at SDN, this is my first time on the forums. I am really happy I found this place. I'm not sure if I am posting this in the right forum, so if a mod finds this please kindly move it to the right one.

I am a very old IMG from a third world country. I was an OB/GYN with 10 years of experience and practice in the Middle East. I moved to the US with my family in '97 and am now trying to get back into the medical field. I have taken Step 1, 2 CK and CS. The problem I have is that I did absolutely terrible on my Step 1 and am wondering if I have any hope to find ANY residency.

I passed my Step 1 in 2007 on my 3rd try (eek..) with a 79. I was stupid and didn't research the test and thought that it only mattered if you pass/fail. On my Step 2's I passed and scored 89. I have lots of clinical observerships, hospital work, and hands-on experience with various doctors such as an OB/GYN, General Surgeon, and IM. My LORs are all great. I will take Step 3 this week as a hope to boost my application.

I applied to IM, FP, and Psych during the last match, but did not match anywhere. My dream would have been to get back into OB/GYN, but that obviously is not going to happen. I am starting to lose hope that I will EVER get into a residency program because of my dismal scores..

Is there anyone that can give me advice or recommendations on what to do with my scores/which residencies to apply to? I am really depressed with my situation and am hoping for some help. I will happily provide any other information you need. Thank you!

You said that you moved here in 97 but are just now trying to get back into medicine? What have you been doing in the last 10 years? That may raise a red flag for PD's that you have been away from medicine for so long (and probably had something to do with your step 1 score as well).

 

[psymed]

I would advise you to narrow down the number of specialties you are applying to.

Being an older IMG myself I was in a similar situation last year. I applied only to Psych programs as that is what I wanted to do. I applied to every program where I met the eligibility criteria except for programs in California and Puerto Rico. It worked for me. You may not end up in a great program but honestly a residency program is what you make out of it. I look at my senior residents and some of them are awesome while some are just all over the place.

Word of advice if you plan to apply to Psych........Psych programs are really weary of candidates who apply to Psych only as a backup and have become pretty good at sniffing them out. Only apply to Psych if you are interested. Have some Psych experience with Psych LORs under your belt.

Good luck!