Residency 2016 would greatly appreciate any details.

[Dr00G00]

Hello, I have a couple of questions and would appreciate if I can get detailed answers.

I'm an International medical graduate from Bahrain. Currently doing 1 year of internship there.

I'm thinking of applying for residency in USA. So far I know the requirements is USMLE step 1 and Step2Ck. But when is the deadline for submitting these exam results to apply for residency at USA 2016?? As I haven't did any of the steps yet. When does the residency start at 2016? If I missed it already then when is the deadline for exam and submission for 2017? Which month do residency starts?

Another question which is important to me. As far as I know PGY1 in USA is also called internship. Does doing 1 year of internship here in bahrain would make me avoid repeating internship again at USA. Would this 1 year benefit me in decreasing the total number of residency years at USA??? Or is it considered useless?? If I get accepted in USA would I start from PGY2?


Thanks Alot.

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[ThoracicGuy]

Hello, I have a couple of questions and would appreciate if I can get detailed answers.

I'm an International medical graduate from Bahrain. Currently doing 1 year of internship there.

I'm thinking of applying for residency in USA. So far I know the requirements is USMLE step 1 and Step2Ck. But when is the deadline for submitting these exam results to apply for residency at USA 2016?? As I haven't did any of the steps yet. When does the residency start at 2016? If I missed it already then when is the deadline for exam and submission for 2017? Which month do residency starts?

Another question which is important to me. As far as I know PGY1 in USA is also called internship. Does doing 1 year of internship here in bahrain would make me avoid repeating internship again at USA. Would this 1 year benefit me in decreasing the total number of residency years at USA??? Or is it considered useless?? If I get accepted in USA would I start from PGY2?


Thanks Alot.

You have to be ECFMG certified, which means taking and passing USMLE Steps 1, 2CK, and 2CS. You will have to have good scores to realistically get a chance at a residency spot as well. Your current year in Bahrain will mean nothing for US training and you would have to start from the beginning.

 

[URHere]

To answer your other questions, there is an online "ERAS" application that you use to collect letters of recommendation, transcripts, your personal information, research/work/volunteer experiences, essay, and USMLE scores. You need a token to use this service. In your case, you will need to be ECFMG certified which means having passing scores for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS in order to secure a token before applications go out. You will need to travel to the United States to take Step 2 CS. If you want to have a good chance at matching, you need to pass all of these on the first try with above average scores. I would suggest looking at the ERAS website, they have very detailed information about ECFMG policies and requirements. You have missed the application deadline for 2016 - the next round of applications (for the July 2017 start date) goes out on September 15, 2016.

It is an unwritten rule that applications need to be submitted on (or very close to) September 15. Not all programs accept Foreign Medical Graduates, so be sure that you do your research and pick programs where you have a reasonable chance of being interviewed. After submission, interviews will be offered anywhere from late October to early February. You will need to travel for these. There is a separate website ("NRMP") that you use to submit your final residency choices, and (if you are competitive enough to secure a position), you will be matched to one of your programs in Late March 2017. Residency starts July 1st 2017 (or a few days earlier). You will need to repeat your intern year if you come to the United States.

 

[Dr00G00]

Thanks ThoracicGuy and URHere.

So basically I have only 6 months left to do Step1,step2 ck, travel to U.S and do step2 cs. To pass with a good score just to have a chance of being ECFMG certified to submit an application September 15.

Is it possible to prepare for all these 3 exams and get great scores in just 6month?

 

[URHere]

Thanks ThoracicGuy and URHere.

So basically I have only 6 months left to do Step1,step2 ck, travel to U.S and do step2 cs. To pass with a good score just to have a chance of being ECFMG certified to submit an application September 15.

Is it possible to prepare for all these 3 exams and get great scores in just 6month?

This depends on your current level of knowledge. If you graduated at the top of your class, and have done very well in your home country, it will be easier to prepare than it would be if you were a below-average student. Most US students spend at least a month studying for Step 1 and 2-3 weeks studying for Step 2 CK. Will you be able to take vacation time from your residency program to study and travel? CS is more of a practical exam and is usually easy for American students to pass...it can be much harder if you are not used to interacting with American patients or if English is not your first language. Buy copies of the "First-Aid" books to give you a good idea of what will be on the tests. Question banks are also very good resources, especially "USMLE World".

Just keep in mind that (in rare cases) it can take up to 3 months to receive your Step 2 CS score, so you should take that early (April if you want to be safe, May at the latest). If you fail CS, you will not be able to re-schedule in time for the 2016-2017 application season. Step 1 and Step 2 CK are faster when it comes to giving you a score (usually within 4 weeks).

Also, none of this is cheap. Expect to spend at least $2,000 on registration fees for the USMLE exams, at least another $1,000 on ERAS (you will need to apply to more programs than average as a FMG), and a lot more money for plane tickets, hotels, etc. American students often spend $5,000-$10,000 on the application process. You will probably spend more.

 

[gutonc]

There's a whole forum here on SDN dedicated to helping out people in your situation. Moving to Gen International.

 

[Animalcules]

This is a tough timeline for this year, particularly since you will need to have all of your credentials verified before you can take the Usmles and get your certificate. Getting a visa(?) and traveling to the US for CS is no joke either. My prediction is that you will hardly get it done in time, unless you are able to take the exams pretty much in the next couple of months. Keep in mind that everything takes time, particularly when dealing with ecfmg and your med school. Plan on 2017 and do it right. Just my .02.


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