Originally posted by Purifyer
Even Kimberly Cox, who went to Flinders medical school, said with enthusiasm (on SDN) that her surgery programme wasn't interviewing any FMGs this year, as if it is a compliment to herself or a measure of the calibre of her programme.
If someone who was trained IN AUSTRALIA thinks with such an attitude, I shudder to guess what an American PD who has never been outside of his/her state thinks.
I am sorry that you misinterpeted my earlier response when I was asked if we were interviewing any FMGs. How one can assume belief system from such an impersonal forum as SDN is beyond me.
Please provide me with evidence of my "ENTHUSIASM" over not interviewing FMGs; I highly doubt it exists.
As I recall I was asked whether or not PSU was open to FMGs. Since I have NOTHING to do with who is or is not invited for interview, not to mention who is ranked highly, I can only comment on what I see as a resident and what I heard. I frankly cannot see how PSU's thoughts on FMGs has anything to do with me - if I were an FMG (presumably we are using the term to refer to non-US citizens, trained abroad) then perhaps you could assume that my purported crowing on the subject of having matched here was some sort of accomplishment. My recollection is that I was simply stating facts - we don't have many IMGs/FMGs here in the Surgery department (although there are many on other departments) and I am here. If that is complementing myself in your definition, then I suppose I am guilty of doing so.
All I want here is someone bright, hardworking and fun to be around - I do not care where they went to medical school (even heaven forbid be they a DO!
) and frankly, as I mentioned here numerous times before most people don't know or care where I went to medical school, but am happy to talk about it should the occassion arise.
Do we have FMGs in our program? Yes, one. Do we have IMGs?Yes,a couple. Did we interview any IMGs this year? Yes a few. Are IMGs preferred over FMGs at PSU? Don't know ( as I stated above, junior residents are not privy to discussions of who is invited to interview and the rank list, although I am free to look at the applications) but I would imagine that, like most programs, the issues of visas do carry some weight. However, a stellar candidate is a stellar candidate regardless of country of origin. Do I discourage IMGs/FMGs from applying here? I don't believe so, but I do feel a sense of responsibility to be frank and state that we get hundreds of applications for 4 spots per year and that we generally interview fewer than 5 IMGs/FMGs a year (out of approximately 125 interviewees each year) and that the chances of being highly ranked are not great. Again, if that seems like I'm complementing myself, then so be it. But I am the FIRST to tell people that a) I applied during a cycle when applications were down for General Surgery b) PSU didn't fill that year in the match c) and for some reason got a spot here. It certainly wasn't my stellar USMLE scores that got me a spot.
Please feel free to shudder over the belief system of American PDs because I KNOW there are some who would never even consider an IMG, let alone an FMG, because of some erroneous beliefs about the quality of their education. It is a simple matter of fact that some programs do crow about their lack of foreign trained residents as some sort of measure of quality. Its all slight of hand trickery to me that means nothing to the quality of a residency program. I have worked first hand with US medical students - some are good and some are not. I WAS not/AM not full of the notion that the US produces better medical students - I only have to look at some of my classmates and some of the medical students here to see that isn't necessarily so. Why you would believe that I also fall into the trap of believing "everything American is best" I haven't the foggiest. Surely my 3+ years here and numerous posts would have convinced you of the contrary. After all, to believe so would be to deny 50% of my heritage.
If it makes you feel any better there were several programs who refused to process my application further either because a) I didn't have my ECFMG certificate before application or b) I wasn't an AMG (or so I suspect). If you so desire I can point you toward programs besides PSU where I was received warmly but that probably would also be assumed to be self-aggrandizing, so I shall not.
I will however respectively ask that you refrain from such inferences when speaking about me and/or my posts. We have not had a conversation about this topic and it appears to me that you have incorrectly jumped to conclusions regarding my feelings about it. Sorry if I came across as curt but it really irks me to read a post in which I am maligned for something I never did or believed.
