Braces in residency interviews?

[1Londonmedic]

Hello everyone,

So I'm an IMG from Great Britain; I am currently in the process of sitting the USMLEs, in the hope of applying for a US residency in radiology.

Aside from my ambitions in the medical field, I am also considering getting braces to correct some dental issues that arose in adulthood.

My question is; will having braces reflect negatively on me during interviews? I know the deck is already stacked against me as an IMG.

(if it does, I may have to forgo getting them. My teeth actually look very good, it's more about the discomfort that I experience whilst eating, although admittedly this is fairly mild/moderate).

Cheers guys!

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[kmb1908]

No, having braces will not negatively affect you. I guarantee you that is the very least of anyone's worry.

 

[Crayola227]

Can't say. Might make you more memorable which could be good.

Check with some Yanks that they can understand you OK while you fake a lisp, then go for the braces. UK training almost makes you like not even an IMG. Being hard to understand would be the only IMG stigma you might be prey to. Braces won't hurt you much that way, but some from the UK are more/less easy to understand for Yanks to begin with.

Good luck.

 

[Nymphicus]

Is invisalign or similar a possibility?

 

[Crayola227]

You could also time the braces for placement after interviews maybe.

 

[1Londonmedic]

Can't say. Might make you more memorable which could be good.

Check with some Yanks that they can understand you OK while you fake a lisp, then go for the braces. UK training almost makes you like not even an IMG. Being hard to understand would be the only IMG stigma you might be prey to. Braces won't hurt you much that way, but some from the UK are more/less easy to understand for Yanks to begin with.

Good luck.

Unfortunately I have a very lisp-y name, I will have to practice saying it in the mirror quite a few times if I get them on!

Regarding getting them on after interview season; whilst that is a good point, I would think that it would be significantly harder for me to keep up with the appointments with my hours being all over the place, as they often are during residency. I suppose I could get them as an attending, but that's a long way away and has its own problems. The question is whether I would rather be a twenty-something with braces or a thirty-something in the same situation.

Is invisalign or similar a possibility?

Unfortunately not. The best I can do is get 'ceramic' braces, which are still visible but aren't as 'in-your-face' as traditional metal.

 

[Crayola227]

Thanks for the reply.

Go ahead and get them! You'll be fine.

 

[1Londonmedic]

Thanks for the reply.

No, thank you!

Out of interest, why do you think being British makes me barely an IMG? I always thought IMGs had it pretty tough in America unless they were superstars in their own country.

 

[smq123]

No, thank you!

Out of interest, why do you think being British makes me barely an IMG? I always thought IMGs had it pretty tough in America unless they were superstars in their own country.

IMGs/FMGs face two stigmas:

1. For FMGs (i.e. people who are not Americans, who go to non-American schools), the concern is generally that their English skills will make it hard for them to keep up. There is always the worry that their notes will be poorly written, that patients and nurses will not understand their accents, etc. As you are from England, and presumably speak English fluently, this will likely not be an issue for you. There is also a concern about immigration issues, getting visas, etc., which may or may not be a big deal for you.

2. For IMGs (i.e. American citizens who go to foreign, particularly Caribbean, medical schools), they may carry a stigma of "not being good enough" to get into a medical school in the United States. Again, this will not be an issue for you.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Hello everyone,

So I'm an IMG from Great Britain; I am currently in the process of sitting the USMLEs, in the hope of applying for a US residency in radiology.

Aside from my ambitions in the medical field, I am also considering getting braces to correct some dental issues that arose in adulthood.

My question is; will having braces reflect negatively on me during interviews? I know the deck is already stacked against me as an IMG.

(if it does, I may have to forgo getting them. My teeth actually look very good, it's more about the discomfort that I experience whilst eating, although admittedly this is fairly mild/moderate).

Cheers guys!

Needing dental work. Being from Great Britian.

Must resist....

 

[1Londonmedic]

Needing dental work. Being from Great Britian.

Must resist....

Consider this my way of embracing the American way of life

 

[Crayola227]

Em-bracing, get it?

It's never a good time for braces so you gotta just do it. Never a better time than now when you factor in what malalignment can lead to (TMJ, root canals, etc)

I would add to the above too that not only are your Engligh skills not an issue presumably, but I dont think there's a stigma that the quality of medicine practiced or the training isn't first rate first world in the UK as opposed to some other countries. I'm not saying that's the case but I've heard that expressed as a worry about some IMGs outside the UK.