Can someone explain to me an IMG to Urology?

[femmegoblue]

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When I was on vacation over break, I met a well established urological surgeon from Denver and we chatted a bit. I looked him up when I got home, and found out he went to medical school in Guadalajara. He then matched for his internship at Mt. Sinai, then urological surgery on Long Island. He is an American citizen born and raised in the US. How does this incredibly unlikely situation happen? Like, what has to fall into place for an IMG to match something so competitive?

We all know the extreme shadiness of Carib schools and the low chances of matching anything competitive...does this not apply to other foreign schools?

 

[NotASerialKiller]

We all know the extreme shadiness of Carib schools and the low chances of matching anything competitive...does this not apply to other foreign schools?

Low chances =/= impossible. I know someone who went to the Caribbean and matched in a competitive specialty. He has 4 friends trying to work off their 200k debt after getting kicked out.

 

[Lawpy]

When I was on vacation over break, I met a well established urological surgeon from Denver and we chatted a bit. I looked him up when I got home, and found out he went to medical school in Guadalajara. He then matched for his internship at Mt. Sinai, then urological surgery on Long Island. He is an American citizen born and raised in the US. How does this incredibly unlikely situation happen? Like, what has to fall into place for an IMG to match something so competitive?

We all know the extreme shadiness of Carib schools and the low chances of matching anything competitive...does this not apply to other foreign schools?

Caribbean route was more popular and accessible several years ago. This made it easier to match into competitive specialties in the past.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

What year was this?
A lot of foreign docs in my area(cardiologist, surgeons, etc), they all came here in the 70s,80s and some 90s.

I don't see it happening in the modern era though, too competitive.

 

[ERDOC555]

There are actually a large number of incredible IMGs that match into competitive specialties each year. It's not a large number relative to all the IMGs applying, but make no mistake that out of the roughly ~15,000 IMGs applying to the US each year, there are some absolute academic powerhouses and at least a handful match into almost every specialty.

It's not that you can't match Derm/Plastics/etc from DO, Caribbean, IMG, it's just that it's highly unlikely and applicants face enormous hurdles compared to US MD students.

 

[femmegoblue]

What year was this?
A lot of foreign docs in my area(cardiologist, surgeons, etc), they all came here in the 70s,80s and some 90s.

I don't see it happening in the modern era though, too competitive.

It was definitely in the 80's, so that totally makes sense.

 

[Luka75]

What year was this?
A lot of foreign docs in my area(cardiologist, surgeons, etc), they all came here in the 70s,80s and some 90s.

I don't see it happening in the modern era though, too competitive.

Not likely but it can happen, a friend of mine graduated from MUA (Medical University of the Americas) and is now a General Surgery Resident in the US.

 

[Frogger27]

Guadalajara, Mexico used to be a more viable path years ago, just as the Caribbean was.... My friends uncle went to an IVY league school but graduated with like a 3.1.... He took a year to teach himself Spanish and then went to med school in Guadalajara.... he is now an uber successful GI and lives in one of the biggest houses I have ever seen.

 

[gyngyn]

When I was on vacation over break, I met a well established urological surgeon from Denver and we chatted a bit. I looked him up when I got home, and found out he went to medical school in Guadalajara. He then matched for his internship at Mt. Sinai, then urological surgery on Long Island. He is an American citizen born and raised in the US. How does this incredibly unlikely situation happen? Like, what has to fall into place for an IMG to match something so competitive?

We all know the extreme shadiness of Carib schools and the low chances of matching anything competitive...does this not apply to other foreign schools?

This was called the Fifth Pathway.

 

[femmegoblue]

I mean google Lyes Zerhouni. His career path would never happen today.


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He is a foreign born medical graduate, which I always thought was much different than an American going outside the US for med school.

 

[Luka75]

He is a foreign born medical graduate, which I always thought was much different than an American going outside the US for med school.

It very much is different, the latter is seen as taking a shortcut while the former is simply migrating.

 

[flapjack3d]

In case it hasnt been said yet, Guadalajara isn't in the Caribbean. It's a very well established MD school in Mexico which has produced many american MDs for a long time. Being an american citizen gives you a leg up as well.

 

[femmegoblue]

In case it hasnt been said yet, Guadalajara isn't in the Caribbean. It's a very well established MD school in Mexico which has produced many american MDs for a long time. Being an american citizen gives you a leg up as well.

I think everyone knows it's not in the Caribbean.

But if that is actually the case, why does it seem like people jump from no MD/DO acceptance to Carib, instead of considering something like that?

 

[gyngyn]

I think everyone knows it's not in the Caribbean.

But if that is actually the case, why does it seem like people jump from no MD/DO acceptance to Carib, instead of considering something like that?

It doesn't exist anymore.

 

[RogueBanana]

It doesn't exist anymore.

A minor setback.

 

[Frogger27]

A minor setback.

mexico built a yuge wall years ago to keep all those illegal pre meds from invading their medical system

 

[Dr.Sticks]

If you can't meet M.D stats you go D.O now
Honestly though D.O isn't that far behind and I feel that in 10 years D.O will basically be at the same level as M.D as far as average GPA and MCAT goes.

 

[gyngyn]

UAG still exists. it was slow to move from fifth pathway to direct clinical rotations thus lost position to Ross and SGU.

http://www.uag.edu/?scid=3363141&ci...ag.edu&rl_track_landing_pages=1&rl_retarget=1

Yes, UAG still exists.
I was referring to the fifth pathway as a viable route to US practice.

 

[libertyyne]

If you can't meet M.D stats you go D.O now
Honestly though D.O isn't that far behind and I feel that in 10 years D.O will basically be at the same level as M.D as far as average GPA and MCAT goes.

There are only so many LizzyM>68 candidates.

 

[RogueBanana]

There are only so many LizzyM>68 candidates.

You underestimate their power.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

When I was on vacation over break, I met a well established urological surgeon from Denver and we chatted a bit. I looked him up when I got home, and found out he went to medical school in Guadalajara. He then matched for his internship at Mt. Sinai, then urological surgery on Long Island. He is an American citizen born and raised in the US. How does this incredibly unlikely situation happen? Like, what has to fall into place for an IMG to match something so competitive?

We all know the extreme shadiness of Carib schools and the low chances of matching anything competitive...does this not apply to other foreign schools?

There is a Carib student in the University of Colorado ortho program. Even today hail mary's sometimes get completed. Even the Carib match lists will have a handful of uber competitive matches, and truthfully often to programs that would never consider a DO.

 

[femmegoblue]

my mistake for misreading. BTW Fifth pathway was formally ended beginning this year, last grads from that pathway will be this year, if there are any left.

So without the 5th pathway, schools that want Americans that aren't in the Carib can't compete because the big four in the Carib have snatched up all the US rotations?