Carribean IMG's chances of getting into Duke

[kev2180]

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Hi I am Caribbean IMG with 229 on Step1. Wondering if there any IMGs that get into Duke?...

 

[GATORANALYST]

Hi I am Caribbean IMG with 229 on Step1. Wondering if there any IMGs that get into Duke?...

If you received an iv than you have a shot. I have heard though that they generally don't take IMG's even with a 229. Just so you know my program had some really high scores being ranked this year. The top 10 were in the 95%. Psychiatry applicants do get some competitive numbers, at least at my program(a middle tier program) so I would assume Duke gets some high scores.

good luck

 

[Still Kickin]

One of the residents who interviewed me at Duke was an IMG...

 

[pingumd]

Hi Gator,
When you said 95% did you mean the 2 digit score or 95%tile like 2 SD above the mean at 260+?
I know those 260+ scores are hard to come by in any field let alone 10 candidates in a row being ranked with those scores.

 

[BobA]

I met a lot of outstanding FMG's at Duke. Although I didn't meet any USIMG's that I know of, Duke struck me as a place that didn't discriminate against FMG's.

I assume that you've already interviewed? If not, then you might want to mention why you want to go to Duke specifically in your personal statement. They seem picky about giving out interviews. A classmate of mine, a USAMG with mid-220's on both step 1 and 2 did NOT get an interview there. He had one negative comment on his transcript, but otherwise was a solid student at a good school with excellent LOR's and dedication to psych.

 

[GATORANALYST]

Hi Gator,
When you said 95% did you mean the 2 digit score or 95%tile like 2 SD above the mean at 260+?
I know those 260+ scores are hard to come by in any field let alone 10 candidates in a row being ranked with those scores.

I PMed you.

 

[GATORANALYST]

Hi Gator,
When you said 95% did you mean the 2 digit score or 95%tile like 2 SD above the mean at 260+?
I know those 260+ scores are hard to come by in any field let alone 10 candidates in a row being ranked with those scores.

2 digit score

 

[superoxide]

I know someone from my caribbean school who matched into Psychiatry at Duke. Not sure what his scores are, but he also has a Ph.D in Neuroscience (or something related to that) and research/teaching experience.

 

[kev2180]

If you received an iv than you have a shot. I have heard though that they generally don't take IMG's even with a 229. Just so you know my program had some really high scores being ranked this year. The top 10 were in the 95%. Psychiatry applicants do get some competitive numbers, at least at my program(a middle tier program) so I would assume Duke gets some high scores.

good luck

I thought psych was not that competitive....i mean with average of 208?

 

[Kazema]

Psychiatry is not a competitive specialty in the sense that if you want to do psychiatry, you can.

But that doesn't mean there aren't people with very strong applications applying - and it's those applicants you'd be competing with in order to get spots at the top programs.

 

[BobA]

I thought psych was not that competitive....i mean with average of 208?

I agree with Kazema here. There's a huge drop off in competitiveness after the top programs.

That's not to say that programs out of the top won't give you a great education - there are many great programs out there.

Just don't expect to wow Duke or UCSF or Columbia with a slightly above average board score.

Just from reading the resident bios I got at interview days, I think that it takes more - longstanding interest, excellence in some area, a sincere interest in continuing research - to really impress top programs.

 

[BAZ]

kev2180 did you get an interview at Duke?

 

[Cinnameg]

I agree with Kazema here. There's a huge drop off in competitiveness after the top programs.

That's not to say that programs out of the top won't give you a great education - there are many great programs out there.

Just don't expect to wow Duke or UCSF or Columbia with a slightly above average board score.

Just from reading the resident bios I got at interview days, I think that it takes more - longstanding interest, excellence in some area, a sincere interest in continuing research - to really impress top programs.

So this is an old thread -- but I just wanted to make the point here that board scores don't seem to be such a barrier, at least to getting interviews at places. I have below-average board scores on both steps and I got a lot of interview offers, at very very good places. I was only actually asked about my board scores or my grades by one interviewer at one program. Everyone who interviewed me over the past few months seemed much more concerned with the depth of interest and commitment to psychiatry. Some places cared more about research, some cared more about volunteer work or teaching. Just apply broadly in psychiatry and it should work out ok (of course, the Match hasn't happened yet, I could be totally screwed and not know it yet . . . just crossing my fingers . . . ).

 

[plickfu]

So this is an old thread -- but I just wanted to make the point here that board scores don't seem to be such a barrier, at least to getting interviews at places. I have below-average board scores on both steps and I got a lot of interview offers, at very very good places. I was only actually asked about my board scores or my grades by one interviewer at one program. Everyone who interviewed me over the past few months seemed much more concerned with the depth of interest and commitment to psychiatry. Some places cared more about research, some cared more about volunteer work or teaching. Just apply broadly in psychiatry and it should work out ok (of course, the Match hasn't happened yet, I could be totally screwed and not know it yet . . . just crossing my fingers . . . ).

I would add above average scores are not necessarily a golden ticket either. I was surprised that with 221/91 on Step 1 and 249/99 on Step 2 that I did not get interviews at the top programs. Not that I'm bitter or anything...

 

[Cinnameg]

I would add above average scores are not necessarily a golden ticket either. I was surprised that with 221/91 on Step 1 and 249/99 on Step 2 that I did not get interviews at the top programs. Not that I'm bitter or anything...

Plickfu, I am way envious of your scores. Even if it didn't give you a golden ticket, seriously good job.

 

[whopper]

Duke either:
1-doesn't care if someone is an IMG or not. They'll just look at the scores, LORs, and other credentials such as research, a master's degree, etc.
2-They'll place a preference for AMGs over IMGs, but will not completely disregard an IMG. The amount of preference will be in a spectrum with some people having little care about the IMG status vs. others having a big problem with it.
Then there's...
3-They won't accept IMGs at all. They won't even put them on the bottom of the MATCH list. Years ago, and it may not be true now, faculty at Columbia openly stated at various gatherings they would not even consider an IMG for residency though they would consider them for fellowship.

From the above, it seems IMGs at Duke are at 1-2, but not 3. That's as far as I guess one could hope for unless someone inside the admissions circle at Duke were to come out and openly state their policy.

 

[Tolulah]

Duke either:
1-doesn't care if someone is an IMG or not. They'll just look at the scores, LORs, and other credentials such as research, a master's degree, etc.
2-They'll place a preference for AMGs over IMGs, but will not completely disregard an IMG. The amount of preference will be in a spectrum with some people having little care about the IMG status vs. others having a big problem with it.
Then there's...
3-They won't accept IMGs at all. They won't even put them on the bottom of the MATCH list. Years ago, and it may not be true now, faculty at Columbia openly stated at various gatherings they would not even consider an IMG for residency though they would consider them for fellowship.

From the above, it seems IMGs at Duke are at 1-2, but not 3. That's as far as I guess one could hope for unless someone inside the admissions circle at Duke were to come out and openly state their policy.

Duke's psych program has accepted a couple Caribbean medical students in the recent past. My impression is that they see IMGs as an untapped resource. As a previous IMG myself, I look forward to the day more programs feel similarly! Good luck!

 

[Apollyon]

I was a USIMG from the Caribbean at Duke, and, because of that, the floodgates opened (as is typical - one Carib gets in somewhere, and then everyone and their brother applies). There was one guy in FM a year ahead of me from another Carib school. There were several the next year in my specialty, then - no more. Period. It came down from high that Caribs were NOT WELCOME. Now, the psych residents were strong - very much so - when I was there.

If the admin has softened up, well, I can't say it can't happen, but I would be remarkably surprised. However, in an ironic twist, US IMGs from Ireland - who chose that way, and non US IMGs from Lebanon were favored. Likewise, other European schools were preferred.

 

[coilette]

I vaguely recall the PD at Duke mentioning the fact that they reserve a couple of slots each year for outstanding FMGs. I could be totally imagining that since my interview was many months ago but I know that I met a couple of residents at the dinner who were FMGs and seemed extremely sharp.

 

[sella turcica]

from what I understand, Duke doesn't shut the door on IMGs. You have to be good, however. I have been told by multiple people that I am a stellar psych candidate (US student as well) and Duke was one of the very few places I did not receive an interview invite from.

 

[Cinnameg]

I vaguely recall the PD at Duke mentioning the fact that they reserve a couple of slots each year for outstanding FMGs. I could be totally imagining that since my interview was many months ago but I know that I met a couple of residents at the dinner who were FMGs and seemed extremely sharp.

You're not imagining things, she definitely said something like that -- at least that they value the diversity of having international students in each class.

 

[Apollyon]

You're not imagining things, she definitely said something like that -- at least that they value the diversity of having international students in each class.

But, again, unless times have changed, being a Caribbean FMG is perceived differently there than a European, Indian, Pakistani, or Australian educated graduate. Tolulah states they've taken Caribbeans, but I don't know if that is a sea change, or has periodically stirred the sleeping giant.