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Probably not, if I had to guess. You're competing against creme de la creme of most countries. But then again, Tesla went up 10% after hours today for no apparent reason other than that it spent less cash and promised more future cash. Throw your application in the pile, but have a backup plan.
 
one issue is having failures red flags that will likely be easy to glean at a glance on your app, coupled with the fact that most docs in the US are likely not familiar enough with the UK training system to understand the positive factors you are saying sort of redeem you

I can't speak for PDs and how familiar some might be, but unless it's an IMG friendly program (you can track this down online usually) then I really wouldn't expect them to be at all, and even if it's an IMG friendly program that still doesn't mean that they will be able to appreciate any app in a practical sense that isn't just on stellar terms prima facie

for example most aren't going to be familiar enough with the UK to know that you are in a top 5 out of 10 med school (no offense, I don't think being in top 50% of med schools will be impressive when there are so few, or even here in the states with over 150+ schools)

I don't mean to discourage you. You are right, working hard, getting excellent LORs, applying broadly, will help. Networking and getting some US training experience and letters would be good too.

It's true that I think those who have trained in a first world English speaking country have the best chance of IMGs, like Canada, Australia, UK, but that said it's still hard and there are tons of those candidate and US ones that are red-flag free and still find it hard to get here.

Anyway, I don't think hope is lost, but I would definitely pursue any options you have for training in and out of the US.
 
Probably not, if I had to guess. You're competing against creme de la creme of most countries. But then again, Tesla went up 10% after hours today for no apparent reason other than that it spent less cash and promised more future cash. Throw your application in the pile, but have a backup plan.

Thank you
 
why dont you want the train in the UK?

It has always been a dream of mine to travel and work abroad. I believe the US has training and career/research opportunities comparable to that of the UK. Having said that, I would be happy to train in the UK and work for the NHS if I was to change my mind later down the road or be unsuccessful in obtaining a training post abroad.
 
one issue is having failures red flags that will likely be easy to glean at a glance on your app, coupled with the fact that most docs in the US are likely not familiar enough with the UK training system to understand the positive factors you are saying sort of redeem you

I can't speak for PDs and how familiar some might be, but unless it's an IMG friendly program (you can track this down online usually) then I really wouldn't expect them to be at all, and even if it's an IMG friendly program that still doesn't mean that they will be able to appreciate any app in a practical sense that isn't just on stellar terms prima facie

for example most aren't going to be familiar enough with the UK to know that you are in a top 5 out of 10 med school (no offense, I don't think being in top 50% of med schools will be impressive when there are so few, or even here in the states with over 150+ schools)

I don't mean to discourage you. You are right, working hard, getting excellent LORs, applying broadly, will help. Networking and getting some US training experience and letters would be good too.

It's true that I think those who have trained in a first world English speaking country have the best chance of IMGs, like Canada, Australia, UK, but that said it's still hard and there are tons of those candidate and US ones that are red-flag free and still find it hard to get here.

Anyway, I don't think hope is lost, but I would definitely pursue any options you have for training in and out of the US.


Thank you for your reply Crayola227

I agree that a failure on my transcript would be a red flag. In your opinion, are transcripts of IMGs as heavily scrutinised as they are for US graduates? Is it possible to compensate with a high Step 1 score and high clinical year scores?

Also my apologies, I should have written top 5-10 medical schools in the UK (usually top 5 and never below 10 out of the 34 med schools in the country). Currently, my university and medical school also rank top 10 in the world for overall university and for medicine on its own, depending on which league table you look at. However, I'm not sure if US PDs would be familiar with/have heard of UK medical schools outside of Oxford and Cambridge...


I guess striving to do well in Step 1 and preparing for all aspects of the Match (whilst also following my school's curriculum) can ultimately only make me a better medical student and future doctor. I will keep my options open, work hard to do well in Step 1 and evaluate my ambitions after obtaining my Step 1 score.

I appreciate your input.
 
If you do not succeed , then train in UK or elsewhere and do nephrology somewhere elsewhere . Then US nephrology PD will offer a scramble spot to a foreign trained nephrologist without US IM. Then after US nephrology you can apply for IM with better credentials by far .

There is precedent for this move
 
Don’t do it... yet. Make sure your Step 1 USMLE is taken close to when you apply, do well on everything else, consider applying to FM as a backup while also applying to UK IM residencies. If all else fails finish training in the UK then apply for unfilled fellowships (nephro, ID) complete that and then you can get trained in IM in 2 years after. Depends on how much you really want to work for it but it’s doable.
 
I am more concerned about why you failed your classes. Is it because they make it so difficult that half of your classes cannot pass? Or is there a major personal event that you cannot study well in that period of time? Or something none of us hope is the case: you simply have difficulties with medical exams? (I have seen people with the capacities of solving the most difficult math/physics problem or master in multiple language but dose have substantial problem with medical exams despite significant personal endeavor)

If the first two things are the culprit, it probably mattered less, as long as you have great USMLE scores (aim double 250+ for now). I have personally seen someone with GPA less than 2.5 matched into US residency.

If it is the last case, you may have the same difficulty with USMLE as well and that may hurt significantly your chances of getting US residency




Hi all, new to the forum!

I would like to begin by asking if there is any chance of being able to match into an Internal Medicine residency program as an IMG, given my record:-

I'm a UK medical student (top 5/10 medical school) and I've just finished my third year (two years of pre-clinical sciences + intercalated (sandwich) BSc year).

In my first year I failed one of my single best answer papers (1 of 3 papers) and in my second year I failed the newly introduced OSCE component but passed the single best answer paper. This meant in both years I had to resit all exams in the same summer (the entire set of exams must be resit together even if previously passed). Therefore, I failed both pre-clinical years but did not repeat any years. This last year I achieved a 2:1 in my Cardiovascular BSc (the second highest degree classification in the UK - a good average achieved by most of my medical school friends), I also averaged a First this year across my exams but the marks in the previous two years brought down my overall grade to a 2:1.

Now that my academic transcript is tainted (which I will receive soon with my BSc certificate and will find out exactly how many 'F's/attempts' it states), do I have any chance of gaining a place in the US as an IMG if I were to work extremely hard and do much better in the remaining 3 clinical years of my program and do extremely well in USMLE + LORs, electives, publications etc.

I would be open to any internal medicine residency in pretty much all states.

I know working extremely harder is easier said than done but I would be willing to make the necessary sacrifices if I were to know that there is still some realistic chance of gaining a place, or whether it's not even worth trying to apply and sit the USMLEs.

Any help at all is kindly appreciated
 
Do really well on the USMLE steps, get pretty enough the United States Clinical experience with strong LORs and have research and you will match to IM.
 
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