CLERKSHIP/ROTATION/ELECTIVE

[doctor_for_service]

I am a medical student Currently doing my final year at Government Medical College in India. I am soon gonna apply for electives. So I just wanted to know out of medicine and surgery... which is a better option for international or foreign medical graduates when it comes to residency. And also... do med schools really prefer foreign graduates who have done their electives from their school for residency?

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[CherryRedDracul]

I am a medical student Currently doing my final year at Government Medical College in India. I am soon gonna apply for electives. So I just wanted to know out of medicine and surgery... which is a better option for international or foreign medical graduates when it comes to residency.

Primary care fields (internal medicine, peds, family medicine) are clearly the safer option with a higher chance to match into than general surgery strictly going by the numbers from NRMP's 2014 Charting the Outcomes (http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Charting-Outcomes-2014-Final.pdf). But medicine and surgery are quite different fields. The better option, in my opinion, is going into the field that interests you the most. If you don't like working with your hands, you're going to be miserable in surgery.

And also... do med schools really prefer foreign graduates who have done their electives from their school for residency?

For US seniors at least, and depending on the program, some programs automatically extend interviews to students who have done electives at that school. Other programs may not care. I'm not sure about foreign graduates though, but it may be similar, but more of an uphill battle.

 

[doctor_for_service]

Thank you so much for such a great answer. Awaiting more responses.
I am just worried about the legal aspect of being a surgeon in the US. I won't say it's easier being a physician but yes a surgeon can easily land up in trouble although anywhere in the world. My interest and passion for surgery are keeping me spirited to go for General Surgery.
Just wondering if spending $ 3700 on Harvard med school elective and giving it my all during my rotation if i get selected will help me get through in residency.
Anyone with a relevant experience?

 

[tiedyeddog]

Thank you so much for such a great answer. Awaiting more responses.
I am just worried about the legal aspect of being a surgeon in the US. I won't say it's easier being a physician but yes a surgeon can easily land up in trouble although anywhere in the world. My interest and passion for surgery are keeping me spirited to go for General Surgery.
Just wondering if spending $ 3700 on Harvard med school elective and giving it my all during my rotation if i get selected will help me get through in residency.
Anyone with a relevant experience?

I am having trouble understanding your goal here. You are asking if it will help you, as an FMG, to do an elective at Harvard in order to hopefully match at Harvard General Surgery? Or what am I missing here?

 

[doctor_for_service]

Yes exactly. You guessed it right

 

[themockjock]

Yes exactly. You guessed it right

As an IMG, you have essentially a 0% chance of matching to any of the 3 Harvard surgery programs (MGH, BWH, BIDMC). Just doing a rotation at any of those places will not be nearly enough to get you in the door. Those are some of the most competitive programs in what has become a reasonably competitive specialty. Do not waste your $3,700 or whatever insane fee they charge for doing a rotation there.

If you are dead-set on doing surgery in the US, you need to set your sights on community or university-affiliated community programs that have a known track record of taking IMGs. Last year (2014), there were only 76 IMGs who matched into categorical surgery out of over 1,200 available positions.

If you are ok with being miserable, having to go through the match twice, and committing to spending a year in the US with the very real possibility that you will come out of it without a full residency, you could also match prelim surgery (these are relatively easy to get) and try to do so at a program that has a record of taking their own prelims. If you go this route, know that there is a very real chance that you will not be able to continue your surgical training beyond your first year as a categorical spot is far from guaranteed after a prelim year.

Your chances of getting lower-tier IM, FM, Psych are much higher if you are dead set on coming to the US to train regardless of specialty.

Also, since you are still in school remember that if you want to be considered for a residency you need to take the USMLE and get ECFMG certified, which may delay your chances of coming here for next cycle.

 

[doctor_for_service]

Ok thanks for such a great and deep insight into the situation. Well actually I was talking about applying for residency only after I'm done with my USMLE.

 

[notbobtrustme]

First, what's your visa status? If it's none, then don't bother with like 95% of all programs because they won't go through the hassle of sponsoring a visa for you. Go to program websites and find programs with large numbers of FMGs and IMGs. You will be competitive at those places.

Secondly, why do you want to come to the US besides to get paid?

 

[doctor_for_service]

I have a 10 year visitor visa. I want to come to the US because more than half of my family is already in USA and also I believe their 'training' is certainly the best in the world. That is the least you could aspire for if you dream of being the best.

 

[KindofBlue]

I would have to say a visitor visa means no visa status.

 

[doctor_for_service]

It has B1/B2 status... They call it visitor visa at the embassy here in New Delhi to make it easier for ppl to understand. Most graduates from India go on that visa for their exams.

 

[notbobtrustme]

It has B1/B2 status... They call it visitor visa at the embassy here in New Delhi to make it easier for ppl to understand. Most graduates from India go on that visa for their exams.

That visa doesn't allow you to work/reside in the US. Meaning you would have to apply for a green card, get sponsored, or go through the J-1 process. Just because you can take the exams doesn't qualify you for visa status.

Secondly, there are many countries with great training. The training in the US is highly variable and the programs you would be most competitive at are likely to have a poor quality of training anyways.

What's wrong with the UK, EU or even India? I mean, I know the answer ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$), but you should at least be honest about it.

 

[doctor_for_service]

Ok. Enough of wasting your own time and mine too. Get back to something more productive. Period.