December graduation?

[agranulocytosis]

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How does a December graduation date (I'm talking December 2010) affect people's chances for matching? I understand that from the Charting Outcomes documents that US Seniors were at a significant advantage than graduates, and as a US-IMG I really don't want to be messing around with my chances at matching.

FWIW, my December graduation date is the fault of my school and the relative lack of rotations. It's not like I was held back academically or took time off. Would PDs see this as reflected by my transcript?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Your chance of matching this year is zero, of course. You must graduate by July 1, 2010 to participate this year. Next year you will be fine, and PD's won't care that you graduated in Dec. Presumably you'd set up most of your interviews for Jan 2011, then get a job to fill in (or not).

 

[dmitrinyr]

The PDs will not care if you graduate in December and maybe they will not even notice if they just skim through your transcript really fast. I would suggest that after graduation and before July 1st that you take and pass step 3 as it will be harder to study for and take time off during residency for step 3. I know a good amount of caribbean students that graduate during the winter months and have no problems with matching (assuming everything else is kosher) and usually enjoy those months off before residency starts.

 

[Jason110]

The PDs will not care if you graduate in December and maybe they will not even notice if they just skim through your transcript really fast. I would suggest that after graduation and before July 1st that you take and pass step 3 as it will be harder to study for and take time off during residency for step 3. I know a good amount of caribbean students that graduate during the winter months and have no problems with matching (assuming everything else is kosher) and usually enjoy those months off before residency starts.

I thought you have to be enrolled in a residency program to take Step 3? Or does that stipulation not apply to foreign grads?

 

[dmitrinyr]

I thought you have to be enrolled in a residency program to take Step 3? Or does that stipulation not apply to foreign grads?

You do not need to be enrolled in a residency to be allowed to take step 3. All you need is to have graduated medical school. I know people that took step 3 during january or february and so did not match into residency by that point (as the match is in mid-march). I don't remember them asking anything about whether or not you were currently in a residency program when I registered for step 3.

 

[howelljolly]

Re. Step3

It depends on the state in which you put on your application to take the test. About 11 states don't require you to be a resident. The rest do.

 

[dmitrinyr]

Re. Step3

It depends on the state in which you put on your application to take the test. About 11 states don't require you to be a resident. The rest do.

Most of the residents where I was an intern applied for Step 3 through Connecticut so that we don't get charged extra for license fees (which apply if you are going through New York).

 

[agranulocytosis]

Well that sounds pretty good. On one hand I'd really enjoy the time off after graduation to devote to interviews and general R&R, but on the other, I'd like to also make my intern year as painless as possible by taking Step 3 before hand.

BTW, I checked up on the FSMB website and requirement 2 states that "you will be asked to indicate the state board for which you are sitting". Does this mean I should at least be matched into a residency program that I forsee completing and becoming board-certified in before applying for Step 3?

 

[dmitrinyr]

BTW, I checked up on the FSMB website and requirement 2 states that "you will be asked to indicate the state board for which you are sitting". Does this mean I should at least be matched into a residency program that I forsee completing and becoming board-certified in before applying for Step 3?

I put down Connecticut for the question of "state board for which you are sitting". This doesn't really matter as all state boards require you to pass step 3 before getting your medical license. I do not plan to practice in CT and have submitted to get a medical license in the state of WI so I don't think it matters what state you put there.