got a 205 on step 1.. IMG. what are my chances?

[levothyroxine]

I got a 205 in step 1
What are my chances for family medicine residency matching?

i know there are a lot of other factors going on, but even to get an interview..
does my step 1 score hurt me?

 

[levothyroxine]

please help.
i'm not sure if to even attempt step 2
or change into another career

 

[levothyroxine]

please help

 

[hobbes23]

You passed! But did below average, as you know.
Assuming you are otherwise average, you have a approx 25% change of matching. ( http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Charting-Outcomes-IMGs-2016.pdf )
So, work on the things you can to improve in the future and become above average in those areas (MS3 grades + letters, CK, networkring, etc.)

 

[levothyroxine]

You passed! But did below average, as you know.
Assuming you are otherwise average, you have a approx 25% change of matching. ( http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Charting-Outcomes-IMGs-2016.pdf )
So, work on the things you can to improve in the future and become above average in those areas (MS3 grades + letters, CK, networkring, etc.)

what is the difference between a us img and non us img ?

 

[PlutoBoy]

what is the difference between a us img and non us img ?

Citizenship status. Your score is low. If you are a foreigner and need a visa, that further decreases your chances of matching. We can't say with any degree of certainty if you will or will not match but all else being equal your score is hurting your chances. I would not give up this far down the road. Make sure you do above average on STEP 2 and try to network as much as possible. Knowing the right people goes along way.

 

[levothyroxine]

Citizenship status. Your score is low. If you are a foreigner and need a visa, that further decreases your chances of matching. We can't say with any degree of certainty if you will or will not match but all else being equal your score is hurting your chances. I would not give up this far down the road. Make sure you do above average on STEP 2 and try to network as much as possible. Knowing the right people goes along way.

I'm a citizen here, so I would come into the US-IMG then?

 

[levothyroxine]

Citizenship status. Your score is low. If you are a foreigner and need a visa, that further decreases your chances of matching. We can't say with any degree of certainty if you will or will not match but all else being equal your score is hurting your chances. I would not give up this far down the road. Make sure you do above average on STEP 2 and try to network as much as possible. Knowing the right people goes along way.

FM is not something that I would like doing, I was actually aiming for Neuro, IM. Do you think FM is a residency that you can do (as in be happy while doing it) if you don't like surgery and obs/gyn?

 

[PlutoBoy]

I'm a citizen here, so I would come into the US-IMG then?

Yes

FM is not something that I would like doing, I was actually aiming for Neuro, IM. Do you think FM is a residency that you can do (as in be happy while doing it) if you don't like surgery and obs/gyn?

I did not train in FM so I am not sure about the training. However, most FM folks I know are not doing OB/GYN after graduation.

 

[Ericslv]

what is the difference between a us img and non us img ?

A US img is someone who is an American Citizen who went to a foreign school. A non US img is someone from another country who is attempting to get a residency in the US.

About the residency thing. If someone told you in here that you had no chance at all would you quit right now or what if someone said you will get in, would you keep going. I say this because if you stay in here long enough someone will tell you those things.

 

[studyaholic]

FM is not something that I would like doing, I was actually aiming for Neuro, IM. Do you think FM is a residency that you can do (as in be happy while doing it) if you don't like surgery and obs/gyn?

Hey, you're fine...you passed first attempt and are a US IMG. You just work on improving step 2 score, and building your CV. You can still apply to Neuro and IM. I have a friend who matched IM with a 195 (when I think 192 was passing.)
Be happy you passed!! Congrats!!! Step 2 is easier than step 1!

 

[JonMonkey]

You passed 1st time...that is good. Not every poor step score is distended for FM. Work on improving your score for step 2 like the others have mentioned. As a fellow US-IMG, you will have hoops to jump through until you are an attending...that is life, nothing will change that. The number of hoops will depend on how will you prepare and improve your current situation. Do well, get good quality LoR, show commitment to whatever you think you will enjoy doing and you should be fine.

FM is not something that I would like doing, I was actually aiming for Neuro, IM. Do you think FM is a residency that you can do (as in be happy while doing it) if you don't like surgery and obs/gyn?

Probably not, if you are doing anything as a fall back you will not be happy. I hate neuro, if I was doing that instead of what I am doing I would not be happy....it is all a matter of perspective. However, if you were to ask is FM rewarding, challenging and fulfilling then the answer is undoubtedly yes.

 

[jacobus1919]

Not to hijack this thread but I am a NON-US IMG who is applying to FM as well. I have a not so good Step 1 score, and I currently waiting for my CK and CS scores to be in... Currently, I am in a FM residency program where I am from specifically year 2 of my residency as a Family Medicine resident. While I do not have US LORs, but I have only my local LORs from both my current program director and my Department chair uploaded and waived. as well as a LOR from a Family Medicine attending, who is also the hospital director. And my previous clerkship director. I have a total of 3 LORs from FM physicians and 1 other FM LOR but the writer isn't a FM. I am truly geared into going to into Family medicine. would my experience in Family Medicine + my FM LORs possibly help my chances of interviewing??

 

[Ericslv]

Not to hijack this thread but I am a NON-US IMG who is applying to FM as well. I have a not so good Step 1 score, and I currently waiting for my CK and CS scores to be in... Currently, I am in a FM residency program where I am from specifically year 2 of my residency as a Family Medicine resident. While I do not have US LORs, but I have only my local LORs from both my current program director and my Department chair uploaded and waived. as well as a LOR from a Family Medicine attending, who is also the hospital director. And my previous clerkship director. I have a total of 3 LORs from FM physicians and 1 other FM LOR but the writer isn't a FM. I am truly geared into going to into Family medicine. would my experience in Family Medicine + my FM LORs possibly help my chances of interviewing??

So you are doing a family medicine residency in another country and are in your 2nds year. By the time you take your exams, apply and start you would be done with your residency in your country. Basically you would be an attending in your country and starting over in the USA. Most family medicine director would look at that favorably. You are a trained physician.

 

[jacobus1919]

So you are doing a family medicine residency in another country and are in your 2nds year. By the time you take your exams, apply and start you would be done with your residency in your country. Basically you would be an attending in your country and starting over in the USA. Most family medicine director would look at that favorably. You are a trained physician.

Yes I am currently already in my 2nd year as a resident in FM. But, actually I am already done with my step 1, and already took my Step 2 exams and just waiting for the results to be out around October

 

[Ericslv]

Yes I am currently already in my 2nd year as a resident in FM. But, actually I am already done with my step 1, and already took my Step 2 exams and just waiting for the results to be out around October

No I think your experience as a resident in family medicine, practicing family medicine, and getting letters from family medicine doctors that you are a good family medicine candidate is not going to help you. You should get letters from surgeons saying you are a good family physician. I know, why don't you get a letter from your accountant, grocery store manager and plummer as well.

Do you see a pattern here?

But seriously you took the exam, nothing you can do about it now but wait. Apply, and show them you know your family medicine more than what an exam can show. You'll get in.

Assuming you don't have visa issues apply to programs that are friendly to non us IMGs. I don't which ones those are but look up the programs talk to others who may have matched.

 

[lolita90]

Hi, I just got my USMLE Step 1 score and the results were disappointing... i got a 211 when i thought i had at least a 230... I really don't know what happened. I am an US citizen, IMG who graduated on July in DR, I have an AS degree on Liberal Arts and Science and worked as a Lab assistant during my undergraduate training at BCC. I also graduated with Honors in my medical school. I would like to know recommendations in order for me to have a chance on the next match ( planning to take CS on March) and Ck by Aug (2018). Any help will be kindly appreciated.
I wanted to go for Anesthesio but with this score I believe it won't be happening. I'll go for IM or FM

 

[Shinken]

...Basically you would be an attending in your country and starting over in the USA. Most family medicine director would look at that favorably. You are a trained physician.

Not necessarily. I would be interested in other program directors' opinions, but for our program, we don't consider these applicants at all. We're in the business of training the next generation of family physicians, not in the business of helping foreign physicians enter the US physician workforce (and I'm not saying that in a mean way, all I'm saying is that if someone already finished their training then we don't consider them).

We do this also because of past experience. We've found that trained physicians in residency again don't really mesh well with other residents.

 

[septoplasty]

Hi, I just got my USMLE Step 1 score and the results were disappointing... i got a 211 when i thought i had at least a 230... I really don't know what happened. I am an US citizen, IMG who graduated on July in DR, I have an AS degree on Liberal Arts and Science and worked as a Lab assistant during my undergraduate training at BCC. I also graduated with Honors in my medical school. I would like to know recommendations in order for me to have a chance on the next match ( planning to take CS on March) and Ck by Aug (2018). Any help will be kindly appreciated.
I wanted to go for Anesthesio but with this score I believe it won't be happening. I'll go for IM or FM

Anesthesio is different than IM and FM.

I would look at the pros/cons of either, than decide if you really want to be in medicine?

Frankly, based on the post above, and regardless of scores, if you told me you wanted to do Anesthesio, but ended up in IM/FM as a last resort/back up, I wouldn't rank you.

Harsh as it is, but it is what it is.

 

[septoplasty]

Not necessarily. I would be interested in other program directors' opinions, but for our program, we don't consider these applicants at all. We're in the business of training the next generation of family physicians, not in the business of helping foreign physicians enter the US physician workforce (and I'm not saying that in a mean way, all I'm saying is that if someone already finished their training then we don't consider them).

We do this also because of past experience. We've found that trained physicians in residency again don't really mesh well with other residents.

I too agree with this.

 

[Ericslv]

Not to hijack this thread but I am a NON-US IMG who is applying to FM as well. I have a not so good Step 1 score, and I currently waiting for my CK and CS scores to be in... Currently, I am in a FM residency program where I am from specifically year 2 of my residency as a Family Medicine resident. While I do not have US LORs, but I have only my local LORs from both my current program director and my Department chair uploaded and waived. as well as a LOR from a Family Medicine attending, who is also the hospital director. And my previous clerkship director. I have a total of 3 LORs from FM physicians and 1 other FM LOR but the writer isn't a FM. I am truly geared into going to into Family medicine. would my experience in Family Medicine + my FM LORs possibly help my chances of interviewing??

Yet you hijacked it anyway. I wonder why people say that. "not to hijack this thread" but then I'm going to do it anyway because my needs are more important than others. How about you just start a new thread?

 

[Ericslv]

Not necessarily. I would be interested in other program directors' opinions, but for our program, we don't consider these applicants at all. We're in the business of training the next generation of family physicians, not in the business of helping foreign physicians enter the US physician workforce (and I'm not saying that in a mean way, all I'm saying is that if someone already finished their training then we don't consider them).

We do this also because of past experience. We've found that trained physicians in residency again don't really mesh well with other residents.

In my opinion that is a really poor reason not to consider a trained doctor from another country. You are prejudice and stereotyping those individuals.

If they want to be Family physicians and you want to train the next generation of family physicians then it seems to me that you would have an excellent fit.

 

[Trollest]

As suspected, people become interested in FM only after obtaining low step 1 scores, so is that bad for those of us who are genuinely interested in FM?

 

[Blue Dog]

In my opinion that is a really poor reason not to consider a trained doctor from another country. You are prejudice and stereotyping those individuals.

No, he isn't. He explained very succinctly why his program doesn't rank that type of applicant. If they can rank more competitive people, they should.

 

[Shinken]

As suspected, people become interested in FM only after obtaining low step 1 scores, so is that bad for those of us who are genuinely interested in FM?

Not at all. If you review ERAS applications carefully and pay attention during the interview, most times it's pretty easy to separate the applicants that are genuinely interested in FM from those that aren't.

 

[Ericslv]

No, he isn't. He explained very succinctly why his program doesn't rank that type of applicant. If they can rank more competitive people, they should.

If it's a trained doctor, how are the new residents more competitive. The trained doctor already knows all the crap that the resident is going to learn. They just have to learn the US system. An no, he did not explain it well at all. But here comes bluedog from the south to the rescue.

 

[Blue Dog]

If it's a trained doctor, how are the new residents more competitive. The trained doctor already knows all the crap that the resident is going to learn. They just have to learn the US system. An no, he did not explain it well at all. But here comes bluedog from the south to the rescue.

 

[Ericslv]

Amazing how you caught how I feel. How did you know? LMAO.

 

[smq123]

Let’s bring it back to the original discussion. And please stop sniping at each other. Thanks.