Help : Scared lil IMG ..

[matakanan]

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First let me say what a good job u guys have done with the neuro board. The Faq was worth the read Gopher. I have read most of the threads/posts regarding the 1st & 2nd tier programs and also all the IMG related threads including DrGirls'.

Its just that after all this reading , i get the impression that i might not even match with 2nd tier programs!
My deal : No research papers, no US experience... basically i am just an IMG doc fresh out of college with a reasonable Step 1 score of 242 and hoping to do ok in Step 2. I did teach a bit of neuroanatomy as a temp tutor at a college after my graduation. There is no way to show the PD that i have a genuine interest in neuro other than thro my personal statement.

I know u guys are tired of threads like these but i just wana know what are my chances of matching realistically in atleast 2nd tier programs, cause if can't whats the point spending all that money on CAS.

 

[Methyldopa]

First let me say what a good job u guys have done with the neuro board. The Faq was worth the read Gopher. I have read most of the threads/posts regarding the 1st & 2nd tier programs and also all the IMG related threads including DrGirls'.

Its just that after all this reading , i get the impression that i might not even match with 2nd tier programs!
My deal : No research papers, no US experience... basically i am just an IMG doc fresh out of college with a reasonable Step 1 score of 242 and hoping to do ok in Step 2. I did teach a bit of neuroanatomy as a temp tutor at a college after my graduation. There is no way to show the PD that i have a genuine interest in neuro other than thro my personal statement.

I know u guys are tired of threads like these but i just wana know what are my chances of matching realistically in atleast 2nd tier programs, cause if can't whats the point spending all that money on CAS.

Your chances are 1 in 2, no maybe 1 in 20, no, no, 1 in 1, heck I don't know, and no one on this board really knows.

To just say that you did "reasonable" on Step 1 with a score of 242 is laughable! Not that your score is laughable, in fact it's excellent! Pat yourself on the back, you kicked some butt. There are plenty of IMG residents running around in neurology. In fact 49% of IMG's matched last year. So who knows you might be one of them.

God bless and good luck!

 

[cachanilla]

Hi everyone.

Board Certified internist/endocrinologist in home country, Step 1 203, Step 2 246.Several papers and research. Will be applying to neurology this season. The situation is I secured a clinical rotation in US but until October. Should I send my application now or wait until late october to obtain US LORS??

Thanks!

 

[matakanan]

Thank u MethylDopa. Just needed the reassurance before i took the plunge.
Its intimidating thats all..u'r just a greenhorn surrounded by IMGs with lots of credentials.
I love neuro soo much that i am ready to spend 60$ and more on it even if a no program calls me ... 🙂

 

[dongfeng41]

Thank u MethylDopa. Just needed the reassurance before i took the plunge.
Its intimidating thats all..u'r just a greenhorn surrounded by IMGs with lots of credentials.
I love neuro soo much that i am ready to spend 60$ and more on it even if a no program calls me ... 🙂

Yeah, you'll be just fine. There are lots of good programs out there. By and large, Neurology residency programs tend to exist at large, reputable academic institutions to begin with. It doesn't matter if you don't have much research or publications, unless you're intent on getting into a research-intensive program. You have a kick-ass Step 1, which likely negates any sort of perceived disadvantage you may have in being an IMG. Just show your interviewers your natural personality and sincere enthusiasm for Neuro, and in the end, that's much more important than how people perceive you to be on paper. 😎

 

[dongfeng41]

Hi everyone.

Board Certified internist/endocrinologist in home country, Step 1 203, Step 2 246.Several papers and research. Will be applying to neurology this season. The situation is I secured a clinical rotation in US but until October. Should I send my application now or wait until late october to obtain US LORS??

Thanks!

Your application really won't be complete until you get LOR's to go along with it. My personal take is that you can always submit LOR's from people other than the ones you will be with in October (e.g. faculty back at your original hospital) and then submit the application before October. Once you finish your October rotation, you can submit one additional LOR, since you are technically allowed to submit an additional 4th one from an ongoing rotation. Everything else being equal, a US LOR would likely carry more weight, but a long, well-written LOR from somebody back home will always carry significant weight.

 

[drgirl]

First let me say what a good job u guys have done with the neuro board. The Faq was worth the read Gopher. I have read most of the threads/posts regarding the 1st & 2nd tier programs and also all the IMG related threads including DrGirls'.

Its just that after all this reading , i get the impression that i might not even match with 2nd tier programs!
My deal : No research papers, no US experience... basically i am just an IMG doc fresh out of college with a reasonable Step 1 score of 242 and hoping to do ok in Step 2. I did teach a bit of neuroanatomy as a temp tutor at a college after my graduation. There is no way to show the PD that i have a genuine interest in neuro other than thro my personal statement.

I know u guys are tired of threads like these but i just wana know what are my chances of matching realistically in atleast 2nd tier programs, cause if can't whats the point spending all that money on CAS.

Hey...trust me, you have a fantastic Step 1 score and will definitely be competitive for most neuro programs. I didn't have any research at all either, so don't worry about it too much. Do apply widely though and be sure to have some 'backups' in the list. You have great chances so go ahead and spend the money, it will be worth it in the end 🙂

 

[matakanan]

Thanks a lot Drgirl for ur advice.... i'm definitely taking the plunge, can't miss out on my chance at neuro whether i deserve it or not 😉