How important is it to do a sub internship?

[donkeykong]

I am a third year international medical student and I am planning to apply for an internal med residency in the fall. I am planning my fourth year electives and am having a hard time finding a school that will accept me for an internal med sub internship. Many of them do not allow international students or visiting students to do sub internships. As an IMG, i realise i am automatically less competitive than other US students but how detrimental to my residency app would it be not to schedule a sub internship in the states?

Can anyone out there suggest a school that takes international med students for Sub-i's?

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[DoctorSax]

I am a third year international medical student and I am planning to apply for an internal med residency in the fall. I am planning my fourth year electives and am having a hard time finding a school that will accept me for an internal med sub internship. Many of them do not allow international students or visiting students to do sub internships. As an IMG, i realise i am automatically less competitive than other US students but how detrimental to my residency app would it be not to schedule a sub internship in the states?

Can anyone out there suggest a school that takes international med students for Sub-i's?

It certainly couldn't hurt! Try a couple of the Texas schools--UTMB-Galveston, UT-Houston, Baylor, UT-Southwestern, UT Health Sciences San Antonio, A&M, etc. There are plenty of IMGs around, and some of these programs offer the H-1.

Best of luck!

DS

 

[BlahtoThis]

A sub-I will definitely help because it makes the programs aware of how fluent you are in English, of your abilities, and of your interest in their program. It also allows you to make connections, which help more than grades in the long run (and even in terms of residency).

It's too bad that you will have a harder time than some equally and less qualified American grads. However, remember that you're not alone and that there are plenty of examples of absolutely great graduates from other countries (not FMG's as much as IMG's) who have gotten into the best of the best. However, there are many biased programs, but you will get in somewhere and you do have a chance for great programs.

As a couple of examples, there was an IMG from Pakistan straight out of med school there who did sub-I's at both MGH and Mayo, received interviews at both places, and received her first choice. Another person was one of the first women to do cardiac electrophysiology in the US but she went through Columbia despite having grown up and trained in India (no practice experience in India, came straight from there to the US). There are many huge names in medicine in this country who were IMG's and trained through places like Mayo, Baylor, and others. Ultimately, you're the one who's going to prove yourself in the eyes of these programs and in medicine in general