i am confused about residency/matching... enlightment me, please?

[lmnguye4]

Hello,

I am very new to this topic, so please tolerate my question

I don't understand the whole residencies/matching in the U.S. Why is it is supposedly harder to get matched in the U.S.? What does "matching" even mean?

Pretend I went to a Carribean school (SABA) and I wanted to do family practice, would that be hard to "match" and get residency in the U.S.? How about dermatology? I don't understand.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!!

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[phisigman03]

Hello,

I am very new to this topic, so please tolerate my question

I don't understand the whole residencies/matching in the U.S. Why is it is supposedly harder to get matched in the U.S.? What does "matching" even mean?

Pretend I went to a Carribean school (SABA) and I wanted to do family practice, would that be hard to "match" and get residency in the U.S.? How about dermatology? I don't understand.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!!

Matching into residency is exactly what it sounds like.... Matching. When you apply some or all prgrams will invite you to come for an interview. After the interview with you and all of their invited applicants those programs will sit down and rank who they like the most to who they like the least (ex. 1-25 this number depends on how many spots are available at that program). At the same time you and everyone else who applied for residency will rank the programs that have invited you for interviews. Again from 1-etc with 1 being the program you like the most and have a good chance of getting in. When your rank list matches that of the programs rank list you are considered matched into the program. So if you place USC FM at number 1 and USC FM placed you at number 1 of their list then you are matched into USC FM program. When programs directors rank you it is based on step scores, interviews, letters of recommendation and whether you are US grad or not and whatever else on the list. This is why obtaining a reisdency position is harder now because of more FMGs and IMGs are competing to get the same spots as US grad (AMG) it is more like playing musical chairs with only 3 chairs and 300 people. So if you don't want to be the person left standing your scores better be stout, your letters better be awesome, and your interviews needs to be flawless.
Most (not all) internationals grad matches into programs like IM, FM, OBG, some into general surgery and some into peds/psych.

Dermatology NO
Radiology NO
plastic NO
ortho Big NOOO
any big name specialty that alot of american grads are seeking is a big no no.

there is alot more to understand abt the match but what I wrote was just a simple explanation to give you a broad idea and to answer your question. If you want more info you should read up more abt it.

 

[shiftingmirage]

http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/about_res/algorithms.html

This link explains how the match works with an example.