Im a bit worried about my chances..

[AlphaJaguar]

---

Members do not see this ad.

A

 

[TBV]

 

[673441]

I know where this is going...

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Are you going to med school in sudan?

Also how do you plan to get a PhD before match if youre working on an MD now?

I bet NRMP has some data on number/percent of people who matched from sudan

 

[TBV]

Ok I'll be the guy, I'll say it. As of right now your chances of obtaining a residency position that isn't some dead end prelim position are exactly 0. If you take your step exams and kill them, and that's a big if, your chances may rise to some non 0 number that is near 1%. So you'll probably start emailing a ton of people looking to do research here and spend 3 years here working for peanuts and get your name on a couple papers. Your chances will rise slightly higher (3%). Even after all of this you will go for the match and probably have to SOAP it out to a dead end prelim program.

My suggestion: maybe do residency in Sudan

 

[673441]

Ok I'll be the guy, I'll say it. As of right now your chances of obtaining a residency position that isn't some dead end prelim position are exactly 0. If you take your step exams and kill them, and that's a big if, your chances may rise to some non 0 number that is near 1%. So you'll probably start emailing a ton of people looking to do research here and spend 3 years here working for peanuts and get your name on a couple papers. Your chances will rise slightly higher (3%). Even after all of this you will go for the match and probably have to SOAP it out to a dead end prelim program.

My suggestion: maybe do residency in Sudan

That's the worst advice I have ever heard. Clearly the OP is trying to get a residency in the states. This doesn't not help him what so ever.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[TBV]

That's the worst advice I have ever heard. Clearly the OP is trying to get a residency in the states. This doesn't not help him what so ever.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

No it just doesn't agree with your viewpoint. I know 3 guys with MDs just on the floor where I do research alone from other countries trying to publish desperately while everyone around them knows their chances are nil.

 

[AlphaJaguar]

Ok I'll be the guy, I'll say it. As of right now your chances of obtaining a residency position that isn't some dead end prelim position are exactly 0. If you take your step exams and kill them, and that's a big if, your chances may rise to some non 0 number that is near 1%. So you'll probably start emailing a ton of people looking to do research here and spend 3 years here working for peanuts and get your name on a couple papers. Your chances will rise slightly higher (3%). Even after all of this you will go for the match and probably have to SOAP it out to a dead end prelim program.

My suggestion: maybe do residency in Sudan

..
Look, If the "3" figure means I will, one day, get my residency in United states then you are having a real mathematical problem..
Because definitely In Shaa Allah.. I'll prove you're wrong..
Ah.. and by the way.. you got a very poor communication skills needed for a doctor.. and probably you skipped the lectures of medical ethics.. have you heard about something called breaking bad news??
You really got on my nerves!

 

[AlphaJaguar]

A couple of things you haven't told us.

Is 4th year the last year of your med school or is your med school a longer one like in some European nations?

Also, which specialty do you want to apply to?

On to your questions:

1) Better start studying for Step 1. Lots of good advice over on the Step 1 forum. Although you may have to look for advice tailored to you as an IMG, perhaps Google for USMLEs for IMGs or something like that. I think there's a forum out there somewhere that's similar to SDN but for IMGs. No idea what the medical curriculum in Sudan is like, so not sure what you'll need to study.
2) Honestly, it likely will. But you can't change this, so no use being concerned about it.
3) Research publications are good (e.g., posters, abstracts, papers), but focus on your USMLEs first! That should be the priority.
4) It will benefit you if you can get clinical experience in the US. Try to get something at someplace that accepts IMGs.
5) Do you mean you're graduating from med school, and then doing a PhD?
6) Basically, an observership is spending time in a US hospital "observing" American doctors practicing medicine. But you can't do anything like take care of your own patient(s). No hands-on actual clinical experience. Thus observerships aren't as good as doing away rotations during med school -- which is still possible for you since you're still in med school. You should aim for away rotations during med school over observerships if at all possible.
7) I don't know the exact costs, but for example, Google USMLEs, then go to their website, and see how much each exam (i.e., Step 1, 2CK and CS, 3) costs.

Okay.. 4th year isn't the final year.. it's a curriculum of 6 years.. however the 4th year is the final for step1.. I mean final 2 years are really tough and time is full with clinical.. apparently nobody finds time to catch up let alone studying for step1..
..
Thanks a lot for your advice and for your time..
I got relieved hearing the answers of some points..

 

[TBV]

..
Look, If the "3" figure means I will, one day, get my residency in United states then you are having a real mathematical problem..
Because definitely In Shaa Allah.. I'll prove you're wrong..
Ah.. and by the way.. you got a very poor communication skills needed for a doctor.. and probably you skipped the lectures of medical ethics.. have you heard about something called breaking bad news??
You really got on my nerves!

I mean good luck or w/e but I like my odds of being right.

 

[bashwell]

Okay.. 4th year isn't the final year.. it's a curriculum of 6 years.. however the 4th year is the final for step1.. I mean final 2 years are really tough and time is full with clinical.. apparently nobody finds time to catch up let alone studying for step1..
..
Thanks a lot for your advice and for your time..
I got relieved hearing the answers of some points..

Please let me be clear: As an international medical graduate (IMG) from Sudan, you're facing a huge uphill battle. There are absolutely no guarantees for you. However, if you want to go to the US for residency (we still don't know which specialty you're interested in), then you will have to change your attitude and be willing to work extra hard.

Also, please don't take this the wrong way, but I presume you're Muslim because of the phrases you're using (e.g., "Asallamu Alikum" and "In Shaa Allah"). If you want to work in the US, then you'll need a visa to come over. My understanding is the US government is strict when it comes to granting visas, and especially granting visas to people from certain regions of the world. I could be wrong, but I would think Sudan is very likely on this list (fairly or unfairly). Residency programs will not want to take a risk on someone who doesn't yet have a visa. I'm telling you this because you'll need to start looking into how to do this as soon as you can.

You are still in med school so that's good news, because it means you can try to find an away rotation (elective) in the US. It's not too early to start now.

And for IMGs, there is no "final" year for Step 1. You can take it after you graduate too. Obviously try not to do this, but I'm just saying.

In summary: get as high scores on Step 1 as possible, get US clinical experience (so you can hopefully impress American physicians and get LORs), and start the visa application process.

 

[bashwell]

..
Look, If the "3" figure means I will, one day, get my residency in United states then you are having a real mathematical problem..
Because definitely In Shaa Allah.. I'll prove you're wrong..
Ah.. and by the way.. you got a very poor communication skills needed for a doctor.. and probably you skipped the lectures of medical ethics.. have you heard about something called breaking bad news??
You really got on my nerves!

I think @TBV's main point is that it's going to be very difficult for you to match in the US. That's true, and I entirely agree. If you really want this, then you have to start working as hard as you can right now. Good luck.

 

[HelpPleaseMD]

I agree with @TBV it is not going to happen. From your topic heading and what you have written so far ... I can tell you your pursuit is going to end in nothing but waste of money/time. You said yourself that you are in a 6 year program where students tend to take their steps at year 4 yet you have not started studying.

its up to you obviously.

 

[piii]

..
Look, If the "3" figure means I will, one day, get my residency in United states then you are having a real mathematical problem..
Because definitely In Shaa Allah.. I'll prove you're wrong..
Ah.. and by the way.. you got a very poor communication skills needed for a doctor.. and probably you skipped the lectures of medical ethics.. have you heard about something called breaking bad news??
You really got on my nerves!

He gave you negative news that you don't agree with. But he wasn't rude or mean or anything. No need to insult him. You're going to need thicker skin.

 

[AlphaJaguar]

Please let me be clear: As an international medical graduate (IMG) from Sudan, you're facing a huge uphill battle. There are absolutely no guarantees for you. However, if you want to go to the US for residency (we still don't know which specialty you're interested in), then you will have to change your attitude and be willing to work extra hard.

Also, please don't take this the wrong way, but I presume you're Muslim because of the phrases you're using (e.g., "Asallamu Alikum" and "In Shaa Allah"). If you want to work in the US, then you'll need a visa to come over. My understanding is the US government is strict when it comes to granting visas, and especially granting visas to people from certain regions of the world. I could be wrong, but I would think Sudan is very likely on this list (fairly or unfairly). Residency programs will not want to take a risk on someone who doesn't yet have a visa. I'm telling you this because you'll need to start looking into how to do this as soon as you can.

You are still in med school so that's good news, because it means you can try to find an away rotation (elective) in the US. It's not too early to start now.

And for IMGs, there is no "final" year for Step 1. You can take it after you graduate too. Obviously try not to do this, but I'm just saying.

In summary: get as high scores on Step 1 as possible, get US clinical experience (so you can hopefully impress American physicians and get LORs), and start the visa application process.

..
Okay.. thanks again..
I see you stressed on the point of interest.. I'm really interested in IM.. does this make a difference?
And excuse me.. but what do you mean by ( find an away rotation)?!

 

[bashwell]

..
Okay.. thanks again..
I see you stressed on the point of interest.. I'm really interested in IM.. does this make a difference?
And excuse me.. but what do you mean by ( find an away rotation)?!

1) Some specialties are more difficult than other specialties to obtain. Specialties like dermatology and plastic surgery are very difficult even for AMGs let alone for IMGs. Others like psych and FM aren't as competitive.

IM (overall) is toward the easier end of competitiveness.

However some IM residencies are very difficult to obtain even for AMGs and near impossible for IMGs (excepting maybe a super star applicant from Oxford or Cambridge). I'm referring to places like Johns Hopkins, UCSF, all the Harvard hospitals. The top 30 or so.

But there are other IM residencies that are much easier to obtain. You'll have to search on your own, but look for places that have a lot of IMGs in their residency. These are the ones you'd want to aim for.

2) By away rotation, I mean you have to come to the US for clinical experience. Maybe you'd call it an elective? Anyway this can only happen during medical school -- and usually (maybe always) in your last year of med school. After you graduate, you can no longer do this. Search for "away rotations for IMGs" (or something similar) here on SDN. Google for programs that offer away rotations for IMGs as well.

3) Also, as an IMG, you will need a visa to come for the away rotation (or so I assume). That's why I say you have to start applying for a visa as soon as possible.

4) I forgot to mention you may also need to take an English language proficiency exam (TOEFL, I think it's called). You may have a lot of difficulty judging by the way you write.

5) However, as someone mentioned earlier, all this could cost you tons of money and time, and you might not get anything. In fact, it currently looks highly likely you will not be able to get any residency, not even in IM. So make sure you completely understand the costs, time involved, and everything else about what it takes to come to the US for residency before you apply. You don't want to waste your time and money for nothing. Investigate everything as fully as you can before committing.

 

[Merely]

Lol if trump becomes president good luck even getting into this country...

 

[AlphaJaguar]

Ok I'll be the guy, I'll say it. As of right now your chances of obtaining a residency position that isn't some dead end prelim position are exactly 0. If you take your step exams and kill them, and that's a big if, your chances may rise to some non 0 number that is near 1%. So you'll probably start emailing a ton of people looking to do research here and spend 3 years here working for peanuts and get your name on a couple papers. Your chances will rise slightly higher (3%). Even after all of this you will go for the match and probably have to SOAP it out to a dead end prelim program.

My suggestion: maybe do residency in Sudan

..
Okay.. I admit I've said bad words and I'm sorry.. sorry for my previous reply..
but you know.. the main point of this post is (I have poor chance.. I know it.. but how to increase it?).. the last phrase on worline I needed to hear is " your chance is zero"..
I'll keep trying and trying but I don't want just waste my time.. I just need directions..
And when I read the (big if) and go do your residency in homeland I couldn't not explode.. and it's me who is rude.. it's me who need communication skills session..

 

[gyngyn]

In the NRMP's last publication on IMG's, 19 of 51 Sudanese candidates for the Match found first year positions. 32 did not. http://www.ecfmg.org/resources/NRMP...atch-International-Medical-Graduates-2014.pdf
Chances are better than zero, but without strong scores and language skills, it is unlikely.

 

[bashwell]

@AlphaJaguar, perhaps you can focus on Step 1. Start by taking some sample tests. You may need to go through a full Step 1 preparation program like Kaplan if your med school doesn't have a good basic sciences curriculum. If you get a good score (I'd say minimum 220 if not 230), then you can consider pursuing it further? If not, then perhaps it wasn't meant to be.

 

[AlphaJaguar]

@AlphaJaguar, perhaps you can focus on Step 1. Start by taking some sample tests. You may need to go through a full Step 1 preparation program like Kaplan if your med school doesn't have a good basic sciences curriculum. If you get a good score (I'd say minimum 220 if not 230), then you can consider pursuing it further? If not, then perhaps it wasn't meant to be.

Hooh.. focus on close targets first, that's true.
I guess the best plan is to pray, right?

 

[TBV]

Hooh.. focus on close targets first, that's true.
I guess the best plan is to pray, right?

No praying is a waste of study time. Best plan is to take a practice NBME and see where you are starting/ weak areas of knowledge.