Hello Everyone,
I'm a 3rd year medical student(5 year program) from Pakistan, studying in the countrys' top medical school! I really want to get a residency in ENT. My dad is an ENT surgeon and i've been interested in it for as long as i can remember. I've read a lot of posts on this forum and its really depressing indeed.
I mean to see the current situtation where IMGs arn't even considered for interviews is just wrong. I know for a fact that medical students here at my institution are just as good as American students. Having said that, i would like to know what are my chances of getting a residency on ENT?
I'm currently involved in ENT, CT, Plastic and basic science research...will get publications hopefully by the end of 5th year...planning to give step 1 in jul '11...also can someone please tell me where i can do an observership in US?
Thank you,
Hello. By "top medical school", I assume you are referring to Aga Khan. The only reason I am familiar with that institution is the somewhat amusing arrogance that many of your classmates display when rotating as observers here in the US. This is not to say that it is not a good institution but the bottom line is that regardless of how good you perceive your training to be, the cold, hard fact is that the majority of faculty in the US (and, indeed, in the UK where I went to medical school) will never view your training as equivalent to that of a top US graduate or even a top graduate from a developed, Western nation.
This is unfortunate but, in many circumstances, is justified. Although my experiences have led me to believe that many Aga Khan students do have excellent book knowledge, their ability to interact with residents and patients is simply awful--my hypothesis is that this is a direct result of a completely different training culture and perception of the "doctor-patient relationship" in Pakistan vs. The West. Additionally, communication ability is often a problem. A difficult to understand accent or even one that sounds sufficiently "foreign" is enough to bias your application. For example, in your post, you state that you will "give Step1"--a phrase that, oddly, many of your compatriots like to use. The phrase is actually "take Step1". I admit this is a rather silly example of a wider problem--namely, that the ability to communicate with patients, especially your average American, will be compromised.
Finally, on a positive note, it is not impossible to achieve an interview as an IMG as many of the above posts indicate but it is challenging. Scoring 99/260 on Step 1, Step 2 and even Step 3 is not enough. Meaningful research at a US institution is absolutely key. This is the same advice I have given to many IMGs from several different countries and it is, essentially, the only path that I have seen work for those attempting to match into ENT. Let me reiterate: it is wonderful that you are publishing in your home country but you NEED to do research in the US. Lastly, an observership will not be as useful as time spent doing research. Many times, the observer is "ignored" as they have no clinical role and are of no benefit to the clinical team. Unfortunately, when the observer leaves they are quickly forgotten. The only exception is the observer who has already established a favourable impression in the department as a researcher.
The above is not intended to sound harsh but is simply a reality check for yet another individual studying "at the best medical school in Pakistan". Guess what friend, I graduated from "the best medical school in the UK" and had to work for several years in the US using many of the aforementioned tactics to match at a top-tier US institution. And, I can assure you that a UK IMG is not seen in the same light as a non-Western IMG. The point is that you need to work exceptionally hard, in the USA, and be willing to dedicate at least 2 years of time post-medical school to have a real shot at matching into ENT in the USA--and even then it is not guaranteed. You cannot be satisfied with being "as good" as a US applicant--the argument of many faculty is then "Why should we take the IMG when we have a US applicant who is just as good?". I would advise that you aim to be an even better applicant than the average US ENT applicant who, due to the competitive nature of the field, is often excellent. Good luck.
El Duderino
