IMG Family Medicine Applicants- Match 2020

[arafatni]

1) Did you have FM residency in your home country?

2) Did you need visa sponsorship?

I am us citizen . i went to the carribean medical school .

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[FutureMDiA]

I did not match this cycle cuz I withdrew from the match:
my step 1 : 227
step 2 ck: 224
cs: fail attempt, taking the cs exam again in May
I had few ivs before I got my cs results. any chances of matching next year with cs attempt. what can I do to improve my application for next cycle?

 

[braineddetermined]

Pass Step 3! @FutureMDiA

 

[c0pycat]

I did not match this cycle cuz I withdrew from the match:
my step 1 : 227
step 2 ck: 224
cs: fail attempt, taking the cs exam again in May
I had few ivs before I got my cs results. any chances of matching next year with cs attempt. what can I do to improve my application for next cycle?

Take step 3! That will open many many doors and PDs will overlook the failure in CS!
You can do it!
Also...volunteer in a clinic or a hospital in your city.

 

[arafatni]

Awfully quiet . I really hoped ppl
Who matched share their experience . You can toally stay anonymous by hiding program name and your school Name .

 

[COOKIEJAR]

Matched to FM in NY today. US IMG, graduated 12/2018, Step 1: 210 first attempt, CK 220 1st attempt, CS 2 failures, Step 3: 203 (not available by ROL). Had 3 IVS (2 psych and 1 FM), ranked FM 1st. Very thankful.

 

[COOKIEJAR]

Take step 3! That will open many many doors and PDs will overlook the failure in CS!
You can do it!
Also...volunteer in a clinic or a hospital in your city.

Take step 3! That will open many many doors and PDs will overlook the failure in CS!
You can do it!
Also...volunteer in a clinic or a hospital in your city.

I had the same problem before...I interviewed and found out I failed CS so had to drop out...I retook it and also took Step 3 though my step 3 was not even available until wed of this week. So, yes it is VERY possible. Its really important to show interest at interviews and ask questions. Know everything about the program. Wishing you all the best! I took a CS Kaplan mock exam btw and it made a BIG difference in my understanding of the test. Feel free to inbox me.

 

[c0pycat]

Awfully quiet . I really hoped ppl
Who matched share their experience . You can toally stay anonymous by hiding program name and your school Name .

I will share my own experience in a day as I am traveling. But this thread helped me tremendously!

 

[Arrythmia9]

I'm a non-US Canadian IMG with 2 interviews, graduating class of 2020. Matched to my second choice program! Step 1: 23x Step 2: 22x, Step 2 CS passed first attempt. Only applied to FM. Believe in yourself, have faith, it CAN be done! So grateful for the journey. All the best to future applicants.

 

[c0pycat]

Would like to share my experience..
STATS:
US-IMG (Caribbean grad) YOG 2019
STEP 1-21*
STEP 2-22*
CS-PASS
STEP 3: BARELY PASSED. YIKES. I started studying in May of 2019 and took it in August 2019, I believe my result came out a week before the submission of ERAS so I had the result on my app when I applied.

This is my 2nd attempt at the match. I applied last year to Psychiatry and a few FM programs in my state and had 6 IV total (2 Psych, 4 FM) and no match.

So after not matching I spent some time self reflecting and decided to reach out to my school for advice. They suggested that I do MPH or research for the school and delay my graduation. They advised against taking STEP 3 (of course you cannot take the exam unless you graduate and have your diploma). I decided to get my diploma and be on my own. I reached out to a local clinic in the city and explained my situation and asked if I can help in any way. I was able to volunteer in the clinic but no clinical hand experience. I applied for scribe America and got a job in a pediatric outpatient. Did that 2 days a week because I wanted to keep my schedule open for when the IV season comes.

Attended the national family medicine conference in Kansas City (AAFP) for the 3 days in July 2019. I must say...I enjoyed it although in terms of getting IVs post conference...it was not that helpful. I marked all IMG friendly programs and checked them out before going to their respective booths. Went to approximately ~50 booths and showed interest in whatever they had to say. Every program is unique. Some are OB/GYN heavy, some are inpatient heavy, some outpatient heavy. I took notes for each program. They scanned my badge (I didn't think the scanning really worked...in terms of saving my information).

I worked on my personal statement for a month, every day adding and deleting segments. Used online service to help me with grammar and overall structure. I also made Internal Medicine PS because I decided to apply to IM as well (glad I did).

Sept 15 comes and my app is ready to go. Submitted 250 applications (I can't remm the exact distribution between IM/FM but it was something like 200 FM/50 IM). I also reached out to my letter writers from the previous cycle and asked them to update my LOR if possible by updating them on what I was doing with my life.

From the attended conference I only received 4 IVs out of the 50 programs visited. I also applied to lots of rural programs. 3 IVs from rural programs. Received another 3 FM IVs from programs unrelated to the conference.

From the ~50 IM programs I received 3 IM IVs and decided to attend them. Really enjoyed them.

Interviews: I learned a valuable lesson from my previous cycle...how important is to prepare for each interview very very well and to "sell yourself". I am a Carib grad with below average board scores...yeah...you get the idea. I spent a lot of time preparing for Qs such as "Tell me about yourself" (without stating what's in my PS/CV), "What can you contribute to out program?" "Why should we pick you?" "Tell me a time when you had a conflict and how did you resolve it", "Why us?" etc. etc. I wanted my personality to shine and to really show them that I wanted to be there ...in their program only.
Some programs gave clinical vignettes during the IV (which I think is great but it took away the opportunity for me to get to know them more AS PEOPLE and vice versa, after all you have to make a decision based on a few hours if you want to spend 3 years of your life with the people). None of the programs offered 2nd look.

Attended all social gatherings the night prior. It is very very important to attend and see how you click with whoever is at the table. At a few dinners we were missing applicants/residents that were supposed to be there, things happen but always make a note of things like that.

Ranking: When it came down to my ranking, I had 10 FM and 3 IM programs to rank. Ranked all. Only the IM programs were in my geographical area. Everything else was coast to coast. I went with my gut. There were only 2 FM program that I truly wanted to do my training at and that I saw myself at. Unfortunately it didn't work in my favor.

I ended up matching in an IM program close where I live in my home state, community program that has other residencies included. Out of the 3 IM programs I ended up at my #1 for IM. I am honestly happy that I don't have to move to the other side of the country and with financial difficulties that I am facing...this actually worked pretty well.

I hope this helps.

 

[braineddetermined]

Would like to share my experience..
STATS:
US-IMG (Caribbean grad) YOG 2019
STEP 1-21*
STEP 2-22*
CS-PASS
STEP 3: BARELY PASSED. YIKES. I started studying in May of 2019 and took it in August 2019, I believe my result came out a week before the submission of ERAS so I had the result on my app when I applied.

This is my 2nd attempt at the match. I applied last year to Psychiatry and a few FM programs in my state and had 6 IV total (2 Psych, 4 FM) and no match.

So after not matching I spent some time self reflecting and decided to reach out to my school for advice. They suggested that I do MPH or research for the school and delay my graduation. They advised against taking STEP 3 (of course you cannot take the exam unless you graduate and have your diploma). I decided to get my diploma and be on my own. I reached out to a local clinic in the city and explained my situation and asked if I can help in any way. I was able to volunteer in the clinic but no clinical hand experience. I applied for scribe America and got a job in a pediatric outpatient. Did that 2 days a week because I wanted to keep my schedule open for when the IV season comes.

Attended the national family medicine conference in Kansas City (AAFP) for the 3 days in July 2019. I must say...I enjoyed it although in terms of getting IVs post conference...it was not that helpful. I marked all IMG friendly programs and checked them out before going to their respective booths. Went to approximately ~50 booths and showed interest in whatever they had to say. Every program is unique. Some are OB/GYN heavy, some are inpatient heavy, some outpatient heavy. I took notes for each program. They scanned my badge (I didn't think the scanning really worked...in terms of saving my information).

I worked on my personal statement for a month, every day adding and deleting segments. Used online service to help me with grammar and overall structure. I also made Internal Medicine PS because I decided to apply to IM as well (glad I did).

Sept 15 comes and my app is ready to go. Submitted 250 applications (I can't remm the exact distribution between IM/FM but it was something like 200 FM/50 IM). I also reached out to my letter writers from the previous cycle and asked them to update my LOR if possible by updating them on what I was doing with my life.

From the attended conference I only received 4 IVs out of the 50 programs visited. I also applied to lots of rural programs. 3 IVs from rural programs. Received another 3 FM IVs from programs unrelated to the conference.

From the ~50 IM programs I received 3 IM IVs and decided to attend them. Really enjoyed them.

Interviews: I learned a valuable lesson from my previous cycle...how important is to prepare for each interview very very well and to "sell yourself". I am a Carib grad with below average board scores...yeah...you get the idea. I spent a lot of time preparing for Qs such as "Tell me about yourself" (without stating what's in my PS/CV), "What can you contribute to out program?" "Why should we pick you?" "Tell me a time when you had a conflict and how did you resolve it", "Why us?" etc. etc. I wanted my personality to shine and to really show them that I wanted to be there ...in their program only.
Some programs gave clinical vignettes during the IV (which I think is great but it took away the opportunity for me to get to know them more AS PEOPLE and vice versa, after all you have to make a decision based on a few hours if you want to spend 3 years of your life with the people). None of the programs offered 2nd look.

Attended all social gatherings the night prior. It is very very important to attend and see how you click with whoever is at the table. At a few dinners we were missing applicants/residents that were supposed to be there, things happen but always make a note of things like that.

Ranking: When it came down to my ranking, I had 10 FM and 3 IM programs to rank. Ranked all. Only the IM programs were in my geographical area. Everything else was coast to coast. I went with my gut. There were only 2 FM program that I truly wanted to do my training at and that I saw myself at. Unfortunately it didn't work in my favor.

I ended up matching in an IM program close where I live in my home state, community program that has other residencies included. Out of the 3 IM programs I ended up at my #1 for IM. I am honestly happy that I don't have to move to the other side of the country and with financial difficulties that I am facing...this actually worked pretty well.

I hope this helps.

Congratulations!

What does the update of the lors consist in?

 

[c0pycat]

Congratulations!

What does the update of the lors consist in?

I reached out and explained that I didn’t match and ask if they can update the LORs. I basically wrote to them what I was doing with my time...volunteering, scribing. The LORs were waived so I honestly don’t know if they actually included the information that I provided them with.

 

[arafatni]

Would like to share my experience..
STATS:
US-IMG (Caribbean grad) YOG 2019
STEP 1-21*
STEP 2-22*
CS-PASS
STEP 3: BARELY PASSED. YIKES. I started studying in May of 2019 and took it in August 2019, I believe my result came out a week before the submission of ERAS so I had the result on my app when I applied.

This is my 2nd attempt at the match. I applied last year to Psychiatry and a few FM programs in my state and had 6 IV total (2 Psych, 4 FM) and no match.

So after not matching I spent some time self reflecting and decided to reach out to my school for advice. They suggested that I do MPH or research for the school and delay my graduation. They advised against taking STEP 3 (of course you cannot take the exam unless you graduate and have your diploma). I decided to get my diploma and be on my own. I reached out to a local clinic in the city and explained my situation and asked if I can help in any way. I was able to volunteer in the clinic but no clinical hand experience. I applied for scribe America and got a job in a pediatric outpatient. Did that 2 days a week because I wanted to keep my schedule open for when the IV season comes.

Attended the national family medicine conference in Kansas City (AAFP) for the 3 days in July 2019. I must say...I enjoyed it although in terms of getting IVs post conference...it was not that helpful. I marked all IMG friendly programs and checked them out before going to their respective booths. Went to approximately ~50 booths and showed interest in whatever they had to say. Every program is unique. Some are OB/GYN heavy, some are inpatient heavy, some outpatient heavy. I took notes for each program. They scanned my badge (I didn't think the scanning really worked...in terms of saving my information).

I worked on my personal statement for a month, every day adding and deleting segments. Used online service to help me with grammar and overall structure. I also made Internal Medicine PS because I decided to apply to IM as well (glad I did).

Sept 15 comes and my app is ready to go. Submitted 250 applications (I can't remm the exact distribution between IM/FM but it was something like 200 FM/50 IM). I also reached out to my letter writers from the previous cycle and asked them to update my LOR if possible by updating them on what I was doing with my life.

From the attended conference I only received 4 IVs out of the 50 programs visited. I also applied to lots of rural programs. 3 IVs from rural programs. Received another 3 FM IVs from programs unrelated to the conference.

From the ~50 IM programs I received 3 IM IVs and decided to attend them. Really enjoyed them.

Interviews: I learned a valuable lesson from my previous cycle...how important is to prepare for each interview very very well and to "sell yourself". I am a Carib grad with below average board scores...yeah...you get the idea. I spent a lot of time preparing for Qs such as "Tell me about yourself" (without stating what's in my PS/CV), "What can you contribute to out program?" "Why should we pick you?" "Tell me a time when you had a conflict and how did you resolve it", "Why us?" etc. etc. I wanted my personality to shine and to really show them that I wanted to be there ...in their program only.
Some programs gave clinical vignettes during the IV (which I think is great but it took away the opportunity for me to get to know them more AS PEOPLE and vice versa, after all you have to make a decision based on a few hours if you want to spend 3 years of your life with the people). None of the programs offered 2nd look.

Attended all social gatherings the night prior. It is very very important to attend and see how you click with whoever is at the table. At a few dinners we were missing applicants/residents that were supposed to be there, things happen but always make a note of things like that.

Ranking: When it came down to my ranking, I had 10 FM and 3 IM programs to rank. Ranked all. Only the IM programs were in my geographical area. Everything else was coast to coast. I went with my gut. There were only 2 FM program that I truly wanted to do my training at and that I saw myself at. Unfortunately it didn't work in my favor.

I ended up matching in an IM program close where I live in my home state, community program that has other residencies included. Out of the 3 IM programs I ended up at my #1 for IM. I am honestly happy that I don't have to move to the other side of the country and with financial difficulties that I am facing...this actually worked pretty well.

I hope this helps.

well worth the wait... thank you for sharing the experience

 

[Ready_2_Run]

So I am caribbean IMG, green card holder, first time applying

Step 1 - fail, retake 205
Step 2 - 248
Passed CS on the first try
YOG - summer 2019

I had a few IM interviews(3, all in my home state), and one FM interview. I ended up matching at the FM program. I am thankful that I did match, issue is that I matched 4 hours away from where my wife matched(she is doing paediatrics. This was the only program where we both did not get an interview, ranked it towards the end of our list, but I know with my fail and IMG that getting a position is more than enough. The program I matched into loves OB, and I really dont. Its a weird feeling, been working towards this for the past few years and we finally got there and I just haven't been happy. Its more so being hours away from my wife, idk guys just a weird feeling. Hopefully I can shrug it off by the time we start and hit the ground running, and make time for her when we do start.

 

[FutureMDiA]

So I am caribbean IMG, green card holder, first time applying

Step 1 - fail, retake 205
Step 2 - 248
Passed CS on the first try
YOG - summer 2019

I had a few IM interviews(3, all in my home state), and one FM interview. I ended up matching at the FM program. I am thankful that I did match, issue is that I matched 4 hours away from where my wife matched(she is doing paediatrics. This was the only program where we both did not get an interview, ranked it towards the end of our list, but I know with my fail and IMG that getting a position is more than enough. The program I matched into loves OB, and I really dont. Its a weird feeling, been working towards this for the past few years and we finally got there and I just haven't been happy. Its more so being hours away from my wife, idk guys just a weird feeling. Hopefully I can shrug it off by the time we start and hit the ground running, and make time for her when we do start.

Congrats! Be thankful you matched.

 

[aj.rebel]

anyone matched in SUNY Upstate University Family Med Program ?

 

[Riseup2it]

As promised I post what experience was. My Credentials are Step 1 217 , step 2 222, step 3 not taken , USCE 2 years through FIU program and some rotations away, I attended the AAFP , had 4 publications, from cali , LOR ( 3 family and one research professor), one presentation. i applied to 523 programs and got 17 interviews( they were all over the USA) . well 18 one got the accreditation taken away before ranking. The place I got matched was my last interview. The interview was with 8 different faculties for 20 minutes each and there was dinner the night before . I be honest , it wasn't my top choice so i didn't really send LOI but i knew they were interested because as soon as my plane landed back they send greeting card and also the PD personally called me to see if i have any question. anyways back to my interview, the dinner resident took us at resident lounge. because the lounge was really nice best of any program i have interviewed at. I am very talkative and made lot of jokes . at the interviews next day , they asked very standard questions why family med? tell us about this experience? what do you want to family? one important question for people out of the state why you want to move here? Big Hint I can give you is tell them you like underserved ( which i really hope you do because that is what family programs that be interested in img anyways) , for location say you are flexible ( which i really was ) and i told them cali is super expensive ( which i really feel that way and want to move away) . other parts make sure you are truthful on resume because you have to elaborate on any of the parts . one other thing is research the program and see heir mission statement and try to sell that ( i mean if you honestly believe in it). see each interviewee see if they have any hobbies in common and try to connect with them on that. ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS!!!! I cant emphasis enough you should ask a lot of questions. for ranking , just rank based on your preference, just make sure you put all specialties in a row . that is all i could think of. please ask if you have anymore question.

Would like to share my experience..
STATS:
US-IMG (Caribbean grad) YOG 2019
STEP 1-21*
STEP 2-22*
CS-PASS
STEP 3: BARELY PASSED. YIKES. I started studying in May of 2019 and took it in August 2019, I believe my result came out a week before the submission of ERAS so I had the result on my app when I applied.

This is my 2nd attempt at the match. I applied last year to Psychiatry and a few FM programs in my state and had 6 IV total (2 Psych, 4 FM) and no match.

So after not matching I spent some time self reflecting and decided to reach out to my school for advice. They suggested that I do MPH or research for the school and delay my graduation. They advised against taking STEP 3 (of course you cannot take the exam unless you graduate and have your diploma). I decided to get my diploma and be on my own. I reached out to a local clinic in the city and explained my situation and asked if I can help in any way. I was able to volunteer in the clinic but no clinical hand experience. I applied for scribe America and got a job in a pediatric outpatient. Did that 2 days a week because I wanted to keep my schedule open for when the IV season comes.

Attended the national family medicine conference in Kansas City (AAFP) for the 3 days in July 2019. I must say...I enjoyed it although in terms of getting IVs post conference...it was not that helpful. I marked all IMG friendly programs and checked them out before going to their respective booths. Went to approximately ~50 booths and showed interest in whatever they had to say. Every program is unique. Some are OB/GYN heavy, some are inpatient heavy, some outpatient heavy. I took notes for each program. They scanned my badge (I didn't think the scanning really worked...in terms of saving my information).

I worked on my personal statement for a month, every day adding and deleting segments. Used online service to help me with grammar and overall structure. I also made Internal Medicine PS because I decided to apply to IM as well (glad I did).

Sept 15 comes and my app is ready to go. Submitted 250 applications (I can't remm the exact distribution between IM/FM but it was something like 200 FM/50 IM). I also reached out to my letter writers from the previous cycle and asked them to update my LOR if possible by updating them on what I was doing with my life.

From the attended conference I only received 4 IVs out of the 50 programs visited. I also applied to lots of rural programs. 3 IVs from rural programs. Received another 3 FM IVs from programs unrelated to the conference.

From the ~50 IM programs I received 3 IM IVs and decided to attend them. Really enjoyed them.

Interviews: I learned a valuable lesson from my previous cycle...how important is to prepare for each interview very very well and to "sell yourself". I am a Carib grad with below average board scores...yeah...you get the idea. I spent a lot of time preparing for Qs such as "Tell me about yourself" (without stating what's in my PS/CV), "What can you contribute to out program?" "Why should we pick you?" "Tell me a time when you had a conflict and how did you resolve it", "Why us?" etc. etc. I wanted my personality to shine and to really show them that I wanted to be there ...in their program only.
Some programs gave clinical vignettes during the IV (which I think is great but it took away the opportunity for me to get to know them more AS PEOPLE and vice versa, after all you have to make a decision based on a few hours if you want to spend 3 years of your life with the people). None of the programs offered 2nd look.

Attended all social gatherings the night prior. It is very very important to attend and see how you click with whoever is at the table. At a few dinners we were missing applicants/residents that were supposed to be there, things happen but always make a note of things like that.

Ranking: When it came down to my ranking, I had 10 FM and 3 IM programs to rank. Ranked all. Only the IM programs were in my geographical area. Everything else was coast to coast. I went with my gut. There were only 2 FM program that I truly wanted to do my training at and that I saw myself at. Unfortunately it didn't work in my favor.

I ended up matching in an IM program close where I live in my home state, community program that has other residencies included. Out of the 3 IM programs I ended up at my #1 for IM. I am honestly happy that I don't have to move to the other side of the country and with financial difficulties that I am facing...this actually worked pretty well.

I hope this helps.

I think arafatni and copycat gave solid advice! I am not sure what I can add on, but I can give my own experience. I will repost my stats:

US IMG here and I am a 2nd time applicant. Here are my stats:

YOG: Jan 2019
Step 1: 205
Step 2 CK: 234
Step 2 CS: Pass on 2nd attempt
Step 3: 216

Last Year IVs: 5
This Year: 14


I was happy and blessed to have matched at my number one choice program this year in Family Medicine in California. Looking back at last year's match, I want to say that a year can make a HUGE difference. I reiterated in my previous post that being an attendee of the National AAFP Conference is a game changer. It was my second time attending the conference last year and I had a much better grip on making a game plan. I started preparing about 3 months before the conference in terms of researching programs that I felt I would be a great fit for me and that sparked my interest. I knew which programs I wanted to visit and talk to. I was focused on learning more about the programs and I want to quote arafatni, ASK QUESTIONS! You want to stand out by having done your research and asking good quality questions. Don't ask questions regarding what step scores are required etc because most of the time, they are found on the website.

As arafatni mentioned, you want to have a genuine connection because that program will be your second home and family. While it is true that you are trying to obtain training so that you can take the next step in your career, you do want to make the best of your training by being somewhere that you will be truly happy. Take the time to do the research in their geographical location, missions statement, their goals, their interests, unique curriculum, what they plan or hope to do in the future, why you would be a great fit for their program etc. Take the time to evaluate what you truly want from your training. Do you want to train mainly inpatient or focus more on outpatient? Do you want a program that is heavily focused on OBGYN or no? Do you have interested in working in rural areas or urban underserved populations?

While scores play a factor in getting your foot in the door, what matters most is your genuine interest, professionalism, and most importantly, your personality! Your personality traits and interests outside of medicine make each of you a unique individual. Whether it be knitting, working at an animal shelter, or being a personal trainer, those type of fun facts about you can be a great talking piece.

Take the time to network with each and every person you may know. The mental toll of not matching can be unbearable. I remember sitting last year and sulking for weeks, not knowing what will happen. This is a vital time to take care of yourself. Reach out to friends and family. If not, please seek professional help. It is ok to fall and fail. Failing is what truly makes us tap into our potential. I never thought I would be sitting here a year later writing a post on how a year made a difference. I have been through the pain and struggle of this journey and I want to do what I can to help others. I vowed that if I were to successfully match, I would do anything to help others along this journey. Just remember, you are a great person and just because you did not match, does not reflect on you as an individual. You can do this, it will take a lot of will power and persistence, but please believe me, it is possible!


Do not hesitate to message me privately if any of you have any questions. Please take care of yourself everyone!

 

[c0pycat]

I think arafatni and copycat gave solid advice! I am not sure what I can add on, but I can give my own experience. I will repost my stats:

US IMG here and I am a 2nd time applicant. Here are my stats:

YOG: Jan 2019
Step 1: 205
Step 2 CK: 234
Step 2 CS: Pass on 2nd attempt
Step 3: 216

Last Year IVs: 5
This Year: 14


I was happy and blessed to have matched at my number one choice program this year in Family Medicine in California. Looking back at last year's match, I want to say that a year can make a HUGE difference. I reiterated in my previous post that being an attendee of the National AAFP Conference is a game changer. It was my second time attending the conference last year and I had a much better grip on making a game plan. I started preparing about 3 months before the conference in terms of researching programs that I felt I would be a great fit for me and that sparked my interest. I knew which programs I wanted to visit and talk to. I was focused on learning more about the programs and I want to quote arafatni, ASK QUESTIONS! You want to stand out by having done your research and asking good quality questions. Don't ask questions regarding what step scores are required etc because most of the time, they are found on the website.

As arafatni mentioned, you want to have a genuine connection because that program will be your second home and family. While it is true that you are trying to obtain training so that you can take the next step in your career, you do want to make the best of your training by being somewhere that you will be truly happy. Take the time to do the research in their geographical location, missions statement, their goals, their interests, unique curriculum, what they plan or hope to do in the future, why you would be a great fit for their program etc. Take the time to evaluate what you truly want from your training. Do you want to train mainly inpatient or focus more on outpatient? Do you want a program that is heavily focused on OBGYN or no? Do you have interested in working in rural areas or urban underserved populations?

While scores play a factor in getting your foot in the door, what matters most is your genuine interest, professionalism, and most importantly, your personality! Your personality traits and interests outside of medicine make each of you a unique individual. Whether it be knitting, working at an animal shelter, or being a personal trainer, those type of fun facts about you can be a great talking piece.

Take the time to network with each and every person you may know. The mental toll of not matching can be unbearable. I remember sitting last year and sulking for weeks, not knowing what will happen. This is a vital time to take care of yourself. Reach out to friends and family. If not, please seek professional help. It is ok to fall and fail. Failing is what truly makes us tap into our potential. I never thought I would be sitting here a year later writing a post on how a year made a difference. I have been through the pain and struggle of this journey and I want to do what I can to help others. I vowed that if I were to successfully match, I would do anything to help others along this journey. Just remember, you are a great person and just because you did not match, does not reflect on you as an individual. You can do this, it will take a lot of will power and persistence, but please believe me, it is possible!


Do not hesitate to message me privately if any of you have any questions. Please take care of yourself everyone!

Congrats!!!!
You did an awesome job this past application season!
Great points for future IMGs!
Persistence and hard work pays off!

 

[FutureMDiA]

I think arafatni and copycat gave solid advice! I am not sure what I can add on, but I can give my own experience. I will repost my stats:

US IMG here and I am a 2nd time applicant. Here are my stats:

YOG: Jan 2019
Step 1: 205
Step 2 CK: 234
Step 2 CS: Pass on 2nd attempt
Step 3: 216

Last Year IVs: 5
This Year: 14


I was happy and blessed to have matched at my number one choice program this year in Family Medicine in California. Looking back at last year's match, I want to say that a year can make a HUGE difference. I reiterated in my previous post that being an attendee of the National AAFP Conference is a game changer. It was my second time attending the conference last year and I had a much better grip on making a game plan. I started preparing about 3 months before the conference in terms of researching programs that I felt I would be a great fit for me and that sparked my interest. I knew which programs I wanted to visit and talk to. I was focused on learning more about the programs and I want to quote arafatni, ASK QUESTIONS! You want to stand out by having done your research and asking good quality questions. Don't ask questions regarding what step scores are required etc because most of the time, they are found on the website.

As arafatni mentioned, you want to have a genuine connection because that program will be your second home and family. While it is true that you are trying to obtain training so that you can take the next step in your career, you do want to make the best of your training by being somewhere that you will be truly happy. Take the time to do the research in their geographical location, missions statement, their goals, their interests, unique curriculum, what they plan or hope to do in the future, why you would be a great fit for their program etc. Take the time to evaluate what you truly want from your training. Do you want to train mainly inpatient or focus more on outpatient? Do you want a program that is heavily focused on OBGYN or no? Do you have interested in working in rural areas or urban underserved populations?

While scores play a factor in getting your foot in the door, what matters most is your genuine interest, professionalism, and most importantly, your personality! Your personality traits and interests outside of medicine make each of you a unique individual. Whether it be knitting, working at an animal shelter, or being a personal trainer, those type of fun facts about you can be a great talking piece.

Take the time to network with each and every person you may know. The mental toll of not matching can be unbearable. I remember sitting last year and sulking for weeks, not knowing what will happen. This is a vital time to take care of yourself. Reach out to friends and family. If not, please seek professional help. It is ok to fall and fail. Failing is what truly makes us tap into our potential. I never thought I would be sitting here a year later writing a post on how a year made a difference. I have been through the pain and struggle of this journey and I want to do what I can to help others. I vowed that if I were to successfully match, I would do anything to help others along this journey. Just remember, you are a great person and just because you did not match, does not reflect on you as an individual. You can do this, it will take a lot of will power and persistence, but please believe me, it is possible!


Do not hesitate to message me privately if any of you have any questions. Please take care of yourself everyone!

Congrats! I've been following your posts for long time. I have a attempt in cs too I'm very worried. Could you please tell me if your were interviewed at places where they say "passed all steps within 1st attempt". Thank you in advance.

 

[Riseup2it]

Congrats! I've been following your posts for long time. I have a attempt in cs too I'm very worried. Could you please tell me if your were interviewed at places where they say "passed all steps within 1st attempt". Thank you in advance.

Thank you!

I had interviews at programs that had strict cutoffs and accepted no failures. I was able to get these interviews because of networking and staying in touch with individuals from those programs, whether they were residents or faculty members. After the AAFP Conference, I made an effort to express my interest and stay in touch. I would be lying if I said I got a lot of responses. However, do not let that discourage you because programs can be busy and take time to respond back. I was surprised at first to get interviews at programs that had strict cutoffs, but I strongly believe that having completed Step 3 successfully and keeping in touch with the programs helped.

Another piece of advice I can offer is be honest about your failure. I made sure to address it in my personal statement and I was very forthcoming about it. We are going embarking on a career path where honesty and integrity are priceless. If you are honest about your setbacks and failure, it shows your character and your resilience to overcome obstacles. Mention what you learned about your failure and how you overcame it. We are human and we all have our setbacks. However, don't let a failure dictate who you are as a person. Rather, show your diligence and persistence of how you overcame this obstacle. I hope this helps!

 

[FutureMDiA]

Thank you!

I had interviews at programs that had strict cutoffs and accepted no failures. I was able to get these interviews because of networking and staying in touch with individuals from those programs, whether they were residents or faculty members. After the AAFP Conference, I made an effort to express my interest and stay in touch. I would be lying if I said I got a lot of responses. However, do not let that discourage you because programs can be busy and take time to respond
back. I was surprised at first to get interviews at programs that had strict cutoffs, but I strongly believe that having completed Step 3 successfully and keeping in touch with the programs helped.

Another piece of advice I can offer is be honest about your failure. I made sure to address it in my personal statement and I was very forthcoming about it. We are going embarking on a career path where honesty and integrity are priceless. If you are honest about your setbacks and failure, it shows your character and your resilience to overcome obstacles. Mention what you learned about your failure and how you overcame it. We are human and we all have our setbacks. However, don't let a failure dictate who you are as a person. Rather, show your diligence and persistence of how you overcame this obstacle. I hope this helps!

Great info. Thank you very much. Appreciate your help and time. Best of luck with everything.

 

[Wildflower7]

Dear seniors,
Does MPH in the US help in residency process for FM or any other field ? If yes, how can i get an MPH degree in the US? TIA

 

[arafatni]

Dear seniors,
Does MPH in the US help in residency process for FM or any other field ? If yes, how can i get an MPH degree in the US? TIA

sure it can help . I know some family programs have integrated public health curriculum, but it is not gonna be as important as step 1 , step ck, first time passing , excellent LOR . I get my data from NRMP PD survey . https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Applicant-Survey-Report-2019.pdf

 

[Wildflower7]

sure it can help . I know some family programs have integrated public health curriculum, but it is not gonna be as important as step 1 , step ck, first time passing , excellent LOR . I get my data from NRMP PD survey . https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Applicant-Survey-Report-2019.pdf

Thank you

 

[mlexi83]

As promised I post what experience was. My Credentials are Step 1 217 , step 2 222, step 3 not taken , USCE 2 years through FIU program and some rotations away, I attended the AAFP , had 4 publications, from cali , LOR ( 3 family and one research professor), one presentation. i applied to 523 programs and got 17 interviews( they were all over the USA) . well 18 one got the accreditation taken away before ranking. The place I got matched was my last interview. The interview was with 8 different faculties for 20 minutes each and there was dinner the night before . I be honest , it wasn't my top choice so i didn't really send LOI but i knew they were interested because as soon as my plane landed back they send greeting card and also the PD personally called me to see if i have any question. anyways back to my interview, the dinner resident took us at resident lounge. because the lounge was really nice best of any program i have interviewed at. I am very talkative and made lot of jokes . at the interviews next day , they asked very standard questions why family med? tell us about this experience? what do you want to family? one important question for people out of the state why you want to move here? Big Hint I can give you is tell them you like underserved ( which i really hope you do because that is what family programs that be interested in img anyways) , for location say you are flexible ( which i really was ) and i told them cali is super expensive ( which i really feel that way and want to move away) . other parts make sure you are truthful on resume because you have to elaborate on any of the parts . one other thing is research the program and see heir mission statement and try to sell that ( i mean if you honestly believe in it). see each interviewee see if they have any hobbies in common and try to connect with them on that. ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS!!!! I cant emphasis enough you should ask a lot of questions. for ranking , just rank based on your preference, just make sure you put all specialties in a row . that is all i could think of. please ask if you have anymore question.

how much did applying to 523 cost?

 

[arafatni]

how much did applying to 523 cost?

12k