IMG for Pediatric Residency

[durfen]

I have a friend who just graduated overseas and is looking to apply for a pediatrics and/or neonatology residency in the US. He is currently in the US and doing post-doc clinical research in the field and expects to do so for another couple of years while studying for the USMLE. He already has one third-author publication and expects to have more first/second-authors by the end of the project. He also expects to volunteer a few hours a week at a free clinic.

I wanted to find out what the atmosphere is like for IMGs in pediatrics, is it more or less welcoming? Does he have a shot at the more prestigious residencies (given, say, a >90th percentile USMLE score of course)?

Most of all, do you have any advice for building a strong application?

I am not sure if this is the right place to post, so if the mods feel it should be moved, do move it elsewhere.

Thanks.

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[ChildNeuro]

I think it might help if he has US clinical experience, i.e. if he does an observership/externship at a US hospital and can get a letter stating this. Having US experience helps alot of FMG from what I hear. It could be as long as three months at a hospital if he is able.

 

[durfen]

I think it might help if he has US clinical experience, i.e. if he does an observership/externship at a US hospital and can get a letter stating this. Having US experience helps alot of FMG from what I hear. It could be as long as three months at a hospital if he is able.

How does he get an observership? Just ask an attending?
Does the free clinic stuff count?

 

[Freibi]

How does he get an observership? Just ask an attending?
Does the free clinic stuff count?

It may be good to have connections (maybe you?) who can help find a place for an observership for him, and you can ask attendings at your place. Full-time US experience at a big hospital is useful and not substituted for by volunteering in a free clinic. However, the free clinic will allow him to DO stuff instead of just WATCHING and chiming in on rounds, so I think doing both would be best. I would expect that most places don`t allow physicians who have already graduated to be more involved in, say, a medical student role.
He should look at the web sites of training hospitals that he is interested in, and just contact some of the "visiting clinician coordinators" or similar folks.

 

[durfen]

Thanks for the advice guys! I've forwarded the thread to him and I will look for opportunities here once I graduate.

 

[zedpol]

I wanted to find out what the atmosphere is like for IMGs in pediatrics, is it more or less welcoming? Does he have a shot at the more prestigious residencies (given, say, a >90th percentile USMLE score of course)?
Thanks.

There are some great programs that are very IMG friendly however those great programs generally aren't the more prestigious residencies. Some of the programs will be near impossible, however he should look/ask around for those programs that have accepted IMGs in the past. Most of the IMGs that have been accepted have had special circumstances such as doing research in those institutions.

The advice people have given in the thread has been spot on, make sure you friend applies widely and has backups.

-z

 

[durfen]

There are some great programs that are very IMG friendly however those great programs generally aren't the more prestigious residencies. Some of the programs will be near impossible, however he should look/ask around for those programs that have accepted IMGs in the past. Most of the IMGs that have been accepted have had special circumstances such as doing research in those institutions.

The advice people have given in the thread has been spot on, make sure you friend applies widely and has backups.

-z

Can you suggest any programs?
In this area, Kaiser-Oakland seems good.

 

[dupuytren]

Hi all

I got an offer to do my elective at Weill Medical College at Cornell (NYC) - I actually applied for Paeds Cardiology but I got Ambulatory Paeds Cardiology. From what I understand, that's just outpatients, right? This will probably be the only USCE I can afford to have - am still waiting for Yale although it's probably Cardio or Endocrinology..not paeds. Does an ambulatory attachment count as a clinical experience even though it is not wards based, and how useful is it in terms of getting a good LOR, as well as during residency application?

Please help!

-Dupuytren

 

[ChildNeuro]

I would that ambulatory elective/observership where you are observed/evauated by U.S. physicians is definitely U.S. clinical experience and that you should definitely get a LOR to add to application for this. Inpatient might be better because alot of internship is in the inpatient setting and knowing how to work well in that setting from day 1.