Being a U.S. IMG sucks. I am on one of the above lists.
I had 240s/250s and applied to every program except NY programs.
interviews were Henry ford / MCW / UMKC / Beaumont and many of the programs on the above lists for IMG match locations.
Grateful that I matched but we definitely don't get an equal chance.
Firstly, I'll say that I'm sympathetic towards American IMGs studying in the Caribbean. You do four years of medical school like anyone else and many times outperform your American graduate counterparts on Steps 1 & 2 but are not on equal footing when it comes to residency applications. It seems unfair... especially if you're the individual who could have easily attended medical school in the United States.
I won't necessarily defend the American medical graduate majority sentiment towards Caribbean medical school, but I'll try to provide my lay rationale as to why exactly it may be difficult for American IMGs and why it is perceived as fair treatment (at least currently) by American grads.
As always, the argument starts with admissions process for Caribbean schools...
"For the academic year 2012-13, Ross's incoming classes had an average MCAT score of 24, cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.22, and prerequisite GPA of 3.09." - Ross University website
"The average cumulative GPA a 3.4 and the average Science GPA a 3.4. The average total MCAT score is a 26." - St. George's website
AAMC Applicants and Matriculation Data Table A-16 lists American matriculants for the same 2012-2013 having mean scores MCAT 31 and GPA 3.68.
Admitting students with lower statistics already calls into question the caliber of students being admitted and that of the admitting institution. It calls into question the career (not "life") barriers the student had to overcome to be at a Caribbean school. Typical assumptions about how much you studied for and how committed to something come up. Surely many Caribbean students have higher MCATs/GPAs than many American admits do and could have been admitted to an American med school had they applied broadly or been lucky enough, but then the Caribbean student's drive is called into question: how serious were you about becoming a doctor if you only applied to "X" number of schools with your grades? Not only is your drive called into question but your communication and interpersonal skills if you got as far as getting an interview. I really digress though.
Of course, we are all aware of a myriad of characteristics not being measured by MCAT and GPA alone and how even something as standardized as the MCAT does not (and should not) encompass an individual's potential when assessing that individual - surely any U.S. medical school student would be able to list off at least a handful of of meat-headed, sociopathic, and materialistic colleagues they're baffled at having gotten into med school at all (unless of course you're one of those); likely great applicants on paper. Caribbean med students have surely had the next thought cross their minds about a handful of their talented and humanistic colleagues: this person belongs at [insert name of whatever US med school you feel is appropriate]. Nevertheless, in an American society obsessed with numbers - understandably to a certain extent - a population with better scores is deemed more qualified than a population with lower ones to perform whatever task in question; once you're thrown into the "better" mix, the individual argument ceases to matter.
There is the issue of the PERCEIVED quality of your education: brick and mortar does not the medical school and its education make. Rather, a medical school (as perceived by many a U.S. grad) encompasses its history, unique culture of medicine developed over decades, associations with its affiliated university's other schools (i.e., graduate science, business, law, engineering, etc.), research, educational philosophies, networks, entrepreneurial efforts, etc. Arguably, medical education in most U.S. medical schools isn't reduced to USMLE preparation, but the assumption of Caribbean medical curricula is that they are overly focused on this with the intent of building their images and bringing in more students and thus more income into their "for profit" company coffers. Sadly, and this is very likely NOT the case of Caribbean schools, they are seen as skeleton institutions and glorified "cram schools". Going into residency, an HMS or UCLA grad is walking in with a system of medical ethics and philosophies of care instilled in him/her. That person is walking in with an understanding of the U.S. medical system seen daily - not just during clerkships in NY or CA. Most of them are walking into residency with strong networks of current and future providers/researchers they're able to leverage for their and their institutions' benefits. Each is walking with a unique culture of medicine acquired over years of education and interacting with teachers and students that buy into that culture. In essence, what this long, lay argument amounts to is the following age-old adage: money can't buy class/culture. It's stupid, I know, but I think those are some generalizations individuals here make.
