I am an IMG. Now a USA citizens with 2 kids.I had done post graduations from my own country and from UK in OBGYN and was working until 2004. Than I got married in USA and stuck here due to family and kids etc.After a long break about 10 years I did my USMLE STEP I 197/IST attempt,CS ,ist attempt/high performance but failed my CK with 197 in Nov 2015.I was working at registrar level in UK and was also involved in teaching with few publications.I have worked in USA as medical assistant .I can't move outside USA and know a few people here,but don't know that they would be helpful or not.What should I do ?Do I have any chances to get a residency or not?If I pass CK in 2nd attempt with good score and also do the step 3 or should I leave the hope????It is very very distressing ,plz guide me.
Is OBGYN any chance?
- Thread starter FJMC
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2006
- Messages
- 7,506
- Reaction score
- 2,715
People get residencies in your situation. Yes. Nobody can tell you if you will get a residency. ObGyn match rates are falling for every category of applicant, so your odds aren't good in general.
Some suggestions.
1. Identify the ObGyn residencies where you have the best chance. These can be found by searching ACGME for programs on probation or with recent changes in leadership, and by working through the APGO, FREIDA and AAMC/CIM lists to find programs where there are current residents with stories similar to yours. Over time you can identify programs that are abandoned by unhappy residents; for better or worse these are good targets.
2. Get a job at one or more of those hospitals on L&D or similar. Get letters of reference from ObGyn faculty.
3. Get observerships at as many of those hospitals as you can. Get letters.
4. Kill CK & Step 3. If you fail either, walk away, you're done.
5. Save your pennies and be ready to spend a boatload of money.
6. English is hard, even if you've been speaking it immersively for 20+ years. Find old people, preferably not too nice, US/Canada/UK born, preferably retired English professors or similar, such as at senior centers, who like having conversations, and invite them to correct your English in conversation. Say thank you and be grateful for every correction. In your shoes I'd do this by taking a part time job at a nursing home. You can't avoid being judged harshly for any accent or pronunciation issues, but you can minimize the damage. It's a disaster if you can't be clearly understood by a bigoted deaf old white man in an interview. Passing CS is generally considered the bare minimum for English, and not a "blessing" of your English.
7. Apply to every program where you have any chance at all. Competitive US MD grads are applying to over 100 programs these days. There are fewer than 300 ObGyn programs.
Best of luck to you.
Some suggestions.
1. Identify the ObGyn residencies where you have the best chance. These can be found by searching ACGME for programs on probation or with recent changes in leadership, and by working through the APGO, FREIDA and AAMC/CIM lists to find programs where there are current residents with stories similar to yours. Over time you can identify programs that are abandoned by unhappy residents; for better or worse these are good targets.
2. Get a job at one or more of those hospitals on L&D or similar. Get letters of reference from ObGyn faculty.
3. Get observerships at as many of those hospitals as you can. Get letters.
4. Kill CK & Step 3. If you fail either, walk away, you're done.
5. Save your pennies and be ready to spend a boatload of money.
6. English is hard, even if you've been speaking it immersively for 20+ years. Find old people, preferably not too nice, US/Canada/UK born, preferably retired English professors or similar, such as at senior centers, who like having conversations, and invite them to correct your English in conversation. Say thank you and be grateful for every correction. In your shoes I'd do this by taking a part time job at a nursing home. You can't avoid being judged harshly for any accent or pronunciation issues, but you can minimize the damage. It's a disaster if you can't be clearly understood by a bigoted deaf old white man in an interview. Passing CS is generally considered the bare minimum for English, and not a "blessing" of your English.
7. Apply to every program where you have any chance at all. Competitive US MD grads are applying to over 100 programs these days. There are fewer than 300 ObGyn programs.
Best of luck to you.
It is very nice and kind of you for you time ad advise.I will try my level best to follow .Hopefully ,I will get some observer ship .I have worked day and nights in OBGYN for about 12 years in teaching hospitals both in Pakistan and UK and would not let it go away easily.
Warm regards
Warm regards
