Just a quick question

[kingkenny]

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Hey,

I wanted to ask you guys for some advice and after searching through this website completely, I could not get my answer.
I'm an IMG currently in the final year of med school( Intern year) and will be graduating in Dec/Jan 2012.

I have taken my Step 1(though score not released) and will be taking my Step 2 Ck in early Oct and CS in late October.

I want to apply for the match this year and I was wondering if I will be looked at by PD's as I will not be ECFMG certfied at the time of interviews. I figure interviews will be Oct-Nov and I will get certified only late November. I keep reading about how important it is for IMG's to be ECFMG certified but I'm asking cause I get the feel that nothing's set in stone.
I otherwise have a strong application, with honors all through med school, couple of months of USCE with 3 LOR's from US phsycians, 3 research papers albeit none got publised and other useless activities like volunteer etc.

IMG's usually take a year or two off afte graduating before applying for residency and I do not want to do the same. Also, PD's look at 'gaps in medical education' negatively when assessing applicants.

Ideally, I should have taken my exams earlier but I only got set into training in the US after my USCE where I saw residents/attendings work.

Any help will be much appreciated and thanks in advance.

Cheers

 

[NotAProgDirector]

It depends.

Some programs will insist upon ECFMG certification to even consider offering an interview.

Many programs will require at least Steps 1 and 2CK, and some CS also, to consider

A few might be willing to offer you an interview with only Step 1.

Sounds like all of your Steps will be reported by end of November. That's somewhat late, but not horrible.

You have two choices. You could apply this year and see what happens. If you get lots of good interviews at places that you'd like to train, then you're good to go. If you don't, then you'll need to decide whether to rank the few programs you interviewed at, or withdraw and wait until next year when you'll have your whole app in early.

Or, delay until next year. Personally I think it's worth applying this year and seeing what happens, but that's a pure judgment call.

You could look at the programs where you are interested, and see if they require ECFMG cert to interview. Also it will depend on location -- you'll have minimal chances at Cali programs without a PTAL, which needs ECFMG first if I remember correctly.

 

[kingkenny]

Thank you so much aProgDirector. I do like the suggestion of applying for interviews and seeing where it goes from there.

But suppose you say I do that and I do not get called up for very many interviews, and I decide to withdraw from the match, will that affect my chances/status of the next year match?

Thanks for your time.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Probablyt not. Programs get so many applications, I doubt they would remember yours. Also, if they "filter you out" because your scores were not reported, they never would actually even review your application so wouldn't notice.

 

[kingkenny]

Great. Thanks a million.🙂