Matching into a good program + H1b?

[canadiangirl12]

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Hey Everyone, I am an M3 from a US medical school interested in pediatrics who is also a Canadian citizen. I want to stay over in the US after residency, so I need to get an H1b visa, as I am not willing to risk having to go back to Canada if can't find a J-1 waiver job. I have been told to look at the AMA Freida site for information on who offers H1bs, and it looks pretty bleak. While I know it is possible to discuss the topic at an interview if you really want to attend a certain program, I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this (particularly in peds) and could discuss the difficulties or perhaps ease with which they were able to match.

Just for some background, I believe I am a very competitive candidate (Step 1- 266, AOA, honors on all year 3 clerkships so far, some research), but I am not sure how much of an influence that has on all this. If anyone could provide any feedback I'd really appreciate it!

 

[chela47]

Hey Everyone, I am an M3 from a US medical school interested in pediatrics who is also a Canadian citizen. I want to stay over in the US after residency, so I need to get an H1b visa, as I am not willing to risk having to go back to Canada if can't find a J-1 waiver job. I have been told to look at the AMA Freida site for information on who offers H1bs, and it looks pretty bleak. While I know it is possible to discuss the topic at an interview if you really want to attend a certain program, I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this (particularly in peds) and could discuss the difficulties or perhaps ease with which they were able to match.

Just for some background, I believe I am a very competitive candidate (Step 1- 266, AOA, honors on all year 3 clerkships so far, some research), but I am not sure how much of an influence that has on all this. If anyone could provide any feedback I'd really appreciate it!

I would recommend just scoping out those programs you are interested in and emailing and asking up front. I was able to eliminate many programs from my list in this way and ended up matching at my #1 program (which was truly my #1, not just #1 of the H1B pile). Its not as bleak as it may seem. Depending on the geographic location where you are hoping to end up, there may be quite a few choices, especially with strong academics, which you seem to have. Feel free to PM me if you want more specific info.