Let me point out that the average IMG takes over a year to study for Step 1 and have done clinicals and possibly residency before. Most are full fledged doctors by the time they take the test. Most US med students have little to no clinical experience and have 4 weeks to prepare after their SECOND year of medical school.
So stop bragging about "we score some of the highest percentiles in the USMLE." Your trying to compare an IMG who is already a doctor to a second year medical student.
If it weren't for Kaplan and all their test materials, I highly doubt most IMGs could pass the USMLE exams. Kaplan materials are so close to the real USMLE that almost anyone with some kind of brain can study for a year at their center and pass the USMLEs.
MD as an undergraduate degree? Give me a break. 99% of US grads had to finished a 4 year undergraduate program before entering medical school. <1% are able to finished 3 years of undergrad and get accepted. Ever see the term PGY-1, PGY-2, PGY-3 when referring to medical residents? Its stands for POST GRADUATE YEAR. That means they are POST their graduate education (medical school).
Buddies of mine that attend(ed) US schools had no qualms admitting retired shelf questions, kaplan, and the likes are used in addition to their USMLE specific curriculum. Review courses/materials are highly valued by USMS especially those seeking prestigious surgical sub-specialties.
If an IMG has already graduated and will sit for USMLE 1, he/she will have been far removed from basic science and a focused review course is logical.
How well would an AMG after graduation do on USMLE 1?? Not so well and quite possibly not even passing. we forget that stuff fairly quickly.
If an AMG for some reason heeded a license in the UK, he/she would logically use review materials geared towards that exam/system.
Test taking ability varies among individuals. I see nothing wrong with being proud of scoring a high percentile, AMG's and IMG's alike. Although most of the AMG's I have known are quite decent human beings, there exists a percentage that believe they can walk on water and re-write the 10 commandments. Although some of these pseudo-Gods are gifted academically, some lack social grace, humility, and may be hiding behind "scholarly achievements" and the resentment towards IMG's and even fellow AMG's may actually be projection of innate inferior feelings.
A friend of mine studied on the run while he ws a very busy EM 3 year resident in Thailand. Many years removed from basic science. At morning rounds after he'd finished presenting the nights cases, the final slide was his USMLE result letter;;; 99 percentile. I joined the residents in a standing ovation. Too bad English is not his native tongueas perhaps he could have scored higher LOL.
IQ is not related to geography, race, religion. Was it Thomas Edison that said genius is 90 percent perspiration and 10 percent intelligence, or something to that effect.
Come on AMG's, keep it pure, US medical school degrees only and stop buying all those inferior foreign imports; Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, MB, BMW, etc.
I wishing every one
👍Great success!👍