MD with no interviews..Need help

[Ross123]

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Friends i applied to 350 IM programs still no interviews.

Credentials .step1 221,step2 ck 227 (cs fail history is there).
ECFMG certified.Step 3 213..Did phd in diabetes,yog 2010. US IMG .How can i improve my chances🤐.Really depressed these days.Spend a lot of money on this journey. I need help

 

[Rekt]

Friends i applied to 350 IM programs still no interviews.

Credentials .step1 221,step2 ck 227 (cs fail history is there).
ECFMG certified.Step 3 213..Did phd in diabetes,yog 2010. US IMG .How can i improve my chances🤐.Really depressed these days.Spend a lot of money on this journey. I need help

YOG 2010, low steps, plus CS fail essentially kills your application. Did your PhD take nine years? I recommend an alternative career at this point.

 

[Ross123]

YOG 2010, low steps, plus CS fail essentially kills your application. Did your PhD take nine years? I recommend an alternative career at this point.

I did MD-PHD grduated in 2018.Have 1 yr USCE .I came here because of my marriage

 

[studentdocftw]

Why didnt you apply FM as well? It's tough to match as an US IMG as it is...add in below average boards and a CS failure and your chances are slim. Theres nothing currently you can really do to increase your chances, and not matching this cycle makes next cycle even more difficult. Try and SOAP if you dont get any invites, but if that doesnt work out, it is time to use that PhD and go down a different route.

 

[Ross123]

Thank you for the opinion

 

[studentdocftw]

No problem. Presumably the 350 programs were all IMG friendly? Desperate times call for desperate measures...see if someone can call on your behalf...or call some programs yourself conveying your sincere interest. 0 interviews at this point is not a good sign...but it's still early enough that some places are still open.

 

[Margo]

Friends i applied to 350 IM programs still no interviews.

Credentials .step1 221,step2 ck 227 (cs fail history is there).
ECFMG certified.Step 3 213..Did phd in diabetes,yog 2010. US IMG .How can i improve my chances🤐.Really depressed these days.Spend a lot of money on this journey. I need help

Come work for biotech! I am an MD PhD working as a Research Scientist in a company.

 

[samac]

Did you post this somewhere else? Or am I going crazy?

 

[radsisrad]

Apply for bottom-tier pathology and FM programs.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I'm trying to understand the timeline here--you completed your PhD in 2010 and then your MD in 2018? Or vice/versa?

To me this all hinges on when you finished you MD. If you finished in 2018, then I think there's hope. You just need to accept that you're not competitive for IM, spend this year preparing an application for FM with new USCE and new letters, and apply to a less competitive specialty next year.

If the opposite timeline is correct, then you are in a much, much worse spot.

 

[tennessee2244]

No matter what happens, I'll send a few thoughts skyward for you. Good luck.

 

[Lawpy]

Wait why is FM suggested? Are they suffering from unfilled spots?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Wait why is FM suggested? Are they suffering from unfilled spots?

Generally less competitive applicants, lower scores, etc

 

[Lawpy]

Generally less competitive applicants, lower scores, etc

Hmm, i dont remember the data but is the total number of applicants (including all IMGs) lower than the total number of FM spots?

 

[Ross123]

No matter what happens, I'll send a few thoughts skyward for you. Good luck.

Thank you.🙂

 

[Ross123]

I understand its tough for me.Honestly medicine is a part of my life for a long time.I never thought of coming to US, but had to because of my marriage and personal things. I was a part of very good university in my country and had good clinical practice too.I thought of continuing same here too. Its tough to change some things in life.I hope god will show me a good way soon.Thank you for your comments so far

 

[samac]

You’re not answering the question about when you graduated.

 

[Ross123]

You’re not answering the question about when you graduated.

We follow the British system of MBBS,MD-PHD . I gradated with mbbs in 2010,MD-phd in 2018.Our MD-PHD programs take avg of 6-7 years

 

[GoSpursGo]

Hmm, i dont remember the data but is the total number of applicants (including all IMGs) lower than the total number of FM spots?

There are no specialties for which there are more spots than the total number of applicants.

A number of applicants seem to believe that IM is more achievable than FM because there are so many more IM programs, so you can apply to a larger number of programs and thus are more likely to find one to bite. There is also a higher percentage of successful IMG matches in IM compared to FM. However, I (and many others) think that this is simply a misconception that FM is "more competitive" when in actuality:

1) The ratio of applicants:spots is actually lower for FM compared to IM (ie yes there are more IM spots, but there are also more people you're competing against)
2) The average successful IM applicant is more competitive than the average successful FM applicant

As you can see from the interactive chart, the match percentage for someone with the OP's stats is similar between IM and FM, but FM is much more forgiving for applicants with a step 1 in the 210s and even 200s. So for applicants with low scores who aren't getting bites from IM, trying FM instead makes sense.

Unfortunately, the fact that the OP isn't getting bites with a step 1 score that would be expected to succeed makes me think one of 3 things is at play here:

1) The YOG really is 2010 (if that's the case, I don't think there's much that CAN be done)
2) The CS failure is really dragging him/her down, and/or hasn't been rectified
3) There's some other red flag that we don't know about.

Interestingly, when I impute a PhD into the chart, the match percentage goes from 70% to 0% in the OP's score range (0/5 applicants with USMLE 210-230 matched over the last 5 years), making me think there's likely something else holding these applicants back. FWIW, there's only been one MD/PhD applicant in the 220s to FM in the last 5 years, and that person matched. In any event, regardless of whatever's going on, I'm afraid he's getting a clear signal that IM programs are not interested and he should change strategies.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I understand its tough for me.Honestly medicine is a part of my life for a long time.I never thought of coming to US, but had to because of my marriage and personal things. I was a part of very good university in my country and had good clinical practice too.I thought of continuing same here too. Its tough to change some things in life.I hope god will show me a good way soon.Thank you for your comments so far

This post does not seem to suggest that you are a US IMG... My prior post was working off that understanding from your OP.

We follow the British system of MBBS,MD-PHD . I gradated with mbbs in 2010,MD-phd in 2018.Our MD-PHD programs take avg of 6-7 years

I'm honestly still having trouble following exactly what happened. So you got an MBBS in 2010... and then, did you complete a PhD program which conferred an MD/PhD in 2018? Or did you COMPLETELY REPEAT MED SCHOOL to get an MD, and also complete a PhD?

 

[Ross123]

This post does not seem to suggest that you are a US IMG... My prior post was working off that understanding from your OP.


I'm honestly still having trouble following exactly what happened. So you got an MBBS in 2010... and then, did you complete a PhD program which conferred an MD/PhD in 2018? Or did you COMPLETELY REPEAT MED SCHOOL to get an MD, and also complete a PhD?

for me MBBS is my graduate degree and MD-PHD is my postgraduate degree in internal medicine.I completed all requirements. I had to come here to join my spouse who is an american citizen

 

[GoSpursGo]

for me MBBS is my graduate degree and MD-PHD is my postgraduate degree in internal medicine.

OK. It sounds like YOG would be considered 2010 then. There's no way to know for sure, but if there isn't another red flag somewhere in your application (and sadly there's just no way to know if maybe one of your LORs stinks), then this is probably the issue along with the CS failure.

Regardless of the reason for not getting bites in IM, I reiterate my recommendation to try for FM and see if they like your app better.

 

[Ross123]

OK. It sounds like YOG would be considered 2010 then. There's no way to know for sure, but if there isn't another red flag somewhere in your application (and sadly there's just no way to know if maybe one of your LORs stinks), then this is probably the issue along with the CS failure.

Regardless of the reason for not getting bites in IM, I reiterate my recommendation to try for FM and see if they like your app better.

Thank you for your words.I wish to get through.I miss practicing medicine very much especially when i go to a hospital and see doctors in scrubs. Life is strange often.I never thought of these days.

 

[Iz_FtB]

Hmm, i dont remember the data but is the total number of applicants (including all IMGs) lower than the total number of FM spots?

US MD graduates are generally loathe to enter primary care. There are a number of potential reasons for this, poor remuneration relative to the costs of training being a major factor. As a result, more academically accomplished graduates tend to apply into other specialties with better compensation, similar or better work hours, or both. These specialties are competitive, and generally only those students who have developed a CV commensurate with the expectations of these specialties are encouraged to apply. Because the OP is in a difficult position in regards to their future career prospects, the suggestions of applying to the least competitive specialty that has historically drawn from weaker applicant pools were appropriate. This is not an endorsement of success, but it is the best chance for the OP to complete their training and practice independently.

This is all very complicated stuff, but I do hope this helps.

 

[Thelonious Chunk]

There are no specialties for which there are more spots than the total number of applicants.

Radiation oncology has 8 more spots than applicants this year apparently. Maybe OP has a shot as an MD-PHD

 

[Ross123]

Radiation oncology has 8 more spots than applicants this year apparently. Maybe OP has a shot as an MD-PHD

is it ?..can anyone tell which is the least competitive radiation oncology spots ?

 

[Splenda88]

Apply for bottom-tier pathology and FM programs.

Agree... Pathology is OP's best bet at this point...

 

[Splenda88]

Thank you for your words.I wish to get through.I miss practicing medicine very much especially when i go to a hospital and see doctors in scrubs. Life is strange often.I never thought of these days.

If you don't match this cycle, I suggest you apply FM, pathology, prelim surgery next cycle... Good luck!

 

[studentdocftw]

is it ?..can anyone tell which is the least competitive radiation oncology spots ?

Rad Onc is out of the picture..they always have unfilled positions, because they are so picky they choose not to fill them. Last match, there wasn't a single US IMG that matched into Rad Onc. Finish this match and try your best...later, consider FM, Path.

 

[Sleepingdoc]

Apply for bottom-tier pathology and FM programs.

FM programs are more picky about International graduates than IM..

 

[GoSpursGo]

FM programs are more picky about International graduates than IM..

I think it's hard to argue this when the mean USMLE of a matched applicant in FM is 14 points lower. Yes, the overall match percentage for FM is lower, but that is likely because a ton of people apply to FM simply because they know they are not competitive for any other clinical specialty--that's no knock on the specialty, it's just a reality.

 

[nimbus]

Any one knows about wright center Scranton?. Finally I got an interview

I would definitely check these hotspots if I were going there😉

Seriously congrats!!

A Dunder Mifflin Tour of Scranton

To see if these Office-endorsed locales are all they’re cracked up to be, I ventured on a tour-de-Electric City, Michael Scott-style.

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