my criteria

[blackwhite]

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hi i am an img student with step 1 ...89...
step2 ...97... and cs passed all 1st attempt also i have a green card.. have us expirience in internal medicine and LOR from it...is there any chance that i can get a pathology residency????i might have the chance to work at a private pathology lab for 1 month and get a LOR from the dr there will that help???and if i get my LOR on october will that be too late to upload and send by eras????
thanx for ur interest..

 

[Thaitanium]

hi i am an img student with step 1 ...89...
step2 ...97... and cs passed all 1st attempt also i have a green card.. have us expirience in internal medicine and LOR from it...is there any chance that i can get a pathology residency????i might have the chance to work at a private pathology lab for 1 month and get a LOR from the dr there will that help???and if i get my LOR on october will that be too late to upload and send by eras????
thanx for ur interest..

Pathology is not a very competitive field. With your scores you should definitely be able to get in a path program. You have to show that you can speak english, since as a pathologist you will have to communicate your findings to colleagues.

 

[superkeith]

Pathology is not a very competitive field. With your scores you should definitely be able to get in a path program. You have to show that you can speak english, since as a pathologist you will have to communicate your findings to colleagues.

agreed. no question, imgs have it more difficult, but you have the stats to match and to match well. at interviews, you will need to show you are not a tool, and that you can communicate effectively.

in regards to your application, it is not too late. i submitted my eras application last year on 8 october. and yes, i would say that it is essential to have a letter from a pathologist.

 

[EtOHWithdrawal]

I disagree that you NEED a letter from a pathologist...Helpful, yes. Necessary, no. You will still be interviewed if your board scores and "interest" are apparent.
Letters from American MD or DOs, however, are necessary. My letters from overseas physicians were worthless.

 

[DarksideAllstar]

I disagree that you NEED a letter from a pathologist...Helpful, yes. Necessary, no. You will still be interviewed if your board scores and "interest" are apparent.
Letters from American MD or DOs, however, are necessary. My letters from overseas physicians were worthless.

Some places have *requirements* that include at least one letter from a pathologist. One place that I received an interview I believe, requested two. So, yes, in some cases you NEED a letter from a pathologist.

 

[EtOHWithdrawal]

I stand corrected.

 

[rirriri]

Pathology is not a very competitive field. With your scores you should definitely be able to get in a path program. You have to show that you can speak english, since as a pathologist you will have to communicate your findings to colleagues.

your simplification of an IMG application to Pathology is quite flat.

Pathology is FAR more competitive for IMGs than it is for AMGs. Most of the IMGs i know who are in Pathology have VERY high board scores, and are recent graduates with a DEFINED interest in Pathology through either past experiences, research, or other specific work.

The LORs should be from Pathologists, AT LEAST 1, if not 2 should be. The letters, as stated above, should be from US physicians and US institutions.

Don't think that i'm discouraging you...i'm not. I'm just telling you reality...because i've BEEN through it all before....

 

[yaah]

Yes, a lot of times IMG grads who are in pathology have extensive research experience - many come and work in labs for a time before applying. There is also something to be said for luck and the overused and cliched phrase of "stick-to-itiveness", I think, as some without remarkable resumes do land spots that they might not in other years or at other institutions.

IMGs have more to "prove" to program directors than US grads. If you can prove yourself and your capabilities, you should do fine though, even if you don't land a program in your top choices.

In terms of the OP, agreed that the board scores are adequate in that they won't hurt you but they aren't everything. You need to demonstrate why you want to be in pathology and "prove" it.

 

[blackwhite]

so if i could get the chance to attend a private pathology clinic and get the recommendation from doctors in there..would that help..or it importent to get it from the pathology teaching school????😕

 

[mlw03]

i think most people would recommend an academic pathologist over a community based one because the academic pathologist is more likely to work with residents and can therefore say, "blackwhite has what it takes to be a successful pathology resident" or something to that effect.

 

[shehab3]

Hi, I'm new to this forum.
I'm an IMG who graduated fmarch 2007.
steps both 99 and CS pass from first attempt. 2 months USCE at Baylor Collage of Medicine, with 2 LoRs both from internalists. 4 weeks rotation at Boston Children's Hospital.
I don't have LoRs from US pathologist. No research experience. No residency in home country since I'm fresh graduate.
I have been readinga lot of dicoureging notes in forums, and I really don't know my status.
uptil now I got only 2 IV from Baystate and georgetown and 2 rejections from Indiana University and Prespyterian Hospital Cornell.
so what do you think guys? I applied to 55 program
thanks

 

[mlw03]

Hi, I'm new to this forum.
I'm an IMG who graduated fmarch 2007.
steps both 99 and CS pass from first attempt. 2 months USCE at Baylor Collage of Medicine, with 2 LoRs both from internalists. 4 weeks rotation at Boston Children's Hospital.
I don't have LoRs from US pathologist. No research experience. No residency in home country since I'm fresh graduate.
I have been readinga lot of dicoureging notes in forums, and I really don't know my status.
uptil now I got only 2 IV from Baystate and georgetown and 2 rejections from Indiana University and Prespyterian Hospital Cornell.
so what do you think guys? I applied to 55 program
thanks

i think your problem is no LoR from a pathologist. what you've written shows your intelligent and learned a lot in med school, but says nothing about your interests and/or experiences in pathology. was that 4 week rotation at boston children's in pathology? if so, could you get a LoR from an attending you may have signed out with a bit? someone who can say, "shehab demonstrated a good level of understanding and a decidation to learning pathology."

 

[docbiohazard]

Also, if applications are way up from American grads, it seems to me that programs might wait until they have recieved and reviewed the bulk of those applications until inviting any FMGs? Just a hunch.

BH

 

[Purpura]

your simplification of an IMG application to Pathology is quite flat.

Pathology is FAR more competitive for IMGs than it is for AMGs. Most of the IMGs i know who are in Pathology have VERY high board scores, and are recent graduates with a DEFINED interest in Pathology through either past experiences, research, or other specific work.

The LORs should be from Pathologists, AT LEAST 1, if not 2 should be. The letters, as stated above, should be from US physicians and US institutions.

Don't think that i'm discouraging you...i'm not. I'm just telling you reality...because i've BEEN through it all before....

I agree with you a 100%!!

 

[ucp1980]

its hard to gauge the likelihood of matching as an IMG from what i read. I am an american citizen with multiple undergrad and graduate degrees from the states, but i chose to go to med school at an american program abroad (not carribean). I'm an MS3 and i think i want to match in pathology, and would like a little input about my "fitness" as a candidate from my credentials thusfar:

step 1: 226/94 . . . grades are mediocre but my school claims they don't rank us. i expect good letters of rec.

will my step 1 score get me interviews? i'm coming back to the states for my 4th year electives, and plan to do them in path. any advice as to how i can help myself in the pursuit of a path residency?

thanks everyone, i hope i can get some feedback or comments

 

[b&ierstiefel]

its hard to gauge the likelihood of matching as an IMG from what i read. I am an american citizen with multiple undergrad and graduate degrees from the states, but i chose to go to med school at an american program abroad (not carribean). I'm an MS3 and i think i want to match in pathology, and would like a little input about my "fitness" as a candidate from my credentials thusfar:

step 1: 226/94 . . . grades are mediocre but my school claims they don't rank us. i expect good letters of rec.

will my step 1 score get me interviews? i'm coming back to the states for my 4th year electives, and plan to do them in path. any advice as to how i can help myself in the pursuit of a path residency?

thanks everyone, i hope i can get some feedback or comments

Apply to a range of programs. You should get some interviews, sure. But be prepared to face the fact that the top-tier programs will likely overlook you.

 

[mlw03]

i think having experiences in pathology to discuss is the best thing you can do for yourself. i'm already seeing that faculty want to know that applicants know what they're getting themselves into since pathology is so different from clinical specialties. i would think that step 1 score is good enough to get a number of invites so long as you apply broadly and don't have your hopes set on the 'top-tier' programs.

its hard to gauge the likelihood of matching as an IMG from what i read. I am an american citizen with multiple undergrad and graduate degrees from the states, but i chose to go to med school at an american program abroad (not carribean). I'm an MS3 and i think i want to match in pathology, and would like a little input about my "fitness" as a candidate from my credentials thusfar:

step 1: 226/94 . . . grades are mediocre but my school claims they don't rank us. i expect good letters of rec.

will my step 1 score get me interviews? i'm coming back to the states for my 4th year electives, and plan to do them in path. any advice as to how i can help myself in the pursuit of a path residency?

thanks everyone, i hope i can get some feedback or comments

 

[DarksideAllstar]

But be prepared to face the fact that the top-tier programs will likely overlook you.

Except BWH. 😉

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Except BWH. 😉

OK OK...you got me. Fine, I shall qualify my comment...BWH recruits this guy if he is doing a postdoc in the Longwood area.

Thumbs up on your J&SB quote btw...I need to see that movie again.

 

[ucp1980]

if my heart were set on anywhere, it'd be either west virginia, or OHSU in portland oregon.

i haven't seen either of these come up in the discussions of "top-tier" programs . . . where do you guys see these programs on the spectrum of competitiveness? 226 . . . or 246?

 

[DarksideAllstar]

OK OK...you got me. Fine, I shall qualify my comment...BWH recruits this guy if he is doing a postdoc in the Longwood area.

Thumbs up on your J&SB quote btw...I need to see that movie again.

Actually, I was just screwing with you. Do you guys have an FMG in your program? If so, I'm sure he's got like 3 Science papers...





Disclaimer: No offense to FMGs was intended by my above statement(s).

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Actually, I was just screwing with you. Do you guys have an FMG in your program? If so, I'm sure he's got like 3 Science papers...





Disclaimer: No offense to FMGs was intended by my above statement(s).

We do. A few, in fact. And they have 177 Cell papers between them and countless Science papers...but we all know that Cell pwns Science, the latter which is a journal for amateurs who do research for fun...

(i'm being sarcastic)