Programs with IMGs

[familyfirst]

Dear all,

I did about 4 ob/gyn interviews. Mixed of university-based and community-based. This is my sense, please correct me if I am wrong. Community-based programs have a lot more IMGs (FMGs). One of the community programs had 14 FMG interviewees. I only met 2 other US seniors.

Does anyone know how the % of IMGS in a program can impact the training and education?? The dilemma is going to be if I find a great community program with all the qualities I am looking for but the only thing is high % of FMGs in the program, should I rank it or not???

Please help.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TheJayBee]

You can gain a lot of accessory information from the residency web sites.

A program with high % IMG's and empty slots in the current classes would be very sketchy (eg approved for 3 positions per year but you notice 1 or 2 residents missing in some classes). Sure, there may be reasonable issues from their point of view, but that is still dicey.

In contrast, a program with high % of IMG's may offer great training particularly if all slots are filled, if recent grads got good jobs, and if the program is in a major metro area with a number of other residency programs OR in a rural area.

Dear all,

I did about 4 ob/gyn interviews. Mixed of university-based and community-based. This is my sense, please correct me if I am wrong. Community-based programs have a lot more IMGs (FMGs). One of the community programs had 14 FMG interviewees. I only met 2 other US seniors.

Does anyone know how the % of IMGS in a program can impact the training and education?? The dilemma is going to be if I find a great community program with all the qualities I am looking for but the only thing is high % of FMGs in the program, should I rank it or not???

Please help.

 

[peacefuljourney]

Guess I'm in trouble as an img when the discrimination runs so deep that US grads are thinking about not even ranking a program with a higher percent of img's. It's just not hard enough is it... Sigh.

 

[happyob]

When I read this thread a couple of weeks ago I was very sad and surprised. I am also a foreign medical graduate and I am very proud of my training and where I come from.

I love Obstetrics and Gynecology and I want to pursue an academic career, which is why I decided to continue my training in the United States, so I believe I acme here for the right reasons. For those of you who think this is a hard and tedious process, stop and think for a single minute how hard it is on us. I knew that we were discriminated by residency programs because of various reasons but to actually know that EDUCATED US medical students do it as well is absolutely shocking (I know not all of you think the same way).

I have worked very hard to be where I am. I have outstanding USMLE scores, perfect English, honors in medical school, top of my class and have been doing research here for some time now with numerous publications. So please when you discriminate think about what you are saying and how cruel you are and especially if these are moral values you want you're children to learn.

Anyway the best of luck to all of you and we might see each other in interviews!!!

 

[TheJayBee]

So sorry if you were inadvertantly offended. Mia culpa.
My post was about how to judge the strength of American residency programs, not a comment on IMG residents.

Excellent MD's come from around the globe and stellar IMG's match at the leading US academic programs. Yet programs that have gaps in their residency classes combined with high % IMG are likely having issues of recruitment and retention.

Please re-read my posts in the intended context. If still offended, then I apologize and wish you well.

 

[happyob]

Hi Jaybee,

Thanks for your words but honestly it was not your post that offended me, I completely understood what you were trying to say, so no worries!!!
I also believe that a program with multiple empty spots may have recruiting problems and it should be looked into. There are places that can be sketchy and may not tell you the entire truth, been there done that....

Good luck to you too

 

[tiredmom]

I don't think most AMG's are biased against IMGs. In my opinion, it's more of a concern re: is this a program that wouldn't fill if it didn't pre-match a ton of it's slots. To the OP - I would say, if it's a great program with a good fit for you, rank it high.