Reasons for not matching

[Squiggy]

I've read in the 2007 match report that around half of USIMGs do not match. What are some of the reasons for this?

For those who go to the Big 4, what percentage of your graduating class are able to secure residencies?

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[dragonfly99]

Wow is it that high?
Are you sure that is for US citizen IMG's, and not just all FMG/IMG candidates added together?
I'll bet for some of the people it's because they didn't pass all the steps in time (need USMLE I and II and the Step II clinical test). Also some people might have thought they were going to graduate on time, but then found out their actual graduation date would be too late to actually participate in the match?
Some people may have misjudged their competitiveness also...
i.e. they went for anesthesia and didn't get it, while they could have gotten a spot if they just tried for fp or IM.

 

[Squiggy]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/8883

This article lumps all IMGs together although there was another site that I can't find that places the IMG match rate at around 40% and USIMG at around 48%.

Other than not passing the steps in time, having multiple failures, what are some other causes of this. Half not matching seems pretty severe.

 

[dtwalrus]

Pre-matches aren't figured into those statistics.

For the big 4, if you are an American citizen and you manage to graduate without either failing several classes or failing your boardfs, you are almost guaranteed to practice medicine in the US. There's a severe md shortage out there, in case you haven't heard.

If, however, you are a foreign student at a caribbean school, it's more complicated.

If you fail your classes or your boards, it's more complicated.

If you go to one of the non-big 4 schools, it's more complicated.

 

[Squiggy]

Hmmm... that's interesting to know.

Could somebody that goes to a Big 4 school offer an estimate as to what percentage of their graduates can secure a residency?

 

[JonathanMD]

Pre-matches aren't figured into those statistics.

For the big 4, if you are an American citizen and you manage to graduate without either failing several classes or failing your boardfs, you are almost guaranteed to practice medicine in the US. There's a severe md shortage out there, in case you haven't heard.

If, however, you are a foreign student at a caribbean school, it's more complicated.

If you fail your classes or your boards, it's more complicated.

If you go to one of the non-big 4 schools, it's more complicated.

Very nicely said.

I was going to respond, but you said it all right there.

 

[McGillGrad]

There are roughly 30+ med schools in the Caribbean plus the Aussie, the Irish and the UK schools that Americans attend. Then you have Americans who go to Poland, India and Pakistan (and so on) to study because they weren't accepted in the US.

Of all of those schools mentioned above, only the Carib schools are geared towards the USMLE. That explains why people with excellent educations from Europe still have a hard time passing.

And of the Carib schools only a handful requires comprehensive NMBE exams for advancement past the basic science years (i.e. register and sit for the step). So, even students at most Carib schools are potentially not prepared. Thus, they fail more often than at the "big 4" where you take comprehensive exams beforehand.

Those reasons, along with the prematches that are not listed explain the 50% pass rate.

 

[dtwalrus]

Hmmm... that's interesting to know.

Could somebody that goes to a Big 4 school offer an estimate as to what percentage of their graduates can secure a residency?

Difficult to find an exact percentage. But if I had to estimate, I'd say 90% of those US Citizen Big 4 students who graduate without F's on the transcript and who pass the boards will get residencies. Note though, that the only people in this category that don't match are those that try for fields that are too competitive for their stats. Many will happily not match in a better field to try again the following year rather than settle for a field they're not interested in. About 99.9% of those students in this category are fully capable of matching into A residency.

If you're not a US citizen, or plan on failing classes or boards, then the number drops. Though it's still do-able.

Bottom line, if you're a US citizen, you WILL get a residency if you do your work. Now that that's out of the way, the real question you need to start looking into is WHAT KIND of residency field will you be able to land from a Big 4? And then WHAT QUALITY of residency within the field of your choice will you be able to land?

 

[Squiggy]

That's good to know thanks.

Any others want to place their input?
Anyone know of US citizens who didn't fail any classes/boards but still didn't match into the likes of FP/IM/psych?

 

[COLMEJIM]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/8883

This article lumps all IMGs together although there was another site that I can't find that places the IMG match rate at around 40% and USIMG at around 48%.

Other than not passing the steps in time, having multiple failures, what are some other causes of this. Half not matching seems pretty severe.

I do have some slightly better numbers: for 2008 spots, according to the ECFMG, 42% (nonUSIMG) and 52% (USIMG) of those that participated in the NRMP had matched. http://www.ecfmg.org/cert/factcard.pdf
Although I guess close to 35% of IMGs in the Carib. gain spots prematch (fact check on this number please).

 

[tracheatoedoc]

Many IMGs don't even attempt to match.
I prematched and then scrambled into a first year position.
If you graduate and pass usmle 1 and 2 you're gonna go somewhere.
It might end up being path or psychiatry or something in west virginia.
Im an AUC alum (go crabs) wasn't in the match, school probably doesn't know what happened to me. I'm OK. 400k ok....ok?

Lots of misconceptions on this site. Mostly by people who are merely speculating.

1. Carib schools will flunk you out because they don't have a clinical spot for you. no.
While I was at AUC they were in the process of changing some of the rules about failure. They didn't want people who couldn't hack it to hang around for 4 or more semesters and accumulate alot of debt. The courses were challenging enough that if you couldn't ultimately make it you knew pretty quickly. This was to increase the usmle pass rate, but more importantly, to seperate students who were not going to be successful.

2. The caribbean stigma will follow me my whole life.
No. It's where you do your residency, baby. The caribbean thing just becomes a collection of great memories and stories.

3. I won't get a residency/only a 50% match..blah,blah,blah.....
No. Graduate, Do usmle1 and2. Everbody I know AUC 1997 went somewhere, and they went where they wanted to go.

Don't listen to these posters whohave no real first hand experience.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

400k ok....ok?

very....very encouraging

 

[chiz2kul]

Many IMGs don't even attempt to match.
I prematched and then scrambled into a first year position.
If you graduate and pass usmle 1 and 2 you're gonna go somewhere.
It might end up being path or psychiatry or something in west virginia.
Im an AUC alum (go crabs) wasn't in the match, school probably doesn't know what happened to me. I'm OK. 400k ok....ok?

Lots of misconceptions on this site. Mostly by people who are merely speculating.

1. Carib schools will flunk you out because they don't have a clinical spot for you. no.
While I was at AUC they were in the process of changing some of the rules about failure. They didn't want people who couldn't hack it to hang around for 4 or more semesters and accumulate alot of debt. The courses were challenging enough that if you couldn't ultimately make it you knew pretty quickly. This was to increase the usmle pass rate, but more importantly, to seperate students who were not going to be successful.

2. The caribbean stigma will follow me my whole life.
No. It's where you do your residency, baby. The caribbean thing just becomes a collection of great memories and stories.

3. I won't get a residency/only a 50% match..blah,blah,blah.....
No. Graduate, Do usmle1 and2. Everbody I know AUC 1997 went somewhere, and they went where they wanted to go.

Don't listen to these posters whohave no real first hand experience.

Hahaha very good post lol, but I wonder what you did ur residency in...

 

[McGillGrad]

Hahaha very good post lol, but I wonder what you did ur residency in...

Probably GAS

 

[tracheatoedoc]

Anesthesiology at one of the best programs(historically) in the country.
I add, that I have the highest USMLE 1 score of any resident in the history of the program-- at least that's what the director told me.

 

[McGillGrad]

Anesthesiology at one of the best programs(historically) in the country.
I add, that I have the highest USMLE 1 score of any resident in the history of the program-- at least that's what the director told me.

Wow, I was actually on the right track...lol

Congrats, btw. Impressive!

 

[tracheatoedoc]

Keep your eye on the ball. The USMLE that is.
Do well and you WILL accomplish your goals.
It is nothing for a caribmd to become a cardiologist or ob/gyn, etc.
Don't expect ortho or neurosurgery. Some of these posters act like if you can't go ortho at Northwestern, then why go to the carib.
You don't know what you will like. I used to say I would do anything except psych or neurology. There are lots of great specialties and almost all are open to caribmds.

Go to AUC.