Residency as an IMG

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

madz_place

New Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Hello, everyone.
I am 5th year med student (out of 6) in the Baltic states- Latvia. My goal is to get to the US for residency. I’m interested in different surgical specialities- vascular surgery, plastics with focus on reconstructive surgery and ophthalmology with further fellowship in oculoplastics. Also, gonna mention my boyfriends desired speciality- in
i haven’t yet taken any of the step exams, but I will do the first 1 or 2 during my first post-grad year, I’m hoping to manage step 1 before it changes to pass/fail.
Here’s some things I’ve done so far- I’m a part of 2 quite large vascular surgery research projects, 1 has its head quarters in Stanford. I’ve volunteered at the surgical and emergency medicine department at the hospital in my hometown and also Iceland. My grades are very good but that’s about it.
i am of course aiming for a very high step score and I still have about 2 years for USCE, but it is difficult to a range now due to covid.
Can anyone recommend anything else to boost my CV and increase my chances in matching? What is your opinion about our desired specialities as IMGs?

Thanks a lot!

Members don't see this ad.
 
These are mega competitive for USMD’s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
The honest truth is that you're not going to get a spot in Vascular, Plastics, or Ophthal. These are very competitive fields and IMG's rarely get spots. To get a spot you'd need years of successful research and lots of US clinical experience. Even General Surgery will be a challenge -- you'll still need US experience. And you didn't mention if you need a visa -- that will make it even more difficult. Plus you'll be trying to match in the same georaphic area as your partner.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Your best bet would be to get into general surgery and then fellowship in vascular or plastics. Even for this you'll need great research and good step scores and some good luck. Priority for you would be good Step 1/2/3 scores, clinical experience in the USA, and publications. This route can be done, but it is still quite difficult. For integrated plastics/vascular its very very hard, though there are always special cases, and I can't advise.


Ophtho I can say nothing about, it's just too competitive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
You will need 260+ step 1 and 2 as well as 2-3 years of research working at big name highly productive institution in USA where you can get 20-30 pubs with multiple first authors (not 1-2)...there are also pre residency fellowship opportunities that you can do to boost your chance...uphill battle but not impossible. I met few IMGs matched into these competitive surgical subspecialty even at big name institutions...but they all did years of research in USA before they matched.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Just making sure you know, step 1 is going to be pass/fail in 11 months. So I don't think you can take it in your post grad years, you have to take it during your sixth year. So you literally have to start studying for it now if you want a 260+, which I do agree with others above that a 260+ is an absolute minimum you need to even be considered.

Also, it's extremely difficult to get good non-shadowing USCE if you already graduated. Hospitals will only accept CURRENT medical students from overseas for clinical rotations versus someone who graduated. Once you graduate, you can't touch patients, so you can't show the US physicians that you have good clinical skills, and can't get a good letter of recommendation (which is very very important to have if you're international). So you have to do your USCE most likely in your sixth year prior to graduating. Meaning, you need to plan your sixth year NOW by figuring out when in your sixth year you can take a few months to come to the US. And you also have to find places that will take you.

It's 100% going to be a very steep uphill battle, and I also agree with what everyone else said above. To even be considered for any of those specialties you listed as an IMG, you have to be an absolute no-brainer superstar at your home country and in the US. However, having said that, there are some IMGs who do make it. And make it big no less. Look at Johns Hopkins' plastic surgery residents for example, at least four are IMGs. And in the recent ophtho match day, around 10 are IMGs.

Source: Ex was an IMG who wanted to come to the states to practice medicine. Did a lot of research on this topic. Wanted plastics too (one of the reasons I decided it wasn't gna work out)
 

Then look up the department. Pubmed the faculty to see how many pubs they have/ H index...find one with your specific interest...email 2-3 since 1 may not respond...you will have better shot if you can apply to grant and obtain your own funding. You may not even get pay.
 
Hi,
I hope it's ok for me to ask questions in this thread as well. Maybe it can be of interest to the OP too.
I was wondering where one finds quality research opportunities in the US please? I've read a lot about getting clerkships in the US as an international medical student but haven't found as much about research. I'm probably Googling the wrong keywords. Any insight? (I'm interested in Hema/Onc).
One blog was suggesting to cold email PIs. That's how I got to do a bit of research as an undergrad when I didn't need to be paid and had my F-1 visa, but I find it unlikely that they would give an IMG or international medical student a paid-position and a visa?
Thanks!
A visa is going to make this much more difficult. You can be a researcher in the US on a J visa (it's different than the clinical J-1 visa for residency), but you can't get paid off an R01 or other federal grant. Many quality places will not let you work for free on a visitor visa, it's (somewhat) illegal for them to do so, and you can't be "cleared" by HR.

I already gave you advice in this prior thread: Non-US IMG basic advice | Student Doctor Network Focus on getting clinical US experience, doing well on your exams, and applying for a spot with a work visa. It's going to be an uphill climb.
 
Can I hijack this a little bit; how difficult/easy is it to get one of those exchange things when your a practicing doctor/resident? I'm sorry I don't know the exact name of it but many of my attendings in the UK have all done some clinical stints in the US for either a year or several months at a time. How difficult is it to get into these things when your a foreign resident? E.g i'll be a resident in Germany soon and would love to get some US clinical exposure sometime during my 6 year residency, how likely is this? I am an America citizen btw so no visa needed etc.
 
Top