Residency Dilemma

[Panacea86]

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Hello guys and gals. I had a couple of quick questions as a future USIMG that I was hoping to get some insight on. First a little bit of a background story. I'm a current medical student at a European school. I chose to go this route after not being able to complete a BS or BA (nothing too exciting, just spread myself too thin) and my decision has worked out thus far (medicine is something I truly enjoy doing). I've done well on Step 1/2 thus far (240+ for both), will be getting US experience next summer and hopefully some great LORs but for now I'm at a crossroads.

1. Not finishing my bachelors degree. Is it a HUGE red flag that will exclude me from interviews or just something that I have to explain during them?

2. If it will exclude me from them which is the better option to go with?
A. Applying in Sept 2016 (my last year of school here so right on schedule) or
B. Finishing my degree but subsequently entering the match a year later 🙁

3. I am looking at surgery residencies, is everything but gen surgery out of reach?

Thank you all for your help and if you have any questions/clarifications please feel to ask me 🙂

 

[bashwell]

Check out NRMP for match data. That should be the first port of call.

I think as long as you have an MD (or equivalent) you should be fine without a bachelor's degree. I know in many nations people graduate from high school and go directly into med school (e.g. UK, Australia, New Zealand), and I know of IMGs from these nations with only med degrees who have matched into US residency programs.

I don't think 1 year out is a huge problem. Sometimes a year can't be helped due to some med schools graduating off cycle. Most programs don't want to see more than 3 yrs if I'm not mistaken. Although I'm speaking for residencies like IM and I don't know anything about surgical residencies. Maybe surgical residencies are more stringent? I have no idea. Of course the ideal would be to apply as soon as everything opens, as early as possible, and so on, especially with each year getting harder to match due to increased numbers of AMGs etc.

 

[rokshana]

not sure why you think gen surg is in reach for an IMG...

 

[Bronze Medal]

I would post in the general surgery forum to get an idea of your competitiveness for that field.

 

[Panacea86]

First thank you all for your replies.

@bashwell I don't see a year out as a big problem either. I was hoping to head straight to residency after medical school. Would it make sense to submit the residency application next Sept (like I was planning on doing) and if I don't match then I can finish the last courses for my undergrad in my year off (so it does not raise as much of a red flag)?

@rokshana I hope this doesn't come off as proud but with my scores (high 240s), LORs (only need one or two more since I have US ones already), multiple publications, research, too much volunteering (is that even possible?) I thought that I would have around a 50/50 shot. USIMGs are matching at a little over 50% and while gen surgery is above average in terms of requirements I think that my scores and other accolades are too. Gen surgery is no derm/ortho/plastics (pretty sure those are out of reach for almost all IMGs). Again, sorry if this paragraph sounds like a lot of hubris, I just thought I would have at least an outside chance 🙂

@Bronze Medal Thank you for the heads up.

Thank you guys for your responses again and I hope to see even more opinions. You have already given me plenty to think about 😀

 

[gutonc]

As with all of these questions, you'll find the only real hard data on your chances here. Start on page 96 and pay attention to the "Independent Applicants" part. You're basically at the median for matched Independent Applicants in Gen Surg.

 

[Panacea86]

You're right, I appear to be smack dab in the middle of almost all categories. I have a quick follow up question:

With the red flag that I have (not finishing college), would it be a good idea to enter the 2017 match as is and if I get in great, if not, I finish my BS degree and do some research for the following year or just do not enter the 2017 match at all and go straight to finishing my degree/research to enter the 2018 match? Poorly worded, sorry, basically is there any drawback to me entering the match (trying my luck so to speak), failing to match, then entering the 2018 match that the PD might see (ie "You didn't get in last year, what was the cause")?

Thank you guys again for all your help 🙂

 

[ThoracicGuy]

You're right, I appear to be smack dab in the middle of almost all categories. I have a quick follow up question:

With the red flag that I have (not finishing college), would it be a good idea to enter the 2017 match as is and if I get in great, if not, I finish my BS degree and do some research for the following year or just do not enter the 2017 match at all and go straight to finishing my degree/research to enter the 2018 match? Poorly worded, sorry, basically is there any drawback to me entering the match (trying my luck so to speak), failing to match, then entering the 2018 match that the PD might see (ie "You didn't get in last year, what was the cause")?

Thank you guys again for all your help 🙂

Most european students that decide to come to the US don't have a bachelor's degree. They go from high school to medical school. They have essentially two years of undergrad into their med school. You have alot of hours of undergrad, so that won't be the problem. Your red flag will be why you decided to go to a foreign medical school instead of working to improve your app for a US one. You'll have alot of doors shut for being an IMG. The longer you wait from graduation, the harder it will be to get a spot, so don't take time off to go back for some undergrad classes.

 

[Panacea86]

Yeah I kind of figured that it would be a good idea to apply ASAP instead of waiting around to finish classes that are not germane to medicine. Another quick question. How would one go about putting an unfinished college education in a CV anyway?

University of XXXXXX
2005-2010

Is the space after the years attended just left blank since I never attained the major or do I just put down <xxxx major declared> in that space?

Thank you all for your help thus far. This forum truly is a place that gets things done 🙂

 

[NotAProgDirector]

ERAS takes care of this for you. There's a specific spot for the degree earned, and you'll choose none.