Want your guidance...

[colourboy87]

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Hello friends,

I want my dreams to come true. I need your inputs towards my real chance of matching in ophthalmology. I am dedicated to giving it all.

Here is my story:

1. I am 30 years old Non-US IMG student.
2. I have attended good Medical school in my country. (2004-2010)
3. Then I completed an ophthalmology residency in the home country. (2010-2013)
4. Followed my path with a 1-year fellowship in the home country. (2013-2014)
5. Then visualized a dream to pursue Ophthalmology in the US.
6. To follow my dreams, I started preparing USMLE after 5 years of my med school graduation.
7. Passed Step 1 – 219 (2016)

Step 2 – 225 (2017)
CS – Pass (2017)
Step 3 - 209 (2017)​

8. During residency

1. Published 3 Research papers (Medium impact journals)
2. Various Oral presentations (National Conferences)
3. No Volunteer experience
4. No International work experience
5. No US clinical Experience

I know Ophthalmology is a highly competitive field in US. But I want to know about my real chance of matching in Ophthalmology as Non-US IMG with this application. What should I do to make my profile stronger?

If ophthalmology is not possible, what are other match options?

This is my story and I am seeking your genuine advice.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Hello friends,

I want my dreams to come true. I need your inputs towards my real chance of matching in ophthalmology. I am dedicated to giving it all.

Here is my story:

1. I am 30 years old Non-US IMG student.
2. I have attended good Medical school in my country. (2004-2010)
3. Then I completed an ophthalmology residency in the home country. (2010-2013)
4. Followed my path with a 1-year fellowship in the home country. (2013-2014)
5. Then visualized a dream to pursue Ophthalmology in the US.
6. To follow my dreams, I started preparing USMLE after 5 years of my med school graduation.
7. Passed Step 1 – 219 (2016)

Step 2 – 225 (2017)
CS – Pass (2017)
Step 3 - 209 (2017)​

8. During residency

1. Published 3 Research papers (Medium impact journals)
2. Various Oral presentations (National Conferences)
3. No Volunteer experience
4. No International work experience
5. No US clinical Experience

I know Ophthalmology is a highly competitive field in US. But I want to know about my real chance of matching in Ophthalmology as Non-US IMG with this application. What should I do to make my profile stronger?

If ophthalmology is not possible, what are other match options?

This is my story and I am seeking your genuine advice.

Based on your year of graduation, Step scores, and being from a foreign school, your chances of landing a ophthalmology spot is extremely small. You would likely need to work in a research lab associated with a residency program and then hope you might get a spot in a few years. If you want to do ophthalmology, you'll likely need to stay in your home country. If your desire to train/practice in the US is greater, then I would look into IM spots and possibly FM spots. Consideration for things like pathology could be doable. What are your interests?

 

[gutonc]

Hello friends,

I want my dreams to come true. I need your inputs towards my real chance of matching in ophthalmology. I am dedicated to giving it all.

Here is my story:

1. I am 30 years old Non-US IMG student.
2. I have attended good Medical school in my country. (2004-2010)
3. Then I completed an ophthalmology residency in the home country. (2010-2013)
4. Followed my path with a 1-year fellowship in the home country. (2013-2014)
5. Then visualized a dream to pursue Ophthalmology in the US.
6. To follow my dreams, I started preparing USMLE after 5 years of my med school graduation.
7. Passed Step 1 – 219 (2016)

Step 2 – 225 (2017)
CS – Pass (2017)
Step 3 - 209 (2017)​

8. During residency

1. Published 3 Research papers (Medium impact journals)
2. Various Oral presentations (National Conferences)
3. No Volunteer experience
4. No International work experience
5. No US clinical Experience

I know Ophthalmology is a highly competitive field in US. But I want to know about my real chance of matching in Ophthalmology as Non-US IMG with this application. What should I do to make my profile stronger?

If ophthalmology is not possible, what are other match options?

This is my story and I am seeking your genuine advice.

Items 1, 2 and 7 above, just by themselves, are why you won’t match in ophthalmology in the US. You should probably come up with a new dream.

I’m sure it sounds like I’m being a jerk here, but you’ve already spent a couple of years and, I assume, something north of $10,000 just to get your Steps done. Cut your losses and either go back home (if possible) or somewhere else that will accept your current training.

An AMG from a top US school would have a nearly impossible time matching Ophthalmology with your scores. For you, I fear, there is basically no hope.

 

[the argus]

Hello friends,

I want my dreams to come true. I need your inputs towards my real chance of matching in ophthalmology. I am dedicated to giving it all.

Here is my story:

1. I am 30 years old Non-US IMG student.
2. I have attended good Medical school in my country. (2004-2010)
3. Then I completed an ophthalmology residency in the home country. (2010-2013)
4. Followed my path with a 1-year fellowship in the home country. (2013-2014)
5. Then visualized a dream to pursue Ophthalmology in the US.
6. To follow my dreams, I started preparing USMLE after 5 years of my med school graduation.
7. Passed Step 1 – 219 (2016)

Step 2 – 225 (2017)
CS – Pass (2017)
Step 3 - 209 (2017)​

8. During residency

1. Published 3 Research papers (Medium impact journals)
2. Various Oral presentations (National Conferences)
3. No Volunteer experience
4. No International work experience
5. No US clinical Experience

I know Ophthalmology is a highly competitive field in US. But I want to know about my real chance of matching in Ophthalmology as Non-US IMG with this application. What should I do to make my profile stronger?

If ophthalmology is not possible, what are other match options?

This is my story and I am seeking your genuine advice.

Based solely on your step scores as a foreign-IMG, the only specialty you are competitive for would be family medicine. Here's a document that can further explain this.
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Charting-Outcomes-IMGs-2016.pdf

Ophthalmology isn't include in that document as it uses the SF match, here's the link for those stats. As others have said, you are not competitive for ophthalmology in the US. 17 total IMGs (US + foreign) matched in 2018, which was 4% that applied. Average step 1 of those matched IMGs was 245.
Residency and Fellowship Match

You would be 9 years out from medical school if you applied next year. That alone makes you an extremely unattractive applicant to programs, in any specialty. You also have no US clinical experience.

Taken all together, I think your chances of getting any residency position, or even an interview, in the US is extremely remote.

Sorry to be a downer, but that's the way I see it.

 

[mvenus929]

What have you done since completing fellowship if you have no us clinical experience and no international work experience?

 

[colourboy87]

What have you done since completing fellowship if you have no us clinical experience and no international work experience?

I am currently practicing ophthalmology. It was a time needed to reroute all of my energy to study med school subjects and prepare USMLE.

 

[colourboy87]

Based on your year of graduation, Step scores, and being from a foreign school, your chances of landing a ophthalmology spot is extremely small. You would likely need to work in a research lab associated with a residency program and then hope you might get a spot in a few years. If you want to do ophthalmology, you'll likely need to stay in your home country. If your desire to train/practice in the US is greater, then I would look into IM spots and possibly FM spots. Consideration for things like pathology could be doable. What are your interests?

Thank you all for guiding me...

Considering FM/IM...what should be the approach to strengthen my application?

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Thank you all for guiding me...

Considering FM/IM...what should be the approach to strengthen my application?

Any US LOR that you can get would be helpful. Unfortunately your ability to do any rotations in the US is limited to basically observer status as you wouldn't have any sort of malpractice coverage without a license and a school sponsoring you.

 

[gutonc]

Thank you all for guiding me...

Considering FM/IM...what should be the approach to strengthen my application?

There's really nothing you can do to strengthen your app for anything at this point.