What are my chances? US-IMG

[Itachi888]

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What are my chances at a categorical surgery residency? what about prelim?

Currently a 3rd year student. Us-IMG that went to the caribean currently doing clinical rotations in the U.S. scheduled to graduate November 2013. will have 2 years USCE.

Won't have my ecfmg certificate if i apply in september 2013 for the 2014 match
Will have my ecfmg certiciate if i apply in september 2014 for the 2015 match ( will be 18 months out of school by the time i start internship)

Step 1 taken- 233
Step 2 CK and CS will take in a few months


Choices, dont know which one to do
1- graduate in november 2013 and apply for 2014 match without ecfmg certification
2- delay graduation till jan- february 2014, then apply in september later that year for the 2015 match with ecfmg certification. During this time I will be studying and taking step 3, and finishing my online MBA.

thanks guys

 

[Incisure]

I know your post is very old but according to your dates, you should still be in medical school. I just have one thing to say:

APPLY 2013.

It will matter to some programs that you don't have the certificate when you apply but certainly not all of them. Also, if you've given all your exams, you can make clear that all you're waiting on is your graduation before you actually become certified, and that it is pending. Once you've given the exams, and if your med school performance is good, it will really just be a formality at that point, and some programs may take this into account. Furthermore, you can always update your application when it comes in. The actual legal cutoff is just that you have to be certified by the time the rank-order lists are submitted in February.

Agreed, it may be a somewhat weaker application than if you applied with the full certification the following year, but (in my opinion) you lose more by being further out of school than applying with what some programs will perceive to be an incomplete application. Take the chance. If you don't match, you lose nothing. Spend a year giving Step 3, doing your observership, finishing your MBA, then apply again. But don't pass up this chance on the notion that it's unlikely to lead anywhere. You'll never know unless you give it a shot.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Apply as soon as you can once you finish school. That's all the advice I have.

 

[Anastomoses]

I see he/she is being encouraged to apply ASAP...but what's the reason?

 

[evilbooyaa]

I see he/she is being encouraged to apply ASAP...but what's the reason?

Because every year it will become more difficult for IMGs to get into US residency programs, plus it looks better to apply ASAP after graduating medical school.