2018 match Advice for IMG

[IMGobgynwannabe]

Hello everyone, I am an IMG looking at the possibility of applying to the 2018 Match.
I graduate medical school this May. I have not taken any USMLE exams yet, so bare with me please.
Possible Scenario:
- I miraculously manage to take Step 1 by late July/early August (and get a score before Sept 15)
- and then take CK by beginning of September
I would be able to apply on Sept 15 and then update my CK scores by October (or wait until CK gets released and then apply- debatable)
- However I won't have a CS score until much later in the year or possibly until Jan 2018.
Two questions:
1) What are my chances as an IMG for getting interviewed (I will apply to Obgyn + IM as backup). Are they virtually Zero?
2) What is better: trying to apply this year with the current situation and end up not matching, or wait another year to have the complete application?
Keeping in mind that the latter scenario would mean I would have to look at filling 2 gap years.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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[CharlieBillings]

Wow I didn't even know you could get through med school without taking at least step 1.

 

[Señor Científico]

taking 2 gap years off sounds terrible, but so does blowing a bunch of money applying as an IMG with no scores yet.
Do you at least have clinical experience from U.S. rotations/rec letters from U.S. practicing physicians? Because without those your application isn't even worth submitting.

 

[673441]

Hello everyone, I am an IMG looking at the possibility of applying to the 2018 Match.
I graduate medical school this May. I have not taken any USMLE exams yet, so bare with me please.
Possible Scenario:
- I miraculously manage to take Step 1 by late July/early August (and get a score before Sept 15)
- and then take CK by beginning of September
I would be able to apply on Sept 15 and then update my CK scores by October (or wait until CK gets released and then apply- debatable)
- However I won't have a CS score until much later in the year or possibly until Jan 2018.
Two questions:
1) What are my chances as an IMG for getting interviewed (I will apply to Obgyn + IM as backup). Are they virtually Zero?
2) What is better: trying to apply this year with the current situation and end up not matching, or wait another year to have the complete application?
Keeping in mind that the latter scenario would mean I would have to look at filling 2 gap years.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Priority one is step one. After you pass, and do substantially better than the US cohort, take step two (rinse and repeat). There is zero chance your application will even be looked at without competitive scores in both. Good luck


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[IMGobgynwannabe]

taking 2 gap years off sounds terrible, but so does blowing a bunch of money applying as an IMG with no scores yet.
Do you at least have clinical experience from U.S. rotations/rec letters from U.S. practicing physicians? Because without those your application isn't even worth submitting.

Hello Señor, thank you for your reply. Yes I have taken 1 Sub-I in the states but it was in critical care and not ob/gyn, and I was able to get 2 rec letters from ICU physicians.
If I apply this year I want to spend the rest of it after applying doing observerships and maybe try to get more valuable letters.
What do you think?

 

[IMGobgynwannabe]

Priority one is step one. After you pass, and do substantially better than the US cohort, take step two (rinse and repeat). There is zero chance your application will even be looked at without competitive scores in both. Good luck


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Thank you for your reply. I guess you are right and it is pretty straightforward. I guess it is tough when trying to decide for one's self when so much is at stake, and just the possibility of saving 1 year seems so glorious.
In case I apply and don't match, aside from the devastating monetary loss, would that have such a negative impact on matching later?
thanks

 

[IMGobgynwannabe]

Wow I didn't even know you could get through med school without taking at least step 1.

Hello Charlie, I think passing step 1 is a US requirement for going from preclinical to clinical years, however it is not a requirement for other countries.

 

[673441]

Thank you for your reply. I guess you are right and it is pretty straightforward. I guess it is tough when trying to decide for one's self when so much is at stake, and just the possibility of saving 1 year seems so glorious.
In case I apply and don't match, aside from the devastating monetary loss, would that have such a negative impact on matching later?
thanks

Our life is a perpetual sequence of "piles." You're in the AMG or IMG pile, 230+ or <230 pile, applied first time or reapplicant pile. Decreasing the cards stack against you is in your best interests. So yes, it will negatively affect you.


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[WedgeDawg]

Hello Charlie, I think passing step 1 is a US requirement for going from preclinical to clinical years, however it is not a requirement for other countries.

This is not true

 

[Lexdiamondz]

Hello everyone, I am an IMG looking at the possibility of applying to the 2018 Match.
I graduate medical school this May. I have not taken any USMLE exams yet, so bare with me please.
Possible Scenario:
- I miraculously manage to take Step 1 by late July/early August (and get a score before Sept 15)
- and then take CK by beginning of September
I would be able to apply on Sept 15 and then update my CK scores by October (or wait until CK gets released and then apply- debatable)
- However I won't have a CS score until much later in the year or possibly until Jan 2018.
Two questions:
1) What are my chances as an IMG for getting interviewed (I will apply to Obgyn + IM as backup). Are they virtually Zero?
2) What is better: trying to apply this year with the current situation and end up not matching, or wait another year to have the complete application?
Keeping in mind that the latter scenario would mean I would have to look at filling 2 gap years.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The likelihood of getting interviewed as an IMG who has already graduated with only Step 1 and no letters or clinical experience from an OB-GYN program with a US residency are effectively zero.

 

[bannie22]

I would take a gamble. Whats there to lose?

 

[Señor Científico]

Hello Señor, thank you for your reply. Yes I have taken 1 Sub-I in the states but it was in critical care and not ob/gyn, and I was able to get 2 rec letters from ICU physicians.
If I apply this year I want to spend the rest of it after applying doing observerships and maybe try to get more valuable letters.
What do you think?

I think the best thing to do would be to reach out to a program director, maybe ask your school for help with starting that conversation, and get their opinion on this matter. Also, start studying for Step1 now. Keep in mind, you'll need an exceptional score as an IMG.

Although having US physicians write rec letters is a good first step, I think it'd be foolish to apply without letters from people in the field you're applying to. As others have pointed out, you already have a lot stacked against you. Doing observerships while you're applying and trying to get letters is not as advantageous as doing them over the next year, making an impression, getting rec letters, and then applying with all that to help you. Your biggest challenge will be getting an interview invite and there's simply too many qualified applicants to each program for a PD to wait for a letter that might come after you finish an observership.

You're an IMG so everything about this will be harder. I'd spend the next year devoted to transforming yourself into the best applicant you can imagine. Take all the Steps (including Step 3), get great letters in your field, and if possible write something (case reports, review, research article, poster, oral, etc). Match rates for re-applicants are terrible.

 

[Shizy]

Wow I didn't even know you could get through med school without taking at least step 1.

Person is an IMG. Different countries have different national exams. Steps are for US.

 

[neoevolution]

Hello Charlie, I think passing step 1 is a US requirement for going from preclinical to clinical years, however it is not a requirement for other countries.

I think 2+2 med schools usually do this, but now some have 1.5yr preclinical and have Step 1 after starting rotations and other weird combinations, so it can't be an actual accreditation requirement