CMG Reapplicant

[plasticookies]

Hey All,

I'd appreciate your input on my situation:

I'm a Canadian medical grad (CMG) graduated in 2015, have now gone unmatched twice. I initially tired to match to anesthesia, but had a change of heart and tried matching to PM&R this past cycle. Long story short, PM&R was ridiculously competitive this year in Canada and I guess I just didn't match up to the other candidates. I don't believe I have any red flags in my application. If anything, I think my application is pretty decent, but I have ****ty luck and poor timing. I did a few electives after graduating, so my last clinical experience was Dec 2015.

This whole thing has been a nightmare, but I think I want to try one last application cycle. I'd like to open up my options and apply to the US in the upcoming cycle, but I'm concerned about the timeline.

My plan is to write Step 1 by end of June and step 2 CK by mid-August. I presume that my score will be out mid-Sept, so I won't miss too many programs that are sending out early invites. Does this make sense? If I end up having to push back the Step 2 CK, do you think that I'll have any chance at all of getting interviews for PM&R, family med, or prelim programs? Also, I definitely won't be taking Step 2 CS until October. How much will this affect my application?

Does this sound like a realistic plan at all?

Thanks in advance.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[plasticookies]

I guess the silence means that my plan kinda sucks?

 

[rokshana]

I guess the silence means that my plan kinda sucks?

no i think it means that there aren't a lot of CMGs here.

for the US part, the timings for I and CK are fine but would do CS earlier so the scores are in by the time ERAS is open, meaning June or earlier.

 

[rokshana]

no i think it means that there aren't a lot of CMGs here.

for the US part, the timings for I and CK are fine but would do CS earlier so the scores are in by the time ERAS is open, meaning June or earlier.

but re-evaluate..you didn't match twice...you have red flags...

 

[plasticookies]

but re-evaluate..you didn't match twice...you have red flags...

True. I don't think I can reasonably get CS in before applications open this year though.

What do you think makes more sense then:
1) Apply this year with Step 1 + Step 2 CK scores by mid-Sept
2) Delay by a year, take my time to study, and apply next year with all scores ready (I will be 3 years out...)

 

[Animalcules]

True. I don't think I can reasonably get CS in before applications open this year though.

What do you think makes more sense then:
1) Apply this year with Step 1 + Step 2 CK scores by mid-Sept
2) Delay by a year, take my time to study, and apply next year with all scores ready (I will be 3 years out...)

This is a very individual decision and vastly depends on how well you think you could do on step 1 and 2 on this schedule. If you think you can rock step 1, it seems reasonable. If not, an extra year may save your career options in the US. This may even be more important as you don't seem to have a good home country cushion to fall back on.

I took CS before CK. Saved me a month as Ck reporting is much faster. Three weeks should do the trick to pass CS very comfortably, then you could focus on CK. If scores are back by October 1, you should be fine I think. So I would get CS done now.

Again, all depends on your personal comfort level.

Also, is CMG a class of its own? Soon the French will be claiming FMG, and Indian and Italian grads fighting over IMG. Just never heard the abbreviation.




Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[plasticookies]

I took CS before CK. Saved me a month as Ck reporting is much faster. Three weeks should do the trick to pass CS very comfortably, then you could focus on CK. If scores are back by October 1, you should be fine I think. So I would get CS done now.

Sorry, what do you mean it saved you a month?
So you think that getting in my CS score early is more important than the CK?

Also, is CMG a class of its own? Soon the French will be claiming FMG, and Indian and Italian grads fighting over IMG. Just never heard the abbreviation.

Heh. I would put IMG, but we sort of apply by AMG rules. Although I'm certainly aware that I'm a class below AMG.

 

[Animalcules]

Sorry, what do you mean it saved you a month?
So you think that getting in my CS score early is more important than the CK?

When I took CS, reporting times were about 3 months give or take. I studied for CS first, took it in June, had results back early October. No problem there. Then took CK about a month later, results were back Sept 16. Not sure about CMGs, but for FMGs, CS is important.

 

[gutonc]

Heh. I would put IMG, but we sort of apply by AMG rules. Although I'm certainly aware that I'm a class below AMG.

You're really not. You're essentially an AMG that requires a visa.

 

[rokshana]

Also, is CMG a class of its own? Soon the French will be claiming FMG, and Indian and Italian grads fighting over IMG. Just never heard the abbreviation.

not a separate class per se but Canadian schools are regulated by the LCME as well so they are seen to the equal to USMD school...issue for them is the visa status.

 

[deathvvv]

Ill chime in.

First. This is SDN ERAS forum, not premed 101 carms forum, meaning 99% of people here will not know what CMG means or the difference between competitive specialties are between US and CANADA. I think as a USMD that matched to CARMS this year (also having to apply to ERAS), I can offer some words of advice. But again take my words with grains of salt because I'm basing this on my observations (other people may have different experience).

One of the worst things you can do in fourth year (unfortunately happens quite commonly) is apply to one specialty then change mind at the 11th hour and apply for another. In your case, you applied to two fairly competitive (anesthesia and PM and R) and didn't back up. That is quite ballsy. With carms being more competitive every year not even CARMS is a guarantee for CMG at this point. While your initial cycle may be due to bad luck, your second cycle is more due to poor strategy and decision on your part (no offense, imho ofcourse). As a reapplicant, your match rate is like 70-80%. Most reapplicants I know definitely backed up with family and applied very broadly. But you choosing to go for anesthesia again and also PM &R with an application and reference letters geared towards the former is probably what did you in. If I was a program director, why would I choose somebody who 1) didn't match the first time and 2) application that screams anesthesia over fresh 4th years with great applications? As you said, its a tough year. So even if you had really good letters and rocked the interview it may not be enough. So if you are applying to carms a third time, you better apply to ALL family medicine program across the country. Then apply to PMR/anesthesia. You don't want to go unmatched again.

Good idea applying to the US. So I have good and bad news for you. If you take step 1 step 2 ck have results by September 15th or whenever EARS open this cycle, you should be getting interviews for PMR and family/internal medicine (assuming you score around the mean). As a Canadian applying to US, your odds of matching is somewhere between IMG and AMG (60-80%, like USMG applying to carms success rate lol). You are basically AMG needing visa like previous poster said BUT you do have the disadvantage of not having US clinical experience. While Canadian experience on paper is consider equivalent most program directors will still raise an eyebrow because they know next to nothing about Canada. So not having US clinical experience will be a red flag IMO. I would suggest you get some by contacting your school to see if they can arrage it for you or pay for those private companies like AMERIclerkship to get US clinical experience and more importantly US reference letters. Can you match without it? Sure. But do you really wanna risk going unmatched? I mean as a third time applicant, you already have enough red flag as it is. But again, if you apply early, rock the STEPs, write a really good essay and put in a solid application. You will definitely in something somewhere in the USA. But make sure you figure out the J1 visa issue thats screwing over Canadians/or get H1b visa.

Lastly, not having step 2 cS until october is fine. Just make sure you pass it by the rank order list deadline. You should also write step 3 to get the H1b visa if possible. Not having step 2 cs will filter you out from some programs but not most. Just mention in your essay that you plan to take it ASAP. Anyways, I didn't match to CARMS last year (would have matched for sure in ERAS had I applied, but wanted to go back to Canada) so I know how tough the process is. But just keep pushing and ull get there. You can dig up my story on premed 101. Feel free to contact me there if you have any more questions (I dont check SDN that often) .