General Surgery advice 2017-2018 match

[yrmd]

Good Morning everyone,

I'm looking for advice about my situation and would appreciate any input.

Im stuck between step 2CK score on time vs 3LORs on time. I'm going to try and have both ready but just in case that doesn't work out, which one is more important for an IMG. Thanks !

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[kemper6036]

Good Morning everyone,

I'm looking for advice about my situation and would appreciate any input.

I'm a US IMG with a dream of matching in general surgery. I had no idea I would like the speciality and was so afraid being the only woman in the OR at my rotation, but it just felt like home and I feel like my work ethic and personality fit very well with the speciality and everyone around me.

My problem is that I will only have one LOR for general surgery when I apply but have a few options. My information includes :

Step 1 240s
US citizen
2 years of clinicals in the US
high gpa in basic and clinical sciences with all honors up to this point including surgery.
No research or publications but working on a case report.

I finish my core rotations in June. My question is what is more important at this point ? Focusing on my step 2ck exam and making sure to score well or doing another general surgery elective and getting more letters.

If I choose the step2 route I will take my exam in July or beginning of August. I can take an elective in August and update my application with the new LORs I receive after applications are submitted. The reason why they would be late is because I would receive the LOR in August or have it submitted by my preceptor but ecfmg takes a while to upload them I believe. Anyone know how long LORs take to show up and be able to be sent to programs ?

Or I can take a GS elective right after my cores at end of June/beginning of July and take step 2 at the end of August or beginning of September with less study time but with 3 GS LOR submitted on time.

I'm so confused and don't know what to do, I wish I had time for both the LORs and step 2ck. Can I meet with some general surgeons and give them my CV and ask for a letter , it won't be a good letter however since all they would know about me is my CV.

honestly you need to do both. as an IMG you want the rest of your app to be as top notch as possible. even though your step 1 score is great, you need to follow it up with a similar or better performance on step 2. less study time doesn't mean you can't do well, you will just need to buckle down. and applying for surgical residency with only 1 letter from a surgeon doesn't seem to be well advised IMHO

 

[yrmd]

honestly you need to do both. as an IMG you want the rest of your app to be as top notch as possible. even though your step 1 score is great, you need to follow it up with a similar or better performance on step 2. less study time doesn't mean you can't do well, you will just need to buckle down. and applying for surgical residency with only 1 letter from a surgeon doesn't seem to be well advised IMHO

Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate your help!

 

[AshNiffler]

you 100% need both.

I'm an IMG
241 step 1
Graduate highest honors
Master's of Public Health
CS- Pass, CK- Step 1 similar
Excellent letters
Excellent Resume
Excellent Interviewer

Applied to every program
6 interviews, matched to backup specialty internal medicine.

General surgery is no joke, and while not impossible to obtain as an IMG, it is very very very very difficult. If your application isn't 100% complete and TOP notch, save your money

Did you need visa sponsorship?