IMG Internal Medicine Applicants - Match 2020

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Doc-Res said:
Matched at my #1 Mount SInai St Luke's !! :love:

****FOR FUTURE APPLICANTS***

The difference in my application :
- Step 3
- Better LoRs(I THINK SO!)
- Personal Statement: more concise. describing Why the program, why Internal Medicine, Why me
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When you mention why the program, do you mean that you wrote a personal statement tailored to each program you applied to?
And How would one go about getting better LoRs as an IMG who is no longer a student and can't do new electives?
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Also a lot fo programs state that they want LoRs that aren't a year older, I mean how can we manage that? Right now everything is closed for observerships and I don't have unlimited funds to go do observerships for new letters. Plus I already have LoRs from clinical electives, surely those are better than letters from observerships.
 
NeuroMaster316 said:
When you mention why the program, do you mean that you wrote a personal statement tailored to each program you applied to?
And How would one go about getting better LoRs as an IMG who is no longer a student and can't do new electives?
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You should not write a personal statement for every program you apply to. That’s a ridiculously bad idea.
 
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NeuroMaster316 said:
Also a lot fo programs state that they want LoRs that aren't a year older, I mean how can we manage that? Right now everything is closed for observerships and I don't have unlimited funds to go do observerships for new letters. Plus I already have LoRs from clinical electives, surely those are better than letters from observerships.
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I know right now everything is closed but I paid for hands on externships to get 2 new letters after I graduated. You can also have your old letter writers reupload the same old letter with a new date.
 
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NeuroMaster316 said:
When you mention why the program, do you mean that you wrote a personal statement tailored to each program you applied to?
And How would one go about getting better LoRs as an IMG who is no longer a student and can't do new electives?
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I wrote one PS and then modified one paragraph where I explained why I was interested in that particular program. I did this for my top programs .
Regarding LoRs, I did several months of paid rotations, later on I met a Dr. who put me in contact with other physicians who allowed me to work with them. I also reached out to several free clinics in my area. One of them took me in.There I had the opportunity to work with a physician that became a great mentor and wrote me a very good letter. You can also look for observerships, although many people argue they are not worth it. I did one with the Harrington program and got a good LoR.
 
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Zinzu said:
My best friend matched with med -preliminary.Is it difficult to get PGY2 after complete PGY1 other place ? Because that program dosen't have any extra PGY2 position.
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It's difficult but not impossible. My friend and colleague matched a few seasons ago to a preliminary IM program. During the next season, he applied to the match again and unfortunately didn't match. However, during the SOAP of that season, he received a phone interview from an IM program in a different state. He accepted and started PGY-2 right away, bypassing the first year.
 
Is 1600/ month rent too expensive for a take home salary of 3400 after taxes monthly
 
Reperfused said:
For some reason I had this misconception in my mind that doing intern year twice was not possible because of funding issues? I think I read somewhere that acgme has problems funding for an intern year twice for the same person. I thought if someone who did prelim IM and still wanted to do categorical IM, the only way would be to find a PGY2 spot the next year. But looks like this theory was absolutely wrong.

However, please elaborate on this funding issue if someone has any knowledge about it. Thanks
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You can absolutely get a PGY-2 IM spot after completing a prelim year.

BafferTaffer said:
Prelim year comes with 4 years of funding vs. categorical PGY 1 one comes with 3 year of funding
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No, this is not correct. If you match only to TY, your IRP is not set, gets set when you start training in your next field but the 1 year "counts". If you match only prelim IM you get 3 years, and prelim GS 5 years.
 
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hopefull IM Candidate said:
canadians do not need visas.
we need Ds-2019 and some nice Yankee on the boarder crossing to tell us come in.
hopefully, the CBP will be notified that alien Phycisian are considered essential cross border workers ...
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what are you talking about? we need the statement of need to be issued to ECFMG. Who then gives us the DS and then we get the j1 visa
 
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ariashi100 said:
Is 1600/ month rent too expensive for a take home salary of 3400 after taxes monthly
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Honestly it depends on you, safety is a concern, location, distance, internet access , groceries, garage needed? ( cleaning up snow, half hour defog every morning in winter) all this matters and will add up. I will be glad to spend the extra money for distance, convenience, safety. and comfort
 
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Is there a deadline for submitting statement of need (SoN) fro J1 applicants? Due to current circumstances there are delays in my country
 
KarenGhazi said:
Is there a deadline for submitting statement of need (SoN) fro J1 applicants? Due to current circumstances there are delays in my country
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I think your program coordinator will be able to help you the best regarding this.
 
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Anyone applying for statement of need from India? Don't know when to apply due to lockdown till April 30
 
Has anyone’s application been reviewed by ecfmg yet?
Also for the ones who the answer is no for, do you have “application submitted, in queue foe review” on their application?
 
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IMG20192020 said:
Has anyone’s application been reviewed by ecfmg yet?
Also for the ones who the answer is no for, do you have “application submitted, in queue foe review” on their application?
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Once you submit all your documents and your SON, ECFMG will update your profile in 1-2 weeks.
 
Hi Guys, Congrats to everyone, i hope this is the right place to post this, if not im terribly sorry, i dont know where else to go. Here are my stats:
Step 1: 225
Step 2 CK: 242
Step 2 CS: Pass
All first attempt.
Some research experience but no pubs.
2 Months USCE, 1 hands on elective at UNC and one Observership at a private clinic, 2 Strong US LORS, 2 From home country
Im still in Med School, i graduate in 2 weeks and i'm planning on applying to IM this year. My questions are, What are my chances? and what can i do to improve my application? I know my step scores are not too good but how can i offset this? also how many programs should i apply to?

Thank you so much for your help.
 
DrBigStan said:
Hi Guys, Congrats to everyone, i hope this is the right place to post this, if not im terribly sorry, i dont know where else to go. Here are my stats:
Step 1: 225
Step 2 CK: 242
Step 2 CS: Pass
All first attempt.
Some research experience but no pubs.
2 Months USCE, 1 hands on elective at UNC and one Observership at a private clinic, 2 Strong US LORS, 2 From home country
Im still in Med School, i graduate in 2 weeks and i'm planning on applying to IM this year. My questions are, What are my chances? and what can i do to improve my application? I know my step scores are not too good but how can i offset this? also how many programs should i apply to?

Thank you so much for your help.
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Apply to as many as you can afford, and more so IMG friendly programs. I wouldn't waste money on yale, stanford etc. You would rather get too much interviews which you can cancel instead of not getting enough and adding more programs midway. 300+ if you can afford it, most of my friends including myself was 250+

225 isn't bad, you can match with that, plus your step 2 is high . You also need to be doing something while you're applying. Schools like to see you're still proactive, you can't just be applying and doing nothing. I would try to get more USCE during this time while you're applying and you can talk about that during your interviews.
 
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Thanks for all the replies, its all very helpful info, i forgot to mention im a non-US IMG requiring a visa which is probably a huge red flag.
 
DrBigStan said:
Thanks for all the replies, its all very helpful info, i forgot to mention im a non-US IMG requiring a visa which is probably a huge red flag.
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Don't concern yourself with what you can't change, it'll only add depression and anxiety. In your personal statement and interviews just try to point out what you already have ( strengths) and work with that. Can't undo anything up to this point, only thing you can do is continue to improve on yourself
 
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pengear0011 said:
Don't concern yourself with what you can't change, it'll only add depression and anxiety. In your personal statement and interviews just try to point out what you already have ( strengths) and work with that. Can't undo anything up to this point, only thing you can do is continue to improve on yourself
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You're absolutely right. Thank you so much for this.
 
DrBigStan said:
Thanks for all the replies, its all very helpful info, i forgot to mention im a non-US IMG requiring a visa which is probably a huge red flag.
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it’s really not that big of a deal. Most img friendly places don’t have a problem supporting visas since many of their residents will need them. Your main focus as mentioned above will be applying to at least 200 img friendly IM programs. Your scores are enough to match just fine.

I was in a similar position last year and they will ask you how you’ve stayed relevant in the medical field since grad so make sure to volunteer, study for step 3 (it’s not necessary though to take it, I didn't) or whatever you can to keep your med knowledge fresh. It doesn’t matter so much what you do to stay current just have something you are passionate about to say when they ask.

edit: just noticed the 2 months US experience. Some places I saw required 3 and some maybe 6 months (I’m a Caribbean grad so I don’t remember exact numbers). I would look into that and as also mentioned above try and get at least another month or 2 under your belt.
 
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H1B vs J1 for international US senior?
Hey all,

This is probably the wrong place to be asking this question, but I am a current MS3, non-US citizen (Indian) US senior from a mid-tier allopathic medical school, applying in the 2021 match. Slightly above avg stats compared to other US seniors.

My school has absolutely no resources for internationals, and I have heard many conflicting pieces of advice on H1B vs J1 visa when applying to residency.

I am looking to do IM probably with a fellowship after, and currently have no marriage plans, though I'm in a serious long-term relationship with a green-card holder who is due for citizenship in 2 years. Moreover, he got a job in NYC and so while I will be applying broadly, I will focus a lot of my applications on NY-NJ area. I know asking for H1B will definitely hurt my chances of securing a position, but many IMGs have advised me to not take the J1 as the waiver is very limiting in where you can practice and how much you get paid. I am very passionate about helping the underserved, but I do not want the waiver to disrupt my life, for example, if I start a family by then and cannot move. I also heard the community service requirement is not waived even if I do get married and become a green-card holder.

Which visa should I pick, and why? If you all end up recommending one visa type vs another, should I still apply to programs that offer both J1 and H1B?
Thank you all so much for your time and help!

tl;dr: An Indian US allopathic senior applying for IM in the 2021 match on the east coast asking about H1B vs J1 visa.
 
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doctorinthesky said:
H1B vs J1 for international US senior?
Hey all,

This is probably the wrong place to be asking this question, but I am a current MS3, non-US citizen (Indian) US senior from a mid-tier allopathic medical school, applying in the 2021 match. Slightly above avg stats compared to other US seniors.

My school has absolutely no resources for internationals, and I have heard many conflicting pieces of advice on H1B vs J1 visa when applying to residency.

I am looking to do IM probably with a fellowship after, and currently have no marriage plans, though I'm in a serious long-term relationship with a green-card holder who is due for citizenship in 2 years. Moreover, he got a job in NYC and so while I will be applying broadly, I will focus a lot of my applications on NY-NJ area. I know asking for H1B will definitely hurt my chances of securing a position, but many IMGs have advised me to not take the J1 as the waiver is very limiting in where you can practice and how much you get paid. I am very passionate about helping the underserved, but I do not want the waiver to disrupt my life, for example, if I start a family by then and cannot move. I also heard the community service requirement is not waived even if I do get married and become a green-card holder.

Which visa should I pick, and why? If you all end up recommending one visa type vs another, should I still apply to programs that offer both J1 and H1B?
Thank you all so much for your time and help!

tl;dr: An Indian US allopathic senior applying for IM in the 2021 match on the east coast asking about H1B vs J1 visa.
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I’m by no means an expert in this area but I’ll throw in my 2 cents in case it’s helpful. I would definitely apply to places regardless of type of visa they offer because nothing is worse than going unmatched. When you go to rank then you can think about how important the H1B is to you. It’s not unusual to ask a program about the visas they offer when you interview there so that’s when you will know what they offer and how willing they are to offer H1B.

Since you are a US senior I’m not sure if this still applies to you but imgs need to have passed step 3 to qualify for H1B as far as I know. H1B are also notorious for being harder to get because programs would rather go for a J1. Although imo if a program were willing to give an H1B I think they would be more likely to go the extra mile for a US senior. I haven’t heard from my friends on a J1 that is hurts their job prospect chances but I honestly don’t know for sure. They told me the J1 return of service waiver means you must practice in a underserved area in the US For 3 years but that many places in the US qualify (again this is just what I heard and by no means fact).

One thing I do know is you cannot apply for a green card until all conditions on your visa are met (either 2 year return of service or 3 year waiver serving underserved place in the US).
 
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Any Canadian planning on crossing the border next week?
 
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Pearlp said:
Any Canadian planning on crossing the border next week?
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Next to next.

As I understand it, flights are currently operating between US and Canada.
Also, US customs are allowing DS2019 holders to cross the border.
 
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AnalisCanalis said:
Program filed almost a month ago but no news yet. I think it’s going to be a while, and I honestly don’t anticipate starting on time.
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A few people in my program applied for H1b Visas and recently received them. Maybe you still stand a chance!
 
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Is anyone aware of whether Zucker SOM at Hofstra/Northwell Health at Lenox Hill gives H1B visa? I cannot find clear info on their website. Thanks!
 
Are there any fellow european/brazilian/chinese FMGs in here? Any thoughts on how to deal with the travel ban?
 
AnalisCanalis said:
Are there any fellow european/brazilian/chinese FMGs in here? Any thoughts on how to deal with the travel ban?
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As physicians we have an exception to PP. When you get your visa, the US embassy should inform the authorities and your exception should be also noted on your visa.
 
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Virgo32 said:
Is there still a travel ban? When are you going to start? Did you get the visa?
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Yes the ban is still in place. The visa petition pulled through so hopefully I can start soon enough provided I can get an emergency appointment at the embassy.
DocSpy332 said:
As physicians we have an exception to PP. When you get your visa, the US embassy should inform the authorities and your exception should be also noted on your visa.
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Good to know. Do you mind telling (either here or in PM) which country this applied for?
 
How can I get guidance on preparing for US residency match?

Sent from my GM1901 using Tapatalk
 
AnalisCanalis said:
Are there any fellow european/brazilian/chinese FMGs in here? Any thoughts on how to deal with the travel ban?
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Hi colleague. I'm from Schengen :)

I got an emergency appointment but my J-1 visa got refused due to due to suspension of routine visa services. The DOS issued a statement (after Brazil was added to the travel ban) that J-1 visa applicants are per automatic considered to be invited to the U.S to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 and the ECFMG issued a letter of support. Will try to bring this to the embassy now and see if it changes their mind.

Other than that, my life is completely ruined at the moment but luckily the program I matched into seem flexible regarding starting dates and have been incredibly supportive. How are you dealing with it?

Have a nice day :)
 
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DrJacobsen said:
Hi colleague. I'm from Schengen :)

I got an emergency appointment but my J-1 visa got refused due to due to suspension of routine visa services. The DOS issued a statement (after Brazil was added to the travel ban) that J-1 visa applicants are per automatic considered to be invited to the U.S to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 and the ECFMG issued a letter of support. Will try to bring this to the embassy now and see if it changes their mind.

Other than that, my life is completely ruined at the moment but luckily the program I matched into seem flexible regarding starting dates and have been incredibly supportive. How are you dealing with it?

Have a nice day :)
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seems to be across residencies.... Many of our residents are starting 3-4 months late without issues
beyond that... im not so sure what they will do
 
Anyone here still waiting on their H1b petition? If so do you know how you are going to go about justifying that your petition should be issued in the national interest given the new order?
 
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