Opinions on re-application for residency

[EzioAuditore88]

Hey everybody,

I am a US citizen that graduated from one of the big four Caribbean medical schools (AUA). I initially started at SGU (another big four Carib school) and transferred over during 2nd year after withdrawing due to poor academic performance. I passed all my board exams on the first attempt - my Step 1 score is 221 and Step 2 CK score is 245. I graduated magna cum laude from AUA recently.

Last year, I applied to 168 IM programs (good mix of academic and community programs) and only ended up getting 4 interviews to rank. I did not have one of my LoRs in and my CS score was received in mid-October. I felt that I had good/great interactions with most (if not all) my interviewers during the season. I did not match last year and, as expected, I was pretty devastated.

I recently started working in a clinical research position at a large ER (with tons of exposure to patients), got ECFMG certified, and am preparing to take Step 3. I was planning on applying to about 250-300 IM programs (and maybe ~100 FM programs). This time, I have all my relevant board exam scores ready (except for Step 3, unfortunately) and all my supporting documents ready to go (including a new LoR).

What do you think my chances of getting more than 10 interviews this season? Do you think I should shift my program selection to favor more FM? I would love to hear your feedback, thank you!

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[rokshana]

Hey everybody,

I am a US citizen that graduated from one of the big four Caribbean medical schools (AUA). I initially started at SGU (another big four Carib school) and transferred over during 2nd year after withdrawing due to poor academic performance. I passed all my board exams on the first attempt - my Step 1 score is 221 and Step 2 CK score is 245. I graduated magna cum laude from AUA recently.

Last year, I applied to 168 IM programs (good mix of academic and community programs) and only ended up getting 4 interviews to rank. I did not have one of my LoRs in and my CS score was received in mid-October. I felt that I had good/great interactions with most (if not all) my interviewers during the season. I did not match last year and, as expected, I was pretty devastated.

I recently started working in a clinical research position at a large ER (with tons of exposure to patients), got ECFMG certified, and am preparing to take Step 3. I was planning on applying to about 250-300 IM programs (and maybe ~100 FM programs). This time, I have all my relevant board exam scores ready (except for Step 3, unfortunately) and all my supporting documents ready to go (including a new LoR).

What do you think my chances of getting more than 10 interviews this season? Do you think I should shift my program selection to favor more FM? I would love to hear your feedback, thank you!

I thought the 4th was Saba...
Probably around a 5-10% return could be expected for someone with no red flags other than being an IMG...but you have red flags....year out, transfer from one Caribbean school to another, meh step 1 (but at least first pass).
Would apply FM as well.

 

[Goro]

I thought the 4th was Saba...
Probably around a 5-10% return could be expected for someone with no red flags other than being an IMG...but you have red flags....year out, transfer from one Caribbean school to another, meh step 1 (but at least first pass).
Would apply FM as well.

Would failing to match/one more delay from YOG be another red flag?
This is probably in Lotto winner category, OP, but an SDNer has reported on an IMG who spent several years in a lab, pumped out a ton of papers, and then managed to match.

 

[EzioAuditore88]

Thank you so much for your responses!

@rokshana I will definitely be adding some FM programs to my application this time as well.

 

[gutonc]

Thank you so much for your responses!

@rokshana I will definitely be adding some FM programs to my application this time as well.

If by "some" you mean "every last one", then it's a good approach.

 

[EzioAuditore88]

@gutonc Would 150-200 FM programs be a good start?

 

[AdmiralChz]

There is a “Big 4” for Carrib? I haven’t heard that...

You have an OK app. Be very flexible and I think it will work out for you - have everything ready to go by ERAS submission date so you don’t miss out.

Apply rural community IM and all over the place FM.

 

[EzioAuditore88]

@AdmiralChz Thanks for the advice, I have pretty much everything ready to go except my personal statements. I'll also be careful when I pick both my IM and FM programs.

 

[bizdr]

Hey everybody,

I am a US citizen that graduated from one of the big four Caribbean medical schools (AUA). I initially started at SGU (another big four Carib school) and transferred over during 2nd year after withdrawing due to poor academic performance. I passed all my board exams on the first attempt - my Step 1 score is 221 and Step 2 CK score is 245. I graduated magna cum laude from AUA recently.

Last year, I applied to 168 IM programs (good mix of academic and community programs) and only ended up getting 4 interviews to rank. I did not have one of my LoRs in and my CS score was received in mid-October. I felt that I had good/great interactions with most (if not all) my interviewers during the season. I did not match last year and, as expected, I was pretty devastated.

I recently started working in a clinical research position at a large ER (with tons of exposure to patients), got ECFMG certified, and am preparing to take Step 3. I was planning on applying to about 250-300 IM programs (and maybe ~100 FM programs). This time, I have all my relevant board exam scores ready (except for Step 3, unfortunately) and all my supporting documents ready to go (including a new LoR).

What do you think my chances of getting more than 10 interviews this season? Do you think I should shift my program selection to favor more FM? I would love to hear your feedback, thank you!

If you are really desperate, apply for a prelim PGY-1 surgical spot. It will kill you, but you get your foot in the door.

 

[EzioAuditore88]

@bizdr That's an interesting idea, I will also explore that, thank you!

 

[bizdr]

@bizdr That's an interesting idea, I will also explore that, thank you!

I went to a Caribbean school, and my friends who couldn't match ended up doing a prelim surgery year. It is a crazy amount of work, with q3 calls all year! But once you finish, you can jump into any residency that needs a prelim year - like Anesthesiology, PM&R, Psych, EM, Radiology. You can even go back for IM or FM. And while you spend the year at the hospital, you can make connections in the programs there. You will likely get one elective month, so you can do it in their Radiology dept - that is what a friend of mine did, and he got a Rad spot the next year in the same hospital.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

I went to a Caribbean school, and my friends who couldn't match ended up doing a prelim surgery year. It is a crazy amount of work, with q3 calls all year! But once you finish, you can jump into any residency that needs a prelim year - like Anesthesiology, PM&R, Psych, EM, Radiology. You can even go back for IM or FM. And while you spend the year at the hospital, you can make connections in the programs there. You will likely get one elective month, so you can do it in their Radiology dept - that is what a friend of mine did, and he got a Rad spot the next year in the same hospital.

Not all prelim spots give an elective rotation. Ours did not.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I think you're somewhere between weak and meh. Being a year out from graduation, and having any hint of poor academic performance on your record is a problem. I think you need to follow @gutonc's advice and apply to every program you can possibly afford to, as each additional year you go unmatched is another huge hit to your chances. If I were you I would make sure you get Step 3 in by rank list time.

Also I've seen several people mention that their clinical research position has "tons of exposure to patients," but you're not applying to med school anymore and simply being "exposed" to patients isn't enough to wow anybody. Residency programs want to know that you can come in and function adequately as the first call provider for your patients on day 1 (with supervision), and there's a huge difference between asking patients to draw an extra tube of blood for research vs making clinical decisions. Of course, if this is the best job you can find, then you have to roll with it.

 

[Dral]

There is a “Big 4” for Carrib? I haven’t heard that...

You have an OK app. Be very flexible and I think it will work out for you - have everything ready to go by ERAS submission date so you don’t miss out.

Apply rural community IM and all over the place FM.

I think the term 'Big 4' refers to the fact that those 4 schools don't have any issues with their graduates doing residency/practicing in any state. The smaller podunks aren't necessarily ok in every state. Like Eastern palm tree avenue medical college university of sunny volcanic caribbean island (EPTAMCUSVCI for short) may not have official accreditation in every state. These smaller schools also cannot get US financial aid iirc. Also, the school might not have consistent electricity supply either, but whatevs.

 

[MediCane2006]

I would focus your application primarily on FM, honestly, with maybe a smattering of rural IM programs.

 

[d2305]

This looks like a program that no one would want to do. Family Medicine Residency Program Background | Family Medicine Residency

 

[Apollyon]

This looks like a program that no one would want to do. Family Medicine Residency Program Background | Family Medicine Residency

True story - people get worked like dogs in HI, as medical residents. And, there are some rather seedy areas - they go to Wahiawa General? There's a strip club right across the street from that hospital!

 

[W19]

Apply to ~200 FM programs... Forget about IM

 

[EzioAuditore88]

Thanks everybody, I will definitely make sure to not lose my focus on applying to FM programs.