Worth a shot to apply this cycle?

[Daja]

I am an older IMG and just passed all the USMLEs. I have US citizenship.
But I have no current US clinical experience and hence no LORs. I plan to try to do some rotations this year and probably apply to (Psychiatry or Anesthesiology) residency programs next year. I know I am not in an easy situation, but giving this medical career another chance.
Can anybody tell me if it is a bad idea (apart from the waste of money) to apply in this MATCH cycle without LORs, just to give it a shot? Will the programs just chuck out the applications or could this look bad if I want to apply to the same program next year?
Thanks for any input, the internet is pretty much my only source...

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[GoSpursGo]

Programs will just chuck out your application if they don't have any LORs.

Maybe I've spent too much time on here answering these kinds of questions, but I honestly wonder what kind of miracle you are hoping for by applying with an incomplete application. There are already not enough residency spots for the IMGs who pass everything on the first attempt, have USCE, and solids LORs--why would you think that a program would be interested in an application with less? If you apply, I doubt that you will damage your chances in the future, as it's unlikely they will remember a random person they summarily rejected a year ago for having an incomplete application, but it will definitely be a waste of time and money.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

If you actually have NO LOR's, then your app won't be looked at.

If you have LOR's from your home country, but no US LOR's, then your app will be reviewed but chances are less than ideal.

In any case, you can't really hurt yourself by applying, other than the waste of money.

 

[Daja]

thank you for the info. that is all I wanted to know. Some programs don't specify the number of LORs they require. I have only one old LOR from a US observership that won't help. I will seek opportunities for clinical experience and probably not waste any money applying until I have that experience and the full 3 LORs.
R'Amen

 

[Psychiatrist wannabe]

Is there any way around this? Unfortunately, I just noticed today that I forgot to assign my LORs. I know-incredibly stupid! Should I apply for more programs? Should I withdraw and reapply for the programs? It would be very expensive but if my applications have all been chucked already what else is there to do?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Is there any way around this? Unfortunately, I just noticed today that I forgot to assign my LORs. I know-incredibly stupid! Should I apply for more programs? Should I withdraw and reapply for the programs? It would be very expensive but if my applications have all been chucked already what else is there to do?

You are making no sense.

You simply assign LORs. Programs that previously screened out your app due to lack of LOR's will now see it. We've had barely a week to review apps, there's no way any program has stopped looking. You can't withdraw and reapply, and there's no need to. And there's no way to do it. And if there is a way to do it, it won't help you. Because you don't really have a problem.

 

[Psychiatrist wannabe]

Admittedly I have zero experience with this, but in my mind your side of the match process looks like an electronic version of "Hoarders" with the giant dump trucks waiting to haul away all the applications of idiots who are guilty of a long list of fatal flaws. How else can you deal with suge huge numbers of applications? I was under the impression that an incomplete application would just go straight to the delete dumptruck without being viewed. So if the program already deleted me, do they have to delete me again when I attach the LORs? (Which of course is already done now.)

Thank you for shedding some light. This process is incredibly intense. Every flaw feels fatal to the process. There are more than enough perfect applicants out there so it's not hard to imagine my mistake costing me the match.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Here's how it works: I personally decide what a "complete" application looks like. Perhaps it's an ERAS app, USMLE scores, 3 LOR's, a transcript, and a personal statement. This is completely up to me, I can define it any way I want. I do this in a filter, and I ask ERAS to show me the apps that meet thos criteria. I can get fancier -- I might first look at all the US MD's with those characteristcis, and then US DO's, and then IMG's. I could ask it to show me IMG's that have some experience / connection to my state or surrounding states. I could ask it to show me everyone with a middle initial of X. Whatever.

ERAS then shows me all of the applications that meet whatever criteria I've set. I can then read through them, and decide what to do. I might reject them, or put them on the list of invites, or onto a waitlist, or any number of other choices (I could have as many "bins" to put them in as I want). Then, I tell ERAS to send an invite email to everyone I want, or a reject email, or whatever.

If your application is incomplete, I simply don't see it. It doesn't get rejected. It doesn't go onto a trash heap. I simply don't see it at all, unless I ask ERAS to show me all of the incomplete applications (again, defined any way I want). So, if you forgot to attach your LOR's I simply won't see your application. Once you attach them, the next time I run a filter that would include you, your application will be there for me to review. Your LOR's will have dates on them, so I will see they were a few days late. Will that matter? I have no idea. For me, it doesn't -- I have 1000's of apps to review. Other PD's may decide that if your app wasn't totally complete on 9/15, they are not considering you at all. That's their choice. But nothing you do now can change any of that, and I expect it won't matter much.

Note that my filter might include S1 score >= 230. if your score is 229, I'll never see your application at all, no matter when your LOR's are submitted. But, again, this is nothing you have any control over. What's done is done.

 

[Psychiatrist wannabe]

Thank you for explaining all that. Very enlightening.

 

[Dr27th]

Here's how it works: I personally decide what a "complete" application looks like. Perhaps it's an ERAS app, USMLE scores, 3 LOR's, a transcript, and a personal statement. This is completely up to me, I can define it any way I want. I do this in a filter, and I ask ERAS to show me the apps that meet thos criteria. I can get fancier -- I might first look at all the US MD's with those characteristcis, and then US DO's, and then IMG's. I could ask it to show me IMG's that have some experience / connection to my state or surrounding states. I could ask it to show me everyone with a middle initial of X. Whatever.

ERAS then shows me all of the applications that meet whatever criteria I've set. I can then read through them, and decide what to do. I might reject them, or put them on the list of invites, or onto a waitlist, or any number of other choices (I could have as many "bins" to put them in as I want). Then, I tell ERAS to send an invite email to everyone I want, or a reject email, or whatever.

If your application is incomplete, I simply don't see it. It doesn't get rejected. It doesn't go onto a trash heap. I simply don't see it at all, unless I ask ERAS to show me all of the incomplete applications (again, defined any way I want). So, if you forgot to attach your LOR's I simply won't see your application. Once you attach them, the next time I run a filter that would include you, your application will be there for me to review. Your LOR's will have dates on them, so I will see they were a few days late. Will that matter? I have no idea. For me, it doesn't -- I have 1000's of apps to review. Other PD's may decide that if your app wasn't totally complete on 9/15, they are not considering you at all. That's their choice. But nothing you do now can change any of that, and I expect it won't matter much.

Note that my filter might include S1 score >= 230. if your score is 229, I'll never see your application at all, no matter when your LOR's are submitted. But, again, this is nothing you have any control over. What's done is done.

Hi Program Director,
I’m a non US IMG who was told by an attending that if I selected both H1b and J1 visa options on my application, I would be filtered out by programs that don’t sponsor H1b. Is this true? After all, I selected J1 (which the program accepts/sponsors) and would be fine with either visa.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Hi Program Director,
I’m a non US IMG who was told by an attending that if I selected both H1b and J1 visa options on my application, I would be filtered out by programs that don’t sponsor H1b. Is this true? After all, I selected J1 (which the program accepts/sponsors) and would be fine with either visa.

This is simply wrong. I just tested it.

When I tell ERAS "show me everyone who would accept a J visa", it shows me anyone who chose a J visa in addition to any other visa types -- so I see people who selected J and H or just J.

When I tell ERAS "show me everyone who would not accept a J visa", the only people it excludes are those who chose J as their only choice.

You are fine.

 

[Dr27th]

This is simply wrong. I just tested it.

When I tell ERAS "show me everyone who would accept a J visa", it shows me anyone who chose a J visa in addition to any other visa types -- so I see people who selected J and H or just J.

When I tell ERAS "show me everyone who would not accept a J visa", the only people it excludes are those who chose J as their only choice.

You are fine.

Thank you!