{"id":15554,"date":"2021-01-06T01:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-01-06T01:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/?p=15554"},"modified":"2024-01-17T21:41:45","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T21:41:45","slug":"7-tips-for-international-medical-graduate-residency-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/7-tips-for-international-medical-graduate-residency-application\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips to Strengthen Your Residency Application as an International Medical Graduate in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For medical students, the excitement and anticipation of Match Day is\u2014ironically\u2014unmatched. It\u2019s as if the National Resident Matching Program\u00ae<\/sup> (NRMP\u00ae<\/sup>) combined birthdays, Christmas, the Super Bowl, March Madness, and New Year\u2019s Eve into a single, future-shaping event. The competition is steep for first-year and second-year post-graduate residency candidates. Average match rates for graduates from U.S. medical schools vary by specialty ranging, from 17% in vascular surgery to a high of 71% in pediatrics. And for an International Medical Graduate (IMG) the journey to residency may be even more difficult, <\/strong>as the average match rate for IMGs as a whole hovers at about 55%\u2014meaning IMGs must have stronger applications than U.S. candidates to match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March 2020, the NRMP conducted its biennial survey of the directors of all programs participating in the Main Residency Match\u00ae in order to highlight the key factors program directors use to select applicants to interview and rank for the Match. Of the 661 program directors who responded, only 29% reported they \u201coften\u201d interview and rank U.S. citizen International Medical Graduate in the match. For non-U.S. citizen IMGs, this number dipped to 17%.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decide on your specialty at least one-and-a-half to two years before residency applications are due and begin preparing early.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a release from NRMP, in 2020 the most competitive specialties included integrated plastic surgery, pediatrics, neurological surgery, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, thoracic surgery, and vascular surgery. And, these trends are expected to continue in 2021. For these competitive specialties, preparation\u2014including<\/span> studying for the USMLE\u00ae<\/sup> Step 1<\/span><\/a>, as well as seeking out clinical and research experiences\u2014needs to begin early.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While not an absolute requirement for IMGs applying to residency programs considered not so competitive, putting the same level of enhanced effort into getting into internal medicine or pediatrics will further increase your chances of beating the odds.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Most Important Factors in Determining a Residency Match for International Medical Graduate Candidates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The NRMP regularly collects and reports information from students and program directors about what factors most heavily contribute to a match.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

USMLE Step 1 Scores Continue to be the Number One Contributing Factor<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Step 1 scores are widely considered the exam with the greatest impact on your medical school career and will play an important part in determining the residency programs you match into. As a matter of fact, 90% of residency programs cite Step 1 exam scores as a factor in determining a Match. Furthermore, any failed USMLE attempts heavily detract from your application, with 66% of programs citing this as a factor with an average weight of 4.5\/5.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average scores of residency applicants who matched vary by specialty and applicant status. Matched U.S. IMGs had an average score of 223, and for Non-U.S. IMGs the average score was 234.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The specialty with the lowest average score is family medicine, with an average of 211. The highest is ortho, with an average score of 249. A score of 233 on Step 1 is the mean score at which residency programs \u201cAlmost always grant interviews\u201d. This will be slightly higher for International Medical Graduate candidates, but it is a good place to aim.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Improving Your USMLE Exam Scores<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n