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Post by Admin on Apr 26, 2016 15:33:15 GMT -4
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Post by Joseph Tosto on Apr 27, 2016 10:41:27 GMT -4
I found this article to be very interesting and informative. It is important for an IMG to understand the statistics when i comes to matching in the US. With only fifty percent of IMG matching on their first attempt, it is crucial for any IMG student to do everything possible to standout and make them a better candidate. I thought it was interesting that ninety-four percent of US graduates match on their first attempt, but it makes sense that when US hospitals hire, they want a student who was trained in the US. Unfortunately, I think that this is a little unfair because many Caribbean schools have great reputations for providing higher education and many IMG students perform better than US graduates. Also, there is a lot more of applicants who apply to medical schools in the US each year than there are spots available to accept students. Thus, these students turn to alternative options. I believe when employers hire, they shouldn't just throw out an applicants application because they are from the Caribbean. Instead, every student should be looked at as an equal initially because a student may not have performed as well in college but have performed at a higher level in medical school.
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Post by Tanu Thakur on Apr 27, 2016 10:53:33 GMT -4
There is a rage around the world to get into U.S residency because the quality of education and experience is great. Being a foreign graduate myself, it seems unfair that medical graduates are favored for their language skills and whether they are U.S graduates or not. The solution that comes up in my mind is that language can be worked upon after getting into residency. A chance into residency must be given for those who have worked hard to get into it. A certain period of time should be given to the residents to work on their language. They are doctors willing to work as much as it takes, so why not fix the language problem as well. I also understand that U.S graduates are an investment and that the U.S government would like to invest into their own students. Keeping that in mind, I think the quality can deteriorate, not that the U.S graduates aren't good enough but there is no influx of variety in students. As U.S graduates know that getting through isn't a great ordeal, they happen to do not so well on their tests, which makes them laid back. Considering this, it is detrimental for their knowledge base itself. Instead a score target should be kept for U.S graduates if they would want a particular residency that equates the scores of foreign students, so that it is fair, and none of the doctors are relaxed with the entire process.
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Post by Cecilia Frett on Apr 27, 2016 16:45:14 GMT -4
Although I find the article informative, I am very reluctant to accept the information. I believe that although statistics show that fewer IMGs obtain residency, each student is responsible for his/her career. To my fellow classmates: Please do not be discouraged, take the information and work against it. Yes, culture and tradition favors American graduates, but I believe that the change in America’s demographics will force medicine to evolve. In order for medicine to be successful, it must reflect the population it serves via ethnic, cultural and social standards. This change may occur slowly, but at least it will occur – giving IMGs more opportunity.
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Bisola Fakorede (BF)
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Post by Bisola Fakorede (BF) on Apr 27, 2016 18:58:36 GMT -4
Okay, I'm officially scared after reading this article. Don't get me wrong, I'm not oblivious of the fact that IMGs get the shorter end of the stick/ have it harder with regards to getting residency slots, reading the article just seemed to make the reality more vivid. The thought that they feel the IMGs aren't smart enough bothers me. I understand that it is somewhat expected that U.S medical graduates will be preferred by most hospitals in the U.S, however I wish a much more significant amount of opportunity than the current one be given to IMGs and FMGs. I can only imagine the tension and the mental stress I will experience when it finally gets to that moment for me. Hopefully the stress and tachycardia I'll inevitably experience while waiting for my match result will be worth it in the end.
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Post by Tanya Joseph on Apr 27, 2016 20:23:23 GMT -4
After reading such an article, it makes you look back and wonder, whether the decision you made to attend school outside the U.S was the best option. Well according to this article, it maybe wasn't the best choice. It's not just related to residency though. A lot which goes on in society today is on a 'who knows you' basis or class or prestige. It has been that way ever since, and it still is today. Sad isn't it. But I still think that hard work pays off and each student should strive for the best. Of course, people are more open to their own. So it's not surprising that U.S medical graduates have very little to worry about when it comes to residency. But more should be done to accommodate other students. It's the same material and the same techniques that are taught, isn't it? Of course it is!! We all learnt that the heart has four chambers regardless of the school!!! Hopefully, in this diverse day and age that we live in, things will become better for IMGs and FMGs; and there will be much more opportunities. There are many brilliant students who are not U.S. medical graduates. There are also many students who can perform and bring excellence to the table who are not U.S. medical graduates. Don't be discouraged. Be optimistic when looking into the future.
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Post by Keyvan Amini on Apr 27, 2016 23:38:59 GMT -4
This article was an interesting read in regards to matching prospects of the medical students. It gave an excellent insight into the differences in matching rate discrepancy between US medical students and IMG/FMGs. What grabbed my attention was the inability of the residency programs to provide a reasonable cause for their prejudice against IMGs. It is true that IMGs initially did not enter the American medical schools due to a variety of reasons, one of which could be low undergraduate performance, but it is also a fact that all IMGs must go through the same USMLE board examinations; the exact same exams taken by US medical students. A 97% match rate for US medical student means that individuals with low scores on board examinations have a very high chance of getting accepted into one or more programs while an IMG who may have performed well above US average on the same exams only has a 50% chance. This leaves me wondering, what is the point of USMLE examination? Is it not the purpose of the exam to equalize all students and judge all on the merit of the cumulative knowledge of the medical field? Yes, our "do nothing" Congress must increase the number of residency spots to accommodate the rise in medical students, but in my opinion the residency programs are at bigger fault in this.
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Post by Mario F Vigil on Apr 27, 2016 23:46:59 GMT -4
The whole process of trying to get into US residency is long, expensive, and tiring for many IMGs. As a medical student matching next year I find this article frightening! I think that IMG's that finished their clinical training in the US and completed all Step examinations have proven they are as knowledgeable as their US counterparts and qualified to be physicians. There is no reason to keep these people away from practicing medicine in the US, especially if there is a high demand for new physicians.
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Post by Laura Hoppe on Apr 28, 2016 10:08:05 GMT -4
Although informative, this article doesn’t supply any new information, or information that any prospective IMG hasn’t heard 100 times from their Dean. However, this doesn’t make the information in this article any less disheartening. At least from my perspective, I don’t think I ever knew how brutal the fight was for residency slots when I was a first year medical student. As a first year I was more preoccupied with passing my classes and doing well on the dreaded step 1. Although I had done a fair amount of research about Caribbean medical schools and talked to several individuals that had attended Caribbean medical schools, I still don’t think I knew how brutal and exhausting the fight was going to be. The fight goes beyond USMLE step 1, it is getting respect, finding research opportunities (to bolster your application) when your US counterparts have research already build into their curriculum, and of course the opportunity to match at the program of our choice. Although I can say this article is just about us IMG, or those individuals that when an unorthodox route to become doctors, but that would be wrong. What is more of a crime is the harm that this low match rate is doing to the US people. If congress doesn’t open up more residency positions it won’t be just IMGs that are suffering, but patients that would get the care that they need, or will have to wait weeks/months to get that care. Change needs to happen, however I am not sure if it will be in time for IMGs in the current battle.
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edms3
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by edms3 on Apr 28, 2016 10:39:59 GMT -4
It is a terrifying thought that after doing four years of medical school training, spending endless hours studying for all three steps that when it is finally your turn to match, you don't. How does one cope with this. We all secretly pray and bust our behinds trying to make an impression on someone who may be able to help us get a residency somewhere. At the same time, you read how scarce doctors are and the crucial need there will be in the future. Does this make any sense? As an IMG, which according to this article, we are not favored very much, I am truly worried. What the article did not mention is that many IMG's have previous careers before they decided to go back to school. Many of my friends were former nurses, pharmacist and I, myself am a physician assistant. For me the thought of having to do four years of med school was an overwhelming thought when I had already been in my former career for fifteen years and doing quite well. I decided to go back because I love what I do and wanted to do it at a higher and more sophisticated level only to find out I may not be able to get into the residency of my choice or any for that matter.
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Omer Sheikh, MS3, AUA
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Post by Omer Sheikh, MS3, AUA on Apr 28, 2016 10:43:55 GMT -4
The National Residency Match Program, that matches hopeful residents with residency programs of in their preferred (ideally) speciality and choice of hospital is a grueling and inefficient process that is universally disliked. Although most American grads, approximately 94% are matched via this process and an additional 3% will be able to secure a residency via the scrambling process, the remaining few that failed to secure a residency will often match the following year when they reapply with more realistic expectations. But non american grads find it far more difficult to secure a residency. Even though the article sites the 50% match rate statistic, this is a far less homogenous mix of students as the bag of AMG students with a far higher match rate. IMG match rates from their respective schools range from a few matching at one school to over 90% at other schools, the bag of IMG students applying for match also includes a lot more students with fails on their Step exams as well as lower average scores. Once adjusting for those data points you find that IMG have a a fairly good chance of matching especially in less competitive specialities and at community hospitals.
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April 26th
Apr 28, 2016 13:33:22 GMT -4
via mobile
Post by Rita J on Apr 28, 2016 13:33:22 GMT -4
I think this article somewhat informative but it is also something that most IMG and FMG already know. American residency is a grueling and tiring process. I also think that this article is discouraging, and makes a person only look at the 50 percent rate and do not even want to apply. On the contrary of the article, I have plenty of family members and friends who are IMG and FMG that have matched. I think it is up to each person how far they are willing to work and not give up on their dreams. I do believe that it is unfair that foreign medical graduate have stigma while we are essential taught by the same books and take the same test. I hope with Obama care going in full effective in 2017, that they will open up more residency spots. I hope they start looking at the candidates as individuals and not what school they attended.
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Post by Clifford Thomas on Apr 28, 2016 18:05:29 GMT -4
I always enjoy reading fear-based articles involving Caribbean medical students and the match process. It's almost akin to watching a horror film where the hero of the story was just brutally murdered. While congress' lack of willingness to fund residency programs is concerning, causing a lovely bottleneck effect driving the quality of healthcare into the ground, what's equally if not more concerning to me, is that Caribbean medical schools exist in the first place. My life has been equitable to a fly tricked into a venus fly trap. Before the Caribbean, I was researching genetics at Notre Dame, and offered a position to obtain a masters or PhD program. With a letter of recommendation from one of the heads of the department, I was a sure shoe-in. Instead I was cajoled by a presentation I saw on a Caribbean medical school, after 2 years of waiting for US schools to reply to my applications, I went for it. Within 1 month, I was in the Caribbean, accumulating debt with the promise of becoming a doctor. What I found was likely over a 50 % attrition rate, sweat and tears, and utter insanity. My passion of helping people and being knowledge driven was stymied by incessant threats of fear which is now iterated here on the boards. My response to this an emotional blunting. I felt absolutely nothing from reading this, I have been struggling through the US educational system since I was a child, now I'm still here, doing the same thing, at the tender age of 32.
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Post by Michelle Parisi on Apr 28, 2016 18:09:49 GMT -4
This is an important article for any US citizen who considers being an IMG. Many undergraduate students that are not accepted into US medical schools or osteopathic schools and still wish to pursue medical careers are encouraged by advisors and recruiters to apply to foreign medical schools not realizing the odds of attaining a residency program afterwards are not in their favor. Another item these recruiters fail to mention are the high attrition rates at Caribbean medical schools. For the future IMGs that have already completed two or more years of their medical studies these statistics are not reassuring and the only practical option is to work hard and persevere.
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Post by AA on Apr 28, 2016 20:36:03 GMT -4
The article is more of an eye opener to the discrepancies in the residency matching process and which works against the IMG's when compared to the FMG's and the US graduates. I do not think it is fair to conclude that majority of IMG students actually fail to secure admission in US medical colleges without considering the number of students that just want to bypass going through the rigors of studying for the MCAT, which is more or less not useful in terms of its application to medical schools/knowledge. Also, the way in which the US system is structured especially when it comes to dealing with foreign professionals has also forced a lot of individuals to go the IMG route instead of wasting away precious time pursuing what might not come to fruition. Even if the residency matching process can not be done on a level playing ground, more considerations should be given to IMG's and FMG's also especially considering the stress and rigors of self-study for all the board examinations.
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