Dear Attendings,
I'm a Canadian student studying at a Caribbean medical school. I really enjoy scrubbing into ortho cases and have developed a passion for orthopaedics.
I understand that being an IMG, it is very difficult for me to match into this competitve field. However I have been applying myself a great deal and really hope to give it a shot. My step 1 score is 258/99, GPA 4.0, one research paper published as the 4th author and one case report pending. Do you have any advice on how to boost my application? I would appreciate it greatly.
Maniac
While I am not an attending, I do know the biggest things you can do at this point are 1) schedule away rotatations at programs you are interested in 2) do well on these rotations (i.e. work hard, be dependable, don't be annoying, know your anatomy, ect.) 3) get strong letters of recommendation from the programs you rotate at, preferably from the PDs or chairs.
Especially in orthopedics, strong performances on elective rotations with strong letters of rec. go a long way since this shows more than scores & grades what kind of a resident you will be. This is coming from 3 chairs that I rotated with.
Also below is a link that shows the statistics on what ortho programs look at in terms of ranking applicants, based on a survey several PDs & chairs filled out.
Hi Guys, thanks for the good advice. I can really work on this.
I have been trying to schedule orthopedic electives, however it is a frustrating process. Most programs won't allow IMGs to rotate. Paradoxically, some programs will accept ECFMG applicants to their residency program, but won't schedule IMGs to rotate through their clerkship. I contacted about ten programs for rotations, so far I only received Nays. A few programs that will schedule an IMG student through their clerkship has no history of ever accepting an IMG into their residency program. I really like ortho and don't mind where I go as long as I can practice orthopedics.
Does anyone know a program that will accept IMGs into both their residency and clerkship?
Being Canadian, have you considered the Canadian programs? They are also very excellent, competitive, and with your Canadian background *maybe* easier to deal with...
Thank you AS. It is an excellent thought. I am planning to apply to both countries to broaden my chances. After a bit of analysis, here's what I came up with.
Although Canadian programs are equally excellent, there are only 80 ortho spots each year compare to over 600 in the US. Since I study at a Caribbean school, I will be considered an IMG to both countries. Each year 2 dozen US ortho spots are offered to IMGs compare to only half a dozen in Canada. So statistically speaking, I still stand a better chance in the US match.
As Segal pointed out, doing well on away rotations is very important. In Canada all residency programs are organized under 17 medical schools. My information might be incomplete, please correct me if I'm wrong. From what I know only 3 schools will consider IMGs for clerkship. McMaster has reached 2010's quota as early as last October. University of Toronto only takes students from January to June. University of Western Ontario has not started their application process yet.
The only option left for me is to rotate at US programs. If anyone know a good place that is willing to open their doors to IMGs, I would much appreciate it. Thanks for all the input from everyone so far. You guys have been very helpful.
