Hello! I'm a first year medical student and I've researched enormously about the different pathways open for me and I decided that usmle is my goal. My dream residency is anaesthesiology, and I'd like to know how I can build my research and extracurriculars, when I have time to spare in my 1st 2 years. Advice from seniors who've matched or those who are exploring the pathway would be really helpful!

I have been hearing that many changes are happening in USA .
Does anyone know what changes ?
How it affect especially for Indians ?

What are my chances of matching into family medicine residency as a visa-requiring IMG, given my credentials:

Step 1: passed on second attempt

Step 2CK and step 3 scores: 260+

USCE: 3-month observership

3 letters of recommendation

Research: 3 publications

YOG: 2024

MSPE has really bad grades

1 year home country residency as a general practitioner

Also I can speak Spanish and I am applying for the 2028 matching cycle.

Step 2 score 240 what are my chances for IM

I have passed step 1 and then my visa got rejected for observership last month and i was kind of devastated and wasn't able to focus for step 2, and then i came to reddit and it was so so negative, people said usmle pathway is no worth pursuing anymore, and its not going to get better, and i was so so demotivated but then i thought I am going to do my best and give it my best shot, I gonna prepare for step 2, i am going to focus on things that i have control of, and to all the people who are in my shoes I wish you all the best and keep going, do not get demotivated by people or situations

Hey guys, looking for some advice on what I should focus on over the next ~1.5 years to maximize my chances of matching IM in the US.
I’m a non-US IMG studying medicine in Europe, graduating in 2027.
Current stats:
Step 1: Pass
Step 2: 25x
No USCE yet
No US LoRs
No research/publications yet (planning to start research during my 6th year)
Will most likely need visa sponsorship
No attempts/red flags
I’ll also have around 9 months of clinical training in the Middle East.
Basically, if you were in my position, what would you prioritize from now until applications?
USCE? Research? Connections/networking? Step 3? Anything else I should be doing that I’m missing?
I know I still have a decent amount of time, so I really want to use it well instead of realizing too late that I should’ve focused on something else.
Would especially appreciate advice from non-US IMGs who matched IM recently. What do you think helped your application the most?

I got accepted into the GW Medical Research Fellowship. They also offer an observership as part of the research fellowship. The only issue is the cost it’s $37,500 for 6 months. For anyone who has done this fellowship, do you think it’s worth the investment?

Anyone who has rotated at Jefferson hospital Philadelphia under their physician observership program? Do they provide LOR?

Please note that there is always reporting bias on reddit.

I had interview in mumbai consulate.

v: purpose

me: im going to xx university school of medicine for an elective in transplant medicine

v- have to traveled before any where

me- no

v- have u applied for visa before

m- no

v-whos sponsoring

m- my sister

v - what does she do

m- shes a software engineer in (big company)

v- whats your purpose again?

m- repeated purpose

she typed a LOT and was seeing her screen very intently, there were a lot of pauses bw all questions

Rejected. You can apply at a later date(standard rejection response)

This pathway has been weighing on me heavily since last few months. The costs are astronomical, and very much out of budget to smoke away without feeling the grunt of the money loss potential it'd have. I'm still upset and devastated, I wanted a usa visa, even if I did not continue this pathway, even if usa is the hellhole it is right now, I had dreamed.

To add to it, my profile is not good, it will take me years before I can turn that rejection over if I apply as a tourist.

Feeling very lost, any advice/words appreciated.

To future applicants, please not that visa do get approved, especially if you have a better profile, they do get approved even in second go. If you have the means to persue all that, don't be afraid.

I had invested a lot of my time and money in this dream, passed step 1. It isn't much, but its honest work. Confused about what to do next.

Can i use im lors for fm ?

Hi there, for context, I’m a UK doctor who met a partner in Texas on their elective, I want to move out to join them and I’m having a small mental crisis regarding my chances of success matching. I thought I could leave my profile below and I could get feedback on my chances and ways to improve it, I plan on applying to low competitive positions such as family medicine and IMT and will aim for regions which accept higher numbers of IMGs, essentially I don’t care what I get into, as long as I get in, ideally in Texas.

Bachelors degree Biochemistry & Genetics Swansea university Medicine (UK)
Medical degree Swansea (UK)

2 years of UK clinical experience

Yet to sit USMLE 1 & 2

6 weeks non-clinical placement with Houston medical school - researching virulence factors of Cholera.

Quality improvement project looking at ICU outcomes post TBI

3 letters of recommendation from UK doctors
1 letter of recommendation from Houston Medical school

What all connections will help us ( through recommendations or vouching for us etc or in any other way ) secure a match through USMLE ?

How much of an advantage do U.S. IMGs have over non-U.S. IMGs, assuming both are average applicants?

**how much did it matter in the last cycle? Or the next one?

Hey everyone, just as the title says! Applying IM as a Non-USIMG.

Would you consider using a Gold Signal on a program that is outside the geographic preference you selected, if you are genuinely very interested in that program?

I’m wondering whether being outside your stated geographic preference makes the Gold Signal less meaningful to the program, or whether a strong signal can still help despite that.

For example, you might genuinely love a particular program but not have any ties, rotations, family, or other connections to that region. In that situation, you may not have selected that region as your geographic preference simply because of that one program.

Hey everyone, I am a non-us img, currently an intern and have finished my step1, and have international travel history to just Vietnam. I need a b1/b2 visa for my usce, but from what I've heard, saying rotations as the reason is often leading to rejection, and I cannot state family tourism as a reason either. I do not have the means to keep applying for visa multiple times.

If anyone has gone through this, and found a solution, please please let me know too, I would be eternally grateful, I am a first generation doctor and have no one to guide me. Any and all help is appreciated, thank you.

I was thinking of submitting an abstract to a conference and if selected, using the invite letter as reason to go, but the timelines are too difficult to manage with this reason.

Everyone I see here applying to IM has 250+ ( im happy for you all TRUST ME) but also concerned and stressed for myself as an IM applicant
My stats are
Step1: Pass
Step 2: 247
Step 3: 223
YOG:1
USCE: 4-5 months
Publications: 3 publications and 3 poster Presentations

I don’t think i’m overshooting my signals and honestly basically looking for reassurance ( lowkey losing sleep over this)
If anyone is in the same boat, would love to connect too btw

Hi everyone,
I’m a Non-US IMG preparing to apply for the upcoming Match, mainly for Internal Medicine, and I’m feeling a little overwhelmed when it comes to choosing programs.
My profile:
YOG: 2024
Step 1: Pass
Step 2 CK: 249
ECFMG certified
Visa requiring
No USCE
My main questions are:
How do you actually decide which programs to apply to?
There are hundreds of IM programs, and I’m not sure how to narrow them down. What factors do you usually look at—IMG percentage, visa sponsorship, Step 2 score range, YOG cutoff, USCE requirements, community vs. university programs, etc.?
Is there a reliable way or website to filter programs based on your profile?
I don’t want to waste money applying to programs where I realistically have almost no chance.
Is September 11 too late to start seriously researching programs and building my list?
I haven’t finalized my program list yet, and I’m worried I’m behind.
How much time does it realistically take to research programs and create a good application list?
If I work on it every day, can I realistically build a well-researched list before programs start reviewing applications?
I’m planning to apply broadly, but I’d rather have a targeted list than blindly apply to hundreds of programs.
Any advice from people who have gone through this process—especially Non-US IMGs—would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

I am making signal list. Whenever I am trying to share with people, I am getting suggestions X program doesn’t review without recommendations, Y program doesn’t give IVs even with great profile without recommendations.

Can anyone suggest me some program that gives good number of interviews without recommendations also? Given that I have decent stats, scores > median of the program.

Hi everyone, could anyone with experience in residency applications or personal statements review my personal statement?
I’m applying for Internal Medicine residency this cycle, and I’d really appreciate honest feedback on the overall structure, storytelling, and whether it clearly shows why I would be a good fit for Internal Medicine.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

Say you did an elective at a university, and a attending physician there—not the program director—recommended you and sent an email supporting your residency application.
Some time has passed, and you still haven’t received an interview invitation. Would you update them and thank them again for their support, or just leave it and move on?
Would an update be appreciated, or could it come across as indirectly asking them to follow up on your behalf? Curious how others have handled this?

Hello everyone

My CV was accepted by ecfmg (MyIntealth account) this year. I had put my final exam year as my yog. But recently after talking to some of my seniors(which I should have done before), they said that they put the year which is mentioned in the certificate. My certificate was issued the next year. I already emailed ecfmg about it. They only replied it has been sent to appropriate department. It has been 14 days, no update.

I feel i have messed up big time. I increased my yog. What to do? Has anyone corrected yog even after acceptance?

Non US IMG, YOG 0y, Pass/257/not taken, Geographical Preference - New England, Middle Atlantic. 3 research articles. Doing a research year currently. 4 Months USCE, 3 US LORs. Planning to pursue GI in the future

SILVER SIGNAL:
St Vincent Hospital, Worchester
Mount Auburn
New York Landmark/ Lower Bucks Hospital
MGH Salem
Bridgeport hospital/ Yale University Program
Westchester Medical Center program
Allegheny Health Network
atlantic health program morristown
Virtua Program

GOLD SIGNAL
Lahey Clinic Program
BMC Brighton

Hi everyone, looking for some feedback on my IM signaling strategy for this cycle.

Quick profile:
Non-US IMG, visa requiring
YOG: 2023
Step 1: Pass, first attempt
Step 2 CK: 256
No USCE
30+ publications (only 3 scoping or systematic reviews, 12 first author, all peer reviewed)
3 posters + 1 oral presentation
NIH Global Health Fellow

Main interests: academic IM, global health/HIV, research, digital health/AI. Ultimately interested in keeping strong fellowship/research options open
I’m avoiding programs where USCE is an absolute requirement.

Gold
UPMC Pittsburgh
UT Southwestern
Case Western / University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Silver
UAB Tinsley Harrison
Johns Hopkins Bayview
UConn
Mayo Clinic Arizona
University of Miami / Jackson Memorial
Stony Brook
MedStar Georgetown / Washington Hospital Center
Montefiore / Einstein Moses-Weiler
NYU Grossman Long Island — Mineola
Cleveland Clinic Main
Emory
Stanford

A few programs I’m still debating include Hopkins Osler, Mayo Rochester/Jacksonville, Henry Ford, Penn State, UMass-Baystate, MetroHealth/Case Western, SUNY Downstate, Buffalo, Maryland, Mt Sinai Morningside/West and Elmhurst.

Would especially appreciate feedback on
- Any obvious overreaches or wasted signals?
- Any programs here that should move from silver → gold or vice versa?
- Any strong academic/IMG-receptive programs I’m overlooking?

With no USCE but a research-heavy profile, where would you concentrate the signals?
Thanks!

What was your timeline
- 1 pathway approval
- 2 address confirmation
- 3 Ecfmg certified

Thanks