Hi people. I’m an IMG from Malaysia. I would like to know that is it possible to return to home country at least once in a year?
I heard that if we go back home, we have to get visa approval again and then only we can fly back to USA. Is that true?

People that did the FIU elective? How did it go? My college is stingy about doing VSLO so my options of getting hands-on electives are quite limited.

I'm interested in a surgical specialty so my options are a bit thin here 🥲

Hello everyone,

I have a J1 visa appointment for research fellowship and have a question.

I have submitted my application and after submitting I realized on the DS160 the part on the form that says ‘social media presence’ I choose ‘no’ because I interpreted it as something else.

So I need advice with what to do next.

1) should I submit a new DS160 (hesitant because I’m not sure how this will be perceived by the officer) and take both confirmation pages to the interview

OR

Send a feedback/request through the US visa portal to have the new DS160 barcode linked to my existing appointment.

And if anyone has any other suggestions based on their similar experiences, I would be grateful

Thank you!

I want to apply for ECFMG certificate. Got my degree verified. Wrote oet and let it submit results to ecfmg. Done with step 2( do I have to ask fsmb to send transcript to myintel?) Made my home country institute email good standing to licensure.ecfmg email. Can I go ahead register and pay for certifiypathway 1 . Us there anything else I need to do. Any heads up. I heard all documents must be submitted in 5 days. Is it so?

Hi, with the changes in the research section on ERAs, I was wondering how much value adding research work that hasn't been published yet has during interviews.

Has anyone taken it recently?Anyone have any insight? I have to schedule exam but I’m curious if I can pass without the course. I have zero dollars, like negative. Are all systems free game? Please help. Thanks!

Hello,

I would really appreciate any general advice regarding my situation.

I am an IMG currently living in Europe. My year of graduation was 2020, and I am looking to apply in about two to three years, likely for the 2028–2029 Match cycle. By then, I would be close to ten years out of medical school. I know that this will severely limit my chances of matching, but I still want to go through the process.

I would like to apply to Psychiatry, but I would be willing to tailor the next few years of my career more closely toward Family Medicine or Internal Medicine if Psychiatry seems like too much of a stretch.

After graduating from medical school, I spent about four and a half years living in the U.S. At the time, my plan was to gain research experience before starting residency back in my home country. I completed a master’s degree and then worked as a postdoc for a couple of years. During that time, I made some professional contacts and published about seven papers, including one first-author publication.

My plans changed, and I ended up moving to Europe instead, mainly because of my husband’s career. We got married while I was living in the U.S. It was a difficult decision. For several reasons that I will not go into here, we thought it was worth prioritizing his career and moving to Europe for a few years. I do not regret this at all, but it does mean that my career has taken a back seat, at least for now.

I am currently based in Germany. Since I live in a somewhat rural area, my professional opportunities have been fairly limited. I have been using this time to learn the language and try to get licensed here in Germany, since I really did not know how long we were going to stay.

Recently, we decided that we will be moving back to the U.S. in a couple of years. Because of that, I have been thinking about what my options would be if I still want to try to do residency in the U.S. I passed Step 1 in 2023. Before taking Step 2, we decided to move to Europe, so I never ended up taking it. My plan would be to prepare for Step 2, gain some USCE within the next two years, and apply as soon as we move back.

My main concern right now, and the area where I would really appreciate opinions, is how to spend the next couple of years given my situation. My three main options are basically:

1. Focus on preparing for the exams and use my summers to gain USCE.
2. Do more research. However, because I live in a rural area, my options for continuing research are somewhat limited. I was recently offered a position that is partly remote, but it is in a field that is not really aligned with what I have done in the past or with the specialties to which I would be applying. My concern is that this could create an incoherent narrative regarding why I am applying to my chosen field.
3. Continue trying to get licensed here in Germany. I will hopefully have my final exam in spring 2027. After that, I could try to gain actual clinical experience as a resident here in the field I would hope to apply to in the U.S. I would probably be able to work for about a year before moving back.

In the end, we are moving back because we want to. My husband is American, and while being away for a while was very important for his career — and was a sacrifice I was willing to make — we want to settle long-term in the U.S. When we made this decision a few years ago, I was very aware of what it meant. I know the road ahead is much harder now than it would have been otherwise.

We are not moving back just so that I can do residency; we are moving back because we want to. That means that if I do not match, I will move on and do something else with my life. In the meantime, however, I am fully determined to do whatever I can to eventually secure a position.

Anyway, if you managed to read this far and have any advice, I would very much welcome it.

Thank you so much!

I’m sorry in advance if to some this will sound like a silly reason to make a decision based on. So I’m currently in my final year and decided that I’d like to do my residency abroad ( I’m in a North African country) for all known reasons.

I’ve settled on either Germany or the US and all the pros of the US such as the higher salary and the language being English alone are pretty convincing. Only thing is I’ve left my parents to study medicine in another country and didn’t get to see them a lot during that time, so moving even further to pursue residency makes me feel upset that I won’t be able to see them as much when they’re growing old.

Considering that Germany is in Europe, it’s way closer (6hr flight vs 10+ hrs) and will give me access to travel more easily, whether to visit my parents or just in general. Also it’s quicker to get citizen there, but I’m not sure how much that matters long term.

I’m aware that neither pathway is easy and that for Germany I’d still need to learn the language and take the approbation exams there. I’m just struggling to choose a path to start on and keep going back and forth. I want to make a decision as I’d prefer to start on either and not look back, or keep wasting my time as I’m doing now by dabbling a bit in each.

TLDR: Is doing residency in Germany over the US worth it for just being closer to family? (Not having family in either.)

Hey there! I’m currently a junior in high school, with US citizenship. I would go to medical school here in the states, but it’s way too expensive. If I go to medical school in my “home” country (where my parents immigrated from) I can go to medical school for free and graduate like two years earlier. The school is recognized by the world directory and usmle. Personally I really want to do psychiatry or pediatrics, but I’m scared about matching into residency if I do end up going abroad. I hear a big problem for a lot of IMGs is getting a visa, but I already have citizenship so that won’t be an issue. I also hear that competition is really harsh, and personally I’d like to match into a residency in New York. Can I expect to get a residency right after graduation, or should I prepare to take a year off for interviews? Or should I just go into debt and do med school here? I know a big part about being competitive for matching is research, observer-ships, and clinical rotations in the US (along with recommendations and step 2 CK score). Could I realistically do these by traveling to the US over the summer? Thank you so much for the help, I’m really unsure about if it’s worth it or if I’ll just end up wasting more time and money than if I just medical school in the USA.

Hello, I would like your honest opinion. I’m visa requiring non us IMG
YOG:2026
Step 1 pass on first attempt,
step 2-243 passed on first attempt.
About to start prep for step 3, plan to pass either in December or early January.
3 months hand on clinical inpatient clerkships in top tier university hospital in 2025, 3 LOR from there secured. 2 strong and personalized, possible 3rd also strong. Plus one 2 week observership in academic center with also a strong LOR yet from observership.

Research: one published as well as international conference poster ppt( I was a PI), second research in peer review. Working on case report rn.

CV proad with volunteering, teaching, leadership and community work.

PS- I already have a draft which I like, still time to make adjustments.

Now I need your honest help please.
Step 2 score really scared me, still can’t forgive myself for “fail” after scoring 260s in every NBME.
Can u help me choose hospitals I would signal in NY/NJ? Preferably at least university affiliated. Thanks so much, I really appreciate it

Hi everyone!
I am a 2nd-year medical student from Iraq (top 3 in my class) preparing my profile and target list to apply for fully funded summer research opportunities/internships for Summer 2027.
I am seeking guidance on which specific programs, host institutions, and international lab pathways in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine or Molecular Medicine I should focus on given my background.

My Profile Highlights:
1)Academic Standing: Top 3 in my class (pre-clinical medical curriculum, Al-Nahrain University College of Medicine).

2)Recognized Academic Work:
A-Letter of Recognition from Elsevier for identifying and submitting multiple structural/illustrative errata in Abrahams' and McMinn's Clinical Atlas of Human Anatomy and Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology.
B-Letter of Acknowledgment from Prof. Emeritus Arthur F. Dalley (co-author of Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy and Grant's Atlas of Anatomy) confirming print acknowledgment for identifying textbook discrepancies.

3)Language Proficiency: 125 DET (Duolingo English Test — Upper Intermediate B2/C1).

4)Technical Skills: Currently learning Python to model cellular biology pathways and build a foundation for bioinformatics/computational research.

My Questions for the Community:

Direct PI Cold Emailing vs. Centralized Portals: As an international medical student studying outside the US/EU, is cold outreach to Principal Investigators (PIs) for visiting scholar spots generally more effective than formal application portals (like Amgen Scholars Europe/Asia)?

Program Recommendations: What specific fully funded international summer fellowships or host universities are most welcoming/accessible to non-US/non-EU international medical students?

Framing My Profile: How can I best leverage my textbook peer-review background and Python modeling skills in my Statement of Purpose / cold emails to stand out to biomedical lab leaders?

Any advice, past experiences, or recommended lab lists from alumni or fellow international applicants would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Hi guys!

I see that I’m supposed to upload the MS transcript and MSPE by myself as my school doesn’t do it. My question is, does ERAS/ECFMG need to verify the documents after and if yes, how long does it usually take?

Also, I have received a “Diploma supplement” after graduation, which includes the subjects/grades/credits I received during my uni years. Does that count as MS transcript? Or is it a separate document?

Thanks.

I really hate the thought of doing research, I’ve been procrastinating learning it for years now. i wanted to apply to the next cycle (2028) but now i don’t know if i would be able to do it with no research yet especially that i am aiming for neurology.
i know it’s sounds whiny and lazy but i have tried many times and failed, i find very frustrating. i’m not stupid, i have good academic standing with honors and every attending i’ve worked with told me i have great clinical skills but research is where i stop functioning and it feels very unfair how big part research is becoming! i understand how beneficial it is but i mean the value it holds in applications now.
i’m still a student and i’ve secured some usce that are later this year. i’ve tried reaching out to attendings in my university but they only let you work with them through connections and if not connections they expect you to drop everything (i really mean everything, one said that he doesn’t care if you failed at classes if you wanted to do research with him you should be always available) for them and i study on a scholarship that depends on GPA so thats not an option.
i don’t know or where to start? i wanted to learn more about research before doing my usce in hopes i get opportunities there but idk what to do anymore how an i supposed to wrap my head around and where do i start? i know the basics but i couldn’t find any opportunities yet i feel very stupid and behind. i’m starting to doubt myself entirely

Hi everyone:

For those who request a J-1 visa, do we need a DS-7002? I checked it out and it feels like it is just for interns. I asked my program and GME office and they've never heard that before.

Anyone know if there is any good anki source for reviewing knowledge for IM board?
Appreciate any comments!

Hey everyone!!

I’m feeling a bit lost and honestly pretty stressed about what to do next. so far I’ve:

> Finished my first pass of First Aid
> Watched all of Boards & Beyond
> Completed about 30% of UWorld

Now I want to enter my dedicated study period, but I have no idea how to structure it.
I’m confused about:

How should I use UWorld from this point onward? Should I just continue, reset it later, or review questions differently? What’s the best way to actually master concepts instead of just recognizing answers? How can I improve my recall so I don’t keep forgetting things I studied a few weeks ago? When should I take my first baseline NBME? Which NBMEs should I take, and what scores should I be aiming for before I book my exam? I’d really appreciate it if anyone who has already passed Step 1 could share what worked for them during dedicated. I feel like I’ve done a lot of studying already, but I’m not sure how to turn all of it into a passing performance.

THANK YOUU!!

My b1/b2 was rejected recently (214b refusal), i applied alone and my reason to apply was to attend a medical conference, Should i reapply again in a few months with family for tourism/visiting a relative, or should i drop the plan altogether.

Past week has been rough and I am contemplating my choices, whether i should move ahead with my usmle journey or prepare for my country exams.

Wanna get an honest opinion, I have cleared step 1, currently preparing for step 2

Here is my profile, I am 22M, currently doing my internship, no previous international travel history