Hey guys, Im in a bit of a dilemma with regards to applying to the US residency match.
I am a Canadian IMG that graduated in the past month from a reputable medical school in Ireland. However, I have no clinical/research experience in the states, but I have done 1 family med and 1 surgery elective in Canada. I have not yet written Step 1, Step 2 CK or CS. Im wondering if I can realistically apply to the 2017 US match for family medicine.
At this point, I have come up with a couple of potential routes:
1. Step 2 CK on June 20, Step 1 on August 18 (Marks should be out in time for ERAS, right?), and CS sometime in October (earliest date I could find). Due to the limited study time, Im not confident Ill do that well.
2. Step 1 on August 18, Step 2 CK in October, and CS shortly there after. With this option, I should score higher on both exams.
Which of the following timelines would give me the best shot of successfully matching?
Additionally, it appears that most places require IMGs to be ECFMG certified (Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS completed and marks processed), but is this an absolute necessity? Could I apply with just a Step 1 score?
Or should I take the year to gain some clinical/research experience in the states (for local LoRs), and apply to the 2018 match? However, at this point, Ill have been out of medical school for 2 years. How adversely would this affect my chances of matching?
Thanks for reading and I hope to get some advice!
I am a Canadian IMG that graduated in the past month from a reputable medical school in Ireland. However, I have no clinical/research experience in the states, but I have done 1 family med and 1 surgery elective in Canada. I have not yet written Step 1, Step 2 CK or CS. Im wondering if I can realistically apply to the 2017 US match for family medicine.
At this point, I have come up with a couple of potential routes:
1. Step 2 CK on June 20, Step 1 on August 18 (Marks should be out in time for ERAS, right?), and CS sometime in October (earliest date I could find). Due to the limited study time, Im not confident Ill do that well.
2. Step 1 on August 18, Step 2 CK in October, and CS shortly there after. With this option, I should score higher on both exams.
Which of the following timelines would give me the best shot of successfully matching?
Additionally, it appears that most places require IMGs to be ECFMG certified (Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS completed and marks processed), but is this an absolute necessity? Could I apply with just a Step 1 score?
Or should I take the year to gain some clinical/research experience in the states (for local LoRs), and apply to the 2018 match? However, at this point, Ill have been out of medical school for 2 years. How adversely would this affect my chances of matching?
Thanks for reading and I hope to get some advice!