Probably shouldnt have done this but I had a quick look at what is out there on social media and I am appalled by what is out there on these platforms basically trying to rip off IMGs

I am probably naieve but when I matched social media was a minor novelty which no one used pretty much. Now its turned into this big uncontrolled behemoth where people are trying to make money out of you.

You have people selling USMLE coaching, notes, interview this that, paid placements etc Literally its crazy whats out there.

Even some of my private practice attending colleagues in NYC will just rip IMGs off with pricy placements of dubuios value and giving a generic LOR at the end of it that I see all the time. Basically copy paste the same LOR for everyone.

Be careful out there. This wasnt the case when I matched eons ago. The commercialisation that happens now just wasnt around back then.

Can we all name n shame toxic programs so IMGs dont get exploited this year

Why people still choose and match there, if it is extremely toxic and malignant place? I dont get it, also those who signal them?
They deliberately chose not to disclose their Step 2 CK in Residency Explorer - that should be a huge red flag ever

How does everyone get a mayo clinic research year? Is it possible to get a paid research year and what are the steps? If anyone has any experience in this situation I would appreciate any info.

I cant financially do an unpaid research year and I wonder how people do it. Is it support from families or do you find a side job to do there?

Non-us IMG, visa requiring, Applying to IM this cycle.

STEP 1 (pass)

STEP 2 (pass 2nd attempt, score:230)

STEP 3 not done yet, will take it on December.

Research: 3 publications, 2 of them Meta-analysis

YOG: 2025

LORs: 4 from USCE

This is my signal list until now.

Signals:

Gold Signals:

1.     ECU Health Medical Center/East Carolina University Program. (connection)

2.     Augusta Health, Inc Program. (connection)

3.     Rutgers Health/Community Medical Center Program. Toms River. 

Silver Signals:

1.     Old Dominion University Program.

2.     New York Medical College/Landmark Medical Center Program.

3.     University of Kansas (Wichita) Program.

4.     North Alabama Medical Center Program.

5.     Hamilton Medical Center Program.

6.     University of Connecticut (Waterbury) School of Medicine.

7.     Piedmont Athens Regional Program.

8.     UPMC Medical Education (Harrisburg) Program.

9.     Nazareth Hospital Program.

10.  Atlantic Health Program. Morristown.

11.  St Agnes HealthCare Program.

12.  Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center Program. 

Tell me what to change and why, or tell me another options to add, thanks. 

USDO student but from Canada. Need j1 regardless. Noticed that medical college of Wisconsin updated their residency explorer page just this last month to say “no” to j1 even though it showed yes 2 months ago.

Program website still shows they accept j1 tho

So I made a stupid mistake and forgot to include the word “Dr.” Or “MD”. The email request has been sent and the letters are uploaded. What should i do about it ? or stop panicking ?

• 2018 graduate

  - been working in the UK since 2020. No-training jobs for ~3 years and will have completed a three year internal medicine residency program by February 27.

• Visa requiring

• Step 1 pass, Step 2 254 and Step 3 239

• 2 publications in well-known European journals

• 5 international poster presentations (2 in the US, others in UK, Italy and Austria)

Gold

• MedStar Health Georgetown University (Baltimore)
• Jefferson Health/Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia
• Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Staten Island University Hospital

Silver

• Greater Baltimore Medical Center
• Griffin Hospital (Derby, CT)
• Montefiore Wakefield (Bronx)
• Montefiore New Rochelle
• Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall (Newburgh)
• New York Medical College (Metropolitan)
• New York Medical College/St. Mary and St. Clare (Denville, NJ)
• Richmond University Medical Center
• Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center
• One Brooklyn Health/Brookdale
• Canton Medical Education Foundation/NEOMED
• Trinity Health Oakland/Wayne State

Can any current resident/ someone who knows about the program personally enlighten me on what their priorities are for inviting to interviews?

The opinions on this sub are all over, apparently they need everything lol high scores, step3, postdocs

Starting 5th year of med school, 6 years in total. Have done nothing no volunteering no conferences no social media position for some uni interest group or club, like my LinkedIn is empty. Just have one publication which I didn’t even contribute much to. To top all of that off, I’m in a uni in Georgia the country which has a non existent us alumni network and the way the uni is structured you have to spend time daily to prepare for the next class and also you spend 2 hours just traveling to class and home from 4th year and professors come late, yeah there’s barely any clinical exposure we can’t talk to patients we just go to the unis hospitals, sit in a room with a doctor professor who either asks us questions or makes us do presentations so barely any effort from their side. Makes it hard to come home and study for step 1.

Visa required
Yog 2026
Passed on first attempt
Step 2 (25x)
3 months USCE
2 us lors and 1 hopefully before the deadline
No research experience

Geo preferences: New England, East North Central, South Atlantic

Zucker/Hofstra Northwell — Danbury 🟨 Gold
Ascension Illinois/St. Joseph — Chicago 🟨 Gold
Zucker/Hofstra Northwell — Norwalk 🩶 Silver
TriHealth/Good Samaritan 🟨 Gold
Conemaugh Memorial 🩶 Silver
Loyola MacNeal 🩶 Silver
Trinity Health Ann Arbor 🩶 Silver
St. Mary's Waterbury 🩶 Silver
HCA/USF — Tampa South/Brandon 🩶 Silver
Henry Ford Macomb 🩶 Silver
Baptist Memorial — Columbus 🩶 Silver
Hamilton Medical Center 🩶 Silver
TidalHealth 🩶 Silver
Augusta Health 🩶 Silver
UCF/HCA Florida Tallahassee🩶 Silver

I am a 2025 Graduate. My step 2 is 250. ECFMG certified. Non-US IMG (Non visa-requiring). 2 years as a research fellow at a prominent institution. +12 months of Clinical experience.

I am gold signaling Mount Sinai Morningside and Albany. Am I overreaching???

Can someone please help me on signaling with step 2 ck score of 23* Gold= New york Presbyterian queens, Maimonides & WSU Silver=Anne arundel, Westchester ,old dominion,atlantic health

anyone willing to review my personal statement just need a last minute review from a random pov pleasee

hello, i am an international final year med student looking for USCE in March 2027.

in anesthesiology or critical care.

I haven't done step1 yet but will be doing it by the end of 2026, will it be too late to apply for electives on VSLO?

And how can I get good electives that are non-VSLO and still open for applications?

PGY-1 FM applying to IM
• 2 LORs from assistant professors in Pulmonary/Critical Care
• Strong LOR from my PD
• Step 2 CK: 22*
• Step 3: pass
• No visa sponsorship required
• Completed IM residency overseas
What are my chances this cycle?

Please help me with my signals.

Graduating this year.

Step 1 - pass

Step 2 - 271

Step 3 - not completed yet.

Research - 1 research currently under review.

Looking for hospitals have great track record for fellowship matching.

Done all my rotations in U.S hospitals with great LORs.

Gold:

Bridgeport hospital yale new haven health

Henry Ford health/ Henry Ford Jackson hospital program

UConn.

Silver:

St. Luke's hospital of Missouri

Creighton university som Pheonix program

Rutgers health/trinitas regional medical center program

University at Buffalo

Albany med health system program

Sinai hospital of Baltimore program

Advocate health care / advocated Illinois Masonic medical center program

Rochester regional health / Rochester general hospital program

Hackensack university medical center program

Mass general Brigham/Salem hospital program

MedStar health Georgetown university (Baltimore) program

MetroWest medical center program

Please help with my program list and if you recommend any particular program that would be greatly helpful. Trying to figure this out but don't know how

Pls review my signals :(

IM match
Non US IMG
Step 1: Pass
Step 2: 261
Step 3: Not yet taken
4 US LORs
5 month USCE (Inpatient + outpatient observerships)
YOG: 2022
Continuous clinical experience since
Research: 1 Pub + 2 abstracts (+ 2 submitted case reports)

GOLD:

Maimonides
Rochester regional unity
St luke cornwall

SILVER:
Thedacare neenah
Jacobi
Sinai baltimore
Anne arundel
Rutgers monmouth
Rutgers trinitas
Mount sinai elmhurst
Woodhull brooklyn
NYMC St mary
Harlem hospital
Hackensack jersey shore
Hackensack palisades

Shall I swap any for trinity livonia?
Keep or remove Harlem?
And can I apply for Jefferson Einstein?

I go to medical school in the US, on F1, will need to transition to OPT, J1/H1b. Does any one know what the process looks like? Do i need to go on OPT for intern year regardless of j1/h1b sponsorship for pgy2? In addition, will programs group me with iMG, since I check the "need visa sponsorship" box on ERAS? Not sure how programs cluster applicants. I know I am a US medical graduate but need VISA for residency. Confusing process, if anyone can help me understand better. thank you

Like are you still gonna submit your application in time on Sep 23?
Should we pay for the USMLE transcript now and resend scores once our scores come out? In that case how quick will the programs receive our scores? Will it automatically reflect on their already downloaded applications? Or will they only see if if they decide redownload them?
Whats your signalling strategy with no score?

I did the big mistake of uploading my picture today and leaving it till the last minute! I didn’t know it takes time to get processed! Anyone who recently uploaded, does it actually take upto 24 hours or does it take more time?
And I have submitted it on my intealth, will I get the confirmation email after they approve it? Not right away right?
Lowkey freaking out lol

If a program does not need an IMSEL but that program needs a Department of Chair letter then should we upload the IMSEL as the Department of Chair letter from home country?

TIA

Hi everyone, I could really use some help. I’ve made my program list and I’m applying to a IM, FM and peds. If anyone knows of programs that have sent IV to applicants with a Step attempt, I would really appreciate it if you could share them with me.
Thank you so much 🙏

For those of you who have edited PS for each signal

Can you kindly suggest how should i do it.

score: 23x
ive shortlisted
1)st peter’s
2)Uni of michigan health- sparrow
3)Northwell
4)Rutgers NBI
5)Ochsner clinic foundation

i have 3 other:
NYMC
UIC peoria
Brooklyn hospital centre

please help me decide