Here is What To Avoid So You Can Get More Interviews Than I did!

Here is Why I Had ONLY 2 Interviews When I Applied into Residency.

More importantly, here is what you should avoid doing so you can get more interviews!

If you listened to last week’s episode, then you may know this … I only had 2 interviews in 2011.

Started from the bottom, now we are here!

I think the reasons why I had so few interview invitations are as follows:

  1. Low Step 1 Score: As previously mentioned, step 1 is the highest determinant of what specialty you match into. It is also the number 1 factor that program directors look at. It is also the number 1 determinant as to whether you will match into a specialty that is considered competitive. Considering the recent headlines, this test will move to a pass/fail SOMETIME after January 2022. You can watch the video where I share my opinion on this by CLICKING HERE.

  2. Visa Requirement: I even have a free online series on this topic that walks you through my process. I share my story because this is a huge challenge. But it is one I overcame and you can too. I was on a B1/B2 Visa when I was in clinical rotations and needed a J1 visa for residency. There are just so few programs that sponsor visas in general. This is why this posed a problem. There were only so few programs I was eligible for when you add #1 to #2.

  3. Clinical Rotations: I did not pursue more than one acting internship and I did all my rotations at one facility (which had an unopposed family medicine program). Because of this I lacked diversity in where I rotated this eventually limited options for research and acting internships on my CV. Everything looked same and generic. Same preceptors, LORs from the same physician group etc.

  4. Mindset: I lived in constant fear and I had a fixed mindset. I did not do my own research and I did not learn from IMGs who knew what the heck they were talking about. I did not even know another successful non US IMG to look up to. I constantly believed and focused on all the limitations I had instead of forging ahead to seek out how to study effectively for step 1 or how to find IMG friendly programs or how to ask for USCE or even how to network.

  5. Fragmented Medical School Structure. I attended 2 medical schools. Yes. I transferred from one school to the other and I did not realize some State Medical Boards FROWN on this. I will get into this WHOLE topic on another post. Bottom line: Avoid needing to transfer schools to keep your application clean, streamlined and as traditional as possible. If you have failed to do this already, all hope is not lost because if I can do it, so can you too!

I hope from my story you can make way better decisions, score higher > 240 (or PASS and have a competitive portfolio), find programs that work for you etc.

Caveat is you shouldn’t wait to start.

Start now!


And if you need any help with this process, check out my online coaching course for IMGs. There I help IMGs make better decisions and take action towards success. Create Your Own Medical Success Story with me. Check it out HERE.

Listen to the inspirational IMG related podcast here:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-img-roadmap/id1490731292

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/45NNJ7ewtqynqyssbwm1xz

Google Podcasts:https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mOGMzY2EwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1490731292/the-img-roadmap-podcast

RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/the-img-roadmap-GE0MMg

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IMG Roadmap SeriesNina Lummedicine, IMGroadmap, internal medicine, family medicine, International medical graduates, foreign medical school, foreign medical graduatesComment