Can IMG Med Students Get Into
Super-Competitive Residency Programs?

Absolutely! But it won’t be easy.

We’ve worked with thousands of IMG medical students over the years and in that time, have had countless get into the most competitive of specialties – here’s how they did it 👇

STEP #1 – KNOW WHAT IT’S GOING TO TAKE:

The path to plastic surgery or dermatology isn’t easy…

It’s even harder if you’re blindfolded!

Do your research to find out what programs are looking for out of an ideal candidate (Use social media to reach out to others in the field, use Google to research programs & match data).

This gives you the roadmap to follow to ensure that you’re positioned to make yourself competitive.

STEP #2 – UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THE ‘IDEAL CANDIDATE’:

The ideal candidate for any specialty differs…

There’s an ideal personality type desired by surgical specialties…

There’s an ideal type of person who’ll make a great pediatrician…

Make sure that you know what personality traits and characteristics make the ideal (insert your desired specialty here).

If those traits don’t sound like you, you have two choices: 1) Change & adapt, or 2) Look into a specialty that suits you you are and want to remain.

** SIDENOTE **
Change is ok… If you’re looking to get into a competitive specialty and they’re looking for the hardcore leadership skills you don’t yet have, you can develop into a great leader. So don’t be afraid to change if that’s what you want.

STEP #3 – KNOW WHAT’S AVERAGE & GO BEYOND THAT:

By this, I mean finding out what the average person who matches into your dream field brings to the table and do your best to be better.

For example, if the average person who matches into your dream specialty has 5 publications, aim for 10. If the average person who matches into your dream specialty has a score of 245 on Step 2 CK, aim for 255.

Always strive to set yourself apart in as many ways as possible, both in person and on paper.

STEP #4 – FOCUS ON BEING THE BEST VERSION OF YOU:

Nothing is guaranteed at the end of medical school.

You might work tirelessly for 4yrs straight and not even match.

But if you strive to become the absolute best version of yourself as possible each and every day, you’ll tip the scales in your favor and dramatically improve the odds that you’ll be successful in your chosen domain.

There you have it…

The path is simple, but it’s going to be hard.

If you want it badly enough, follow these steps and get to work.

And if you want even more tips & tricks to position yourself for success on match day, grab a free copy of our Medical Student Survival Guide HERE or click the image below.

Thanks for reading!