Choosing Residency Programs for the 2028 Match

IMGPrep residency application strategy Choose programs for the physician you want to become. Start with who you are and what you want to do in medicine. Your SUVY tells you which programs can consider you. Your goals tell you which of those programs can train you for the career you want. By IMGPrep, preparing for […]

Evidence-Based Analysis · ERAS 2027 / Match 2027 Cycle Residency Program Requirements: The Structural Filters Every IMG Must Clear Before Holistic Review Visa policy, year of graduation, USMLE attempts, Step 2 CK floors, ECFMG timing, and U.S. clinical experience: the requirements that decide whether an application is read at all, and how to verify every […]

Geographic Signaling and the Match Funnel How the modifier programs read alongside your signal works — and how IMGs should deploy it. Program signals get all the attention. Applicants ask which programs to signal, how many gold versus silver, whether to signal home programs. Geographic preferences sit quietly underneath — three U.S. Census divisions, an […]

IMGPrep · Strategic Guide · 2026 Program signaling residency strategy has become one of the most consequential decisions in the residency Match. The peer-reviewed evidence is now substantial enough to support a clear approach — but most published guidance still misframes what signals do, when they matter, and why a Gold signal is not always […]

Binary Filters in the Selective Screen: How the SUVY Framework Maps the First Filtering Stage of the Match Funnel Most applicants think of the residency Match as a competition. The 2026 NRMP data confirms it operates more like a sequence of gates. The first gates are binary — pass or fail, in or out — […]

Dual-board pathways offer breadth and flexibility — but the structural filters that govern the Match still apply, and for combined applicants they apply twice. Here is what international medical graduates need to understand before applying. How Combined Residencies Are Structured A combined residency is an ACGME-recognized training pathway that allows a resident to complete simultaneous […]

Top IMG-Friendly States for Residency in the USA (2026 Match) If you are searching for IMG-friendly states for residency, you are trying to answer a critical question: where should you apply to maximize your chances of matching in the United States? The concept of “IMG-friendly states” is useful—but incomplete. Residency programs do not select applicants […]

Introduction The IMGPrep Match Funnel Model: residency application selection as a sequential pipeline anchored by Goodness of Fit. Residency programs typically employ two observable modes of application selection: standardized screening and holistic review. These mechanisms emerge as a practical response to application volume. Programs often receive hundreds or thousands of applications, making immediate holistic evaluation […]

IMG FRIENDLY RESIDENCY PROGRAMS GUIDE Updated May 2026 | For applicants preparing for the 2027 Match cycle I. Executive Definition What Does “IMG-Friendly” Actually Mean? The term “IMG-friendly residency programs” is widely used, yet rarely defined with objective criteria. An IMG-friendly residency program demonstrates a consistent pattern of recruiting, interviewing, ranking, and matriculating international medical […]

Why Strong Candidates Still Underperform in the Match: The Missing Variable After the Filter Every match cycle produces a predictable paradox. Some applicants with modest metrics secure strong interview volume and match into stable, desirable programs. Meanwhile, other applicants with reputable medical schools, passing boards, U.S. clinical exposure, and “all the right pieces” experience an […]