Programs have strict residency program requirements and you’ll be competing against other qualified candidates. Adhering to the residency programs requirements and applying only to programs for which you qualify will get your application the most reviews. With a carefully prepared application and some hard work, you can catapult your application to the top of the stack. In this note, we’ll discuss the value of utilizing IMGPrep’s Customized List of Residency Programs and how this tool will guide you in making an informed decision as to which programs to apply to.  Applying for a program you wouldn’t want to attend—or for which you don’t qualify—is a waste of time and money. Here are some pointers to help you ensure that you send off your application wisely.

According to ERAS’s  IMG Post-Match Survey, 55% of applicants said they wished they’d had more information about the residency program requirements before they applied. But researching the residency program requirements of hundreds of residency programs can take hours that applicants simply don’t have.  Using our IMGPrep Customized Lists of Residency Program Requirements, applicants can easily sort open residency programs by the Residency Program requirements i.e.,  USMLE  test scores, Visa sponsorship, YOG year of graduation and US clinical experience.

IMG Post-Match Survey ERAS,  topics which applicants would have liked more information about prior to applying

Customized  List of Residency Program Requirements

Do you qualify for the program? If you don’t meet the program’s qualifications, they won’t accept you. You need to meet the required visa status, the minimum test score requirements and have a qualifying year of graduation. You can check all these—and more—using IMGPrep’s Customized List of Residency Programs.

Is the program IMG Friendly? Unfortunately, some programs shy away from accepting foreign medical graduates. Before applying to a residency program, check to be sure that the program has accepted IMGs in the past. And some IMG friendly programs may take only Caribbean graduates, while others may only accept IMGs from non-Caribbean schools. These are all factors you will want to research before applying to a program. IMGprep has edited our Customized Residency Lists to provide applicants with this crucial information where you can view the photos of current residents and where they attended medical school. Is the program a good match for your personal and professional goals?

The program you attend will dictate the focus of your training and guide your future practice. Think carefully about what sort of medicine you’d like to practice. Do you want to work in
a rural or an urban practice? Do you hope to pursue a fellowship in sports medicine or become your town’s primary care provider? Do you want a family medicine residency that is opposed or unopposed? Will the program offer you the research opportunities you’ve always dreamed of?

1. 1. • Who are the current residents? PHOTOS ( important to see if Current residents are from your country or school ) NEW 2017!
      • Alumni – who are they? where are they now? ( important if you want to see the history of graduates and what they end up doing )
      • Fellowships offered ( Important programs with fellowships provide unique opportunities and experiences for advanced training and exposure )
      • About the geographic area
      • Percentage IMGs
      • Is the program opposed or unopposed to Family Medicine Programs (know the nature of training in the program)
      • Letter from the Program Director
      • Attempts per Step ( comment section )
      • Do you have to have your ECFMG in hand to obtain a residency interview?
      • Does the program itself offer Observerships or clinical experience?
      • What does the program say about US clinical experience?