Thread: Residency?

So basically a lot of people have been talking a bunch of crap about anyone starting in the Caribbean from this point, saying things like good luck finding a residency and how it wont be worth it for us....what is your intake on the issue (my brother finished at MUA and matched for a surgery residency and is happily employed) but is our future as certain? If we put in all this work and get screwed in the end...itll be the death of me

No, if you look at the numbers, the future is not as certain moving forward. That doesn't mean that it will not work out for ANYONE, but rather, it means that things will get even more competitive than they already are. After ±2016 it will be a lot harder to match into anything, because of the (targeted) 1-to-1 ratio of US grads to US internship positions.

Now, admittedly, this is a target... However, even if they fall well short of 1-to-1, the steadily increasing number of US grads will absolutely have a deleterious effect on foreign grads attempting to match.

Everyone needs to make their own decisions on this. Some people will stuff their fingers in their ears, pretend it isn't happening, take digital potshots at the people who say "Wait, look at this," and press forward willy-nilly at any foreign school that will accept them. Others will freak out, scream that the sky is falling, and wind up not attending medical school at all. Others will redouble their efforts to gain acceptance at a US MD or DO school (probably the wisest choice in most cases). Still others will fall somewhere in between.

FWIW, I would look for for the medical degree alternatives, Carib or otherwise, that will offer a medical school graduate the highest number of (personally acceptable) practice and training options. The results of that search will vary from candidate to candidate, but they will also yield the best options for future practice as a physician.

during medical school i began thinking that matching into residency was like winning the lottery and whenever I met a resident I thought they were a superstar in some way.

i'm a second year resident now and the most of the people I knew at mua matched!! some people who I thought would find it difficult to match because of a step 1 failure or personality issue matched, although to non-competitive programs.

there is always some crisis going on which makes "this time' worse. if someone wants to be a doctor, go for it. if you don't know how to study or were not cut out to be a doctor, the odds are against you. most others i think will be sucessful.

Originally Posted by devildoc8404

No, if you look at the numbers, the future is not as certain moving forward. That doesn't mean that it will not work out for ANYONE, but rather, it means that things will get even more competitive than they already are. After ±2016 it will be a lot harder to match into anything, because of the (targeted) 1-to-1 ratio of US grads to US internship positions.

Now, admittedly, this is a target... However, even if they fall well short of 1-to-1, the steadily increasing number of US grads will absolutely have a deleterious effect on foreign grads attempting to match.

Everyone needs to make their own decisions on this. Some people will stuff their fingers in their ears, pretend it isn't happening, take digital potshots at the people who say "Wait, look at this," and press forward willy-nilly at any foreign school that will accept them. Others will freak out, scream that the sky is falling, and wind up not attending medical school at all. Others will redouble their efforts to gain acceptance at a US MD or DO school (probably the wisest choice in most cases). Still others will fall somewhere in between.

FWIW, I would look for for the medical degree alternatives, Carib or otherwise, that will offer a medical school graduate the highest number of (personally acceptable) practice and training options. The results of that search will vary from candidate to candidate, but they will also yield the best options for future practice as a physician.

So I guess the goal is to match before 2016

Don1 said it best......
Matching into a residency does not require black magic. Thousands have done so prior to us, so I don't think come our turn, things will automatically change. The AAMC proposal to increase American med school is not news to us. This has been going on for such a long time, so I don't see why you should be afraid. But if you are not cut out for medical education, be cautious.

I don't think that fear is indicated... but going into foreign medical school with your eyes wide open is certainly a good idea.

IMHO, I don't think that the "It's been this way in the past, so it will be the same way in the future" argument holds a lot of water. Industries change, and being able to manage the vagaries of a changing environment will be key. I think that the increase in US schools will make it tougher for us as FMG/IMGs, but people with quality credentials will still be able match. Unfortunately, I think that significantly more people on the periphery of competitiveness will not. Only time will tell, of course.

Possibly the best advice for those who elect to go overseas to medical school is to make sure you are solid, wherever you are studying.

I agree with devildoc "fear" may not be the correct response, but any one considering this path needs to have all the information. That means having a practical outlook on the future and if the current trends hold true then the number of IMGs that match will go down. I like to be glass half full though and like to think that a greater demand for positions will bring more positions at a higher rate. Just my two cents...

As you go more into the specialties which are under-filled the outlook gets even better. (Psychiatry, ??)

I think people will still get residencies in the future. Things like surgery will get farther and farther out of reach.