GUIDING IMGS TO MATCH INTO THEIR DREAM US RESIDENCY

1/5/2019

Useful Tips for IMGs to get US research

Having US research experience with documented outcomes (publications, manuscripts) gives IMGs a distinct advantage but how to look for a research position in the first place? Many IMGs send hundreds of emails to faculty in various US universities hoping to land a position. Some get lucky but others are frustrated for lack of response.

Here are a few tips to help you.

Do your own due diligence first- Find out if you have any college alumni who have done research in the US and try to connect with them for guidance
If not from your school, try to find out where alumni and students from other colleges of your city or country typically go for research. You may be surprised to find that students from these colleges go to some select universities/faculty in great numbers. In India for example students from AIIMS, MAMC and other such colleges are able to find research positions relatively easily. One of the reasons is they have done their ground work and connect with their alumini/friends who are already in research in US.

Identify your area of research: You should have a good idea of the area of research that interests you, atleast at a high level. You should have done some basic literature review. The faculty is more likely to respond to a student who has a clearer idea of the area of research.
If you know what area interests you and you are able to network with alumni, you should then start the faculty search. Make a list of faculty whose research area is aligned to what you want to do.

Another important aspect here is to look for and prefer faculty that has grants. This information is generally available on their faculty profile page. If the faculty is funded it is likely that his/her project needs help (you!) and you may even get paid (may be not initially)
Based on all the hard work you have done so far, you should have a list of 60-100 faculty to write to.
Prepare your CV- but that’s not all. It is a good idea to write your ‘research SOP’- basically at a high level, what you want to accomplish with that faculty (short term) and what your medium/long term research goals in that field are. This is not easy and this need not be perfect but this is where you will stand out. If you can articulate what you want to do, how that aligns with the faculty’s research interest, it will not only impress the faculty, but will also show that you are a serious candidate. When you write to them, specifically ask for some time for a phone/skype conversation to discuss.

When/if you are in the US for observerships, Step 2 CS, or otherwise, it is a good idea to try and meet with the faculty in the city you are in. They are busy people and may not have responded to your emails (even if you have done all of above)- but most are happy to meet with you, if you are in town. You may have to go to their office a couple of times or call them but it may be worth it.
Hopefully with all your preparation and an interview (face-to-face or phone/skype) with the faculty, you should be able to get a research project (even if volunteer). If not, don’t give up hope, ask them if they can recommend any other faculty who may be looking for help- most of them will be happy to guide to others who may be hiring.

With inputs from our students specially Dr. Sushant Puri, a Neurology PGY2.

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1/5/2019

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Home-country research for USMLE Residency match for IMGs

For most IMGs, the ‘Residency Match planning’ process begins with the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 preparation and trying to get US Clinical Experience (USCE). However, this strategy overlooks a crucial opportunity to enhance the prospect of a successful match, which is getting quality research experience during medical education in their home country. In the current hypercompetitive environment that international graduates face, research experience can be an important differentiator. While US research experience is valued highly by Residency Programs, you can get vital research experience even in your home country as part of your medical school or work.
In addition to improving your resume, research participation in medical school also enables you to acquire additional skills and critically evaluate the medical literature. Based on the experience of our panel physicians and of students that we have guided in past few years, we outline top strategies and tips you can leverage to get valuable research experience in your home country.
Ideally you should start on your research projects in the early years of your medical school. Finding a good mentor and a project can be difficult so early on. There are also several constraints that medical schools outside of US have including resource crunch, lack of research opportunities/programs for medical students. Here are some of the ideas on how to overcome these challenges:

1. Seek out a US/North American or UK trained faculty. Countries like India now have many US/Canada trained physicians who have gone back and are working for large renowned hospital systems. These physicians not only understand the importance of research but also are more likely to be familiar with the latest research areas and provide appropriate mentoring. Their letter of recommendation is also likely to carry more weight with the Residency Program Admissions Committee. If you don’t have such faculty in your Medical School or in your city, reach out to other prominent research institutions in your country. In India for example, AIIMS, PGI, JIPMER, The Tata Institute, ICMR or similar institutions would be a good bet. These institutes have academic faculty who are trained and interested in research and there may be several opportunities. The faculty in these institutes, especially those on an academic track may have research projects that you could get involved with as a starting point. While working on an already developed project, you could develop your own idea with input from your mentor. It is unlikely that you will get a paid position but most of them will be open to a voluntary position. And if you work hard and make a good impression, a strong letter of recommendation will be a bonus. It is also a good idea to try to seek short term opportunities (for e.g., summer research internships) in these institutions during your early medical school years.

2. Get a Research project: Once you have a mentor identified, you should work with him/her to plan meaningful research projects that have a high potential for publication. You can get involved in one of their ongoing research projects or start with a retrospective study. You should work with your mentor to design the study, get IRB approval and conduct the data collection and analyses and get the study to publication.

3. Technical/Statistical skills: You should also use this opportunity to acquire basic statistical skills and become familiar with atleast one statistical tool like SPSS, Stata or JMP. There are several free online tutorials that you can use to acquire these skills even if local expertise may not be available. You may also be able to do online certificate courses in statistics/research methodology from prestigious US universities. That would definitely add weight to your CV. Knowledge of a statistical package is valued very highly once you move to the US and look for US research job. This is definitely something you want to do even if you don’t get a research project. In addition, it is very important to have the knowledge to do comprehensive literature searches using databases such as PubMed and Ovid and to be familiar with Reference manager programs such as EndNote.

4. Publish results: As you work on your research project start thinking about the channels to disseminate your results. Again, your mentor can provide useful guidance in this regard. But remember the end goal has to be a manuscript. We find that most students feel that writing an abstract or giving an oral presentation is enough- while these are reasonable, the Admissions Committee is likely to consider research experience resulting in manuscript very favorably.

To summarize you need a good mentor, a well thought out project which is scientifically rigorous and you need to learn analytical skills- all of which can combine to produce a well written manuscript and help you obtain critical research skills.

More importantly this will help you prepare well for some of the most commonly asked questions in the Residency Interviews, such as- “Are you interested in research? In which field? “Tell me something about your research experience..” and so on.

However for many IMGs, for several reasons, undertaking a research project may not work out. Does it mean there is nothing that you can do? Of course not! The next best strategy is to pick up a topic you are passionate about and do a systematic review of literature. Here again, finding a mentor: local or international who may be a known expert in the area to run your ideas by can help improve the quality of your work and result in a valuable addition to your resume. Reviewing studies in a given area gives you an idea about the state of science in the area and helps identify gaps which you can then explore to develop projects when the opportunity presents itself.

all about usmle

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Research options for USMLE residency

Useful Tips for IMGs to get US research

Home-country research for USMLE Residency match for IMGs

Research for IMGs

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