How I overcame Step 2 CS attempt to Match in IM

I’m a Non-US IMG from East Asia. I graduated in 2016. My credentials were average: 232/241/CS in 2nd attempt and 5 months of USCE (3 months at hospitals and 2 months in clinics). My biggest challenge was language at the beginning. I rushed for step 2 CS and failed the first time. I just saw that most of my friends who were also Non US IMG were able to finish CS in a month. Deriving confidence from them I registered for the exam according to the same timeline that my friends were following. But I could not pass the SEP part. I was practicing with an US IMG at that time for the CS and language does make a big difference in the process. I was much slower in comparison to my friends in the preparation but as I had already registered and there was no date available for the next 3 months, so I just went for it. I passed all the other parts but SEP, because of which I was delayed by 1 year for the match.
I was determined to master the language skills and hence, I made up my mind to overcome this challenge. I went to see a speech pathologist for personalized lessons. It was indeed helpful and the language course reasonably priced which was worth it. It made me feel more confident and helped me improve. I don’t regret taking this course. I also used Elsa app to practice pronunciation everyday and took a part time on campus job as a student worker (I’m an F-1 student in the US and I come with Kaplan and an ESL class). I did volunteering in church, homeless shelter and hospital as long as there were native people, so that I could practice English with them. My language skills have significantly improved and I passed the CS in 2nd attempt.
In the interim, waiting for the match, I was able to find a research position and get some papers published. The best way to do that, is to find seniors from your own country. I Reached out to all the acquaintances I knew. I’m lucky to have a poster presentation and a book chapter in my CV, which was advised to mention in my CV by my senior who is a doctor in the US. This makes a big part of my USMLE journey. During the match I reached out to all my friends whom I knew and I was advised by Sarthi , which was quite helpful and saved my time as well. I got 3 interviews and accepted a pre - match offer.
If I could do it again, I will evaluate the situation of CS carefully before registering in it. But I was unaware that weakness in English language would affect it. Rather I don’t regret what is meant to happen will happen, it has indeed shaped me as a much stronger individual. I’m grateful to be an optimist and I always focus on the positive side of any circumstance and believe every problem comes with a solution. Don’t let people tell you that you can’t do something. Just go to the end and let your experience show you what you can and cannot do.

Perhaps, the pandemic favored my situation with step 2 CS and from being in the USA during the match. Apparently in the interview, language  is not much of a concern . I won’t represent my weak part , I need to show them what they can get from me as a resident instead. And this goes without saying that,  Sarthi is a big part of my journey. With a huge pool of data and materials from previous match cycles, Sarthi has helped me save my time to gather relative materials and information. I am confident about practicing interview questions and following the tips and tricks provided by the Sarthi team for the match to achieve my goal.

​