NECESSITY FOR PUBLISHED RESEARCH TO MATCH AS AN IMG

ABSTRACT:

Since USMLE Step-1 became Pass/Fail and USMLE Step 2CS was removed from the set of tests for ECFMG certification, there has been a lot of discussion on the weight that ERAS CV will carry henceforth for the upcoming IMG applicants.

My blog is an overview of the statistics observed in the 2022 residency match process. Although this is not representative of how the future residency match cycles might be as the 2022 applicants were the first to experience the Pass/Fail cycle of USMLE Step-1, it can help guide us to figure out what the Program Directors are actually looking for and is ERAS CV such a strong factor that Low Step Scores are also overlooked.

WHAT DID THE 2022 MATCH REVEAL:

The average number of published Research among IMGs matching into Internal Medicine programs ranged from 1-2.

​It is true that more competitive specialties like General Surgery and Dermatology require more research projects but US Clinical Research is more accepted than Home Country Research experience.

As for IMG-friendly specialties, US Clinical Research is just a nice addition to the overall residency application process.

Does it help in getting more interviews?-Definitely

Is it an absolute necessity for match-No? 
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More so, there is not sufficient data that reveals the type of papers they prefer for publication but scores still continue to be a priority in filtering participants.

CONCLUSION:

Research is definitely a great addition to the CV for an overall good application but not a necessity for IMG-friendly specialties.

Sarthi has handpicked quality research for you!

​Work with clinical researchers and physicians affiliated with Hackensack University Medical Center. https://www.usmlesarthi.com/research.html

References https://www.nrmp.org/match-data-analytics/residency-data-reports/