[sharvaree19]

Is the situation for IMGs, better or worse than what it was before?
I mean with regard to residency matching.

A couple of years ago, when I was still a student planning my mle, I seemed to know a lot of seniors who took all the steps, and the next thing you know, they are on their way to start the residency! and some of them had very average scores. it just seemed a lot easier for people ( FMGs) who were matched 2-3 years ago.

Now, most of my friends who expect to be matched, ( even with very good scores), seem to be having a really hard time.

Is this just a co-incidence?

Let's start a poll and see what you think.

But also scroll down to steptaker post where he presented documented statistics from the NRMP, read that post before you respond to the poll.

 

[lemontea88]

Yes. I want to know this also. Has there been an increase or decrease of IMG intake? WHat I heard was that there has been an increase in total IMG intake, but the increase is due to increased intake of American-born IMG, not foreign IMG.

Not 100% sure about that though.

 

[StepTaker]

We will see another dip in the graph in 2010

According to the NRMP data released for the Match results 2009
here's the figures

in the eighties of the last century the percent of non-US IMGs matched was around 25%

from 1990 to 1995 it peaked at 65%

from 1995 to 2000 there was another nadir in the graph almost reaching down to 30%

from 2000 to 2005 it increased again to over 50%

After 2005 until this year, the graph is going down again with 42% in the year 2009.

So statistically speaking, this consistent up and down nature of the graph is likely to continue

And perhaps in the year 2010 we'll see another dip to below 42%!

The detailed statistics are available here
http://www.nrmp.org/data/index.html

Download the first PDF document in that page and scroll down to figure number 4 and you'll see what am talking about.

Because that document is copyright protected I could not paste the graph for you here.

 

[indian]

Wooow,
Thank you steptaker

I guess I will postpone my match to 2015 when the graph goes up again

 

[sharvaree19]

wow. thanks steptaker.

does this graph co-relate to the financial recession- boom cycle, or does some other factor influence it to fluctuate like this?

 

[StepTaker]

IMG matching difficulty when the economy is down

wow. thanks steptaker.

does this graph co-relate to the financial recession- boom cycle, or does some other factor influence it to fluctuate like this?

Well, that's a good observation.

Perhaps, when the economy is good, more US parents send their kids to med school (as they can afford) so that after 5 years when they graduate the economy turns down again! Therefore, we see IMG difficulty when the economy is bad. This is just my theory, I have no documented evidence about it what so ever.

 

[sharvaree19]

oh...k..so one needs:

1- great scores
2- USCE, good recommendations,etc
3- stable economy.

as Im not exactly in a position to influence world politics/ economy, think Il just stick to the first two

 

[lemontea88]

Does anybody have any idea or prediction on how the health reform thing is going to affect IMG intake in the near future?

 

[sharvaree19]

what "health reform thing"? is this another obama thing? maybe I should watch more TV

 

[indian]

OK the stats are showing it's beocme more difficult but I think there things that appeared in the last few years that greatly facilitated IMG matching

examples, companies like matcharesident was not there before
the more availability of Kaplan material
the better and more efficient UW questions
...etc

all these changes making the IMG preparation and then getting matched rather easier than before

 

[lemontea88]

what "health reform thing"? is this another obama thing? maybe I should watch more TV

Yes the obama thing. I am not really sure not updated on what it's about but if i am not mistaken, the idea is that there will be more emphasis on primary care physicians. I wonder if this means more position for family practice but less positions in everything else.

 

[indian]

The theory proposed by steptaker is not correct.
Because looking at the same graph that he refers to, we can see that US students have been consistently matching througout the years at 95%. So there's no fluctuation with the ecomony.

 

[StepTaker]

The theory proposed by steptaker is not correct.
Because looking at the same graph that he refers to, we can see that US students have been consistently matching througout the years at 95%. So there's no fluctuation with the ecomony.

Yes, there's 95% US students accepted every year but what about the absolute number?
If for example let's say there are 100K residency position in the year 2009 and 100K US seniors applied then 95K of them will match and there left only 5K positions for IMGs to compete on. While if say 50K US students applied and 47.5K (95%) got matched then there will be 52.5K positions for IMGs to compete on which is significantly easier.

Remember we are talking about IMGs difficulty not US students difficulty.

 

[indian]

With all those services such as MatchAResident and the tons of websites helping us find the easiest IMG friendly program and with US health care system still expanding and in need of more doctors and with less Americans interested in medicine I think our chances have gone better.

The fact that there's less percentage of IMG matched is because that NRMP data does not include the prematch.

Thousands of IMGs are being accepted through prematch and scramble.

In fact I don't know anyone who did not match, no matter how bad were the scores or who old they are.

So cheer up my friends, it is easier than before.

 

[ramu]

thanks buddy for your discussion about residency programs

hope so , the need for imgs is at increase verge

 

[saurabh]

let me make clear that recession is yet to affect health sector worldwide so we need not worry about that and indeed the no of img match decreasing may be because more people applying for the same and especially from the uk side since foreign students denied medical over there

 

[rabeel]

Wooow,
Thank you steptaker

I guess I will postpone my match to 2015 when the graph goes up again

yes u r right

 

[indian]

It has definitely become more difficult than before, no doubt about that
More 99ers, more competition, more difficult Visa, more difficult exams, more stringent program criteria, .....etc

 

[ely83]

does anything change if you are a permanent resident??
does that make it easier??

 

[rasheed]

The Green Card Factor

does anything change if you are a permanent resident??
does that make it easier??

Yes it help but to a certain extent.
If you want more details and discuss it further please go to this thread
http://www.usmle-forums.com/residency-match-recommended-threads/1336-visa-citizenship-factor.html