[younissmed]

Hi there everyone, just wanna start by saying that this is a great forums for who's interested in USMLE, lots of info. really helpful.
I'm a newbie to USMLE I just graduated from a med. school in Egypt & I'm gonna start my internship next week.
I'm gonna start studying for USMLE real soon, starting with the CK.
So I've done some research & I came out with some facts one of them is that certain specialties are reserved for AMGs & it's real hard for IMGs to get in & I'm interested in anything but I.M. or Pediatrics, which are the 2 specialties available easily for IMGs & I'd really like to get into SURGERY, RADIOLOGY, E.N.T. or OPHTHALMOLOGY.
So my question is what do I need to do & what are my chances in getting one of those residencies?
& I'm also a U.S. citizen, so does that help in any way? please advice.

THANK YOU.

 

[donofitaly]

You being an US citizen surely will help you. But do you ACTUALLY have a passport or GC? Anyways, both are equally good from what i have known.

Surely the fields you are interested are one of the most competitive ones. You will need high scores, good research, some USCE and if possible good contacts to help you.

Its not impossible but quite difficult however your GC/Passport should help you a lot as opposed to a typical IMG.

 

[younissmed]

Thank you for responding,& I have a passport if it makes any difference.
So one more question, how long should i spend on researches & USCE after finishing the USMLE? cause my biggest concern now is time

 

[Sabio]

Welcome to USMLE Forums

Hi there everyone, ... THANK YOU.

Dear younissmed,
Welcome to USMLE Forums and we are glad to have you here.
I agree with donofitaly have answered you in that research and USCE will enhance your chances for getting a competitive match.
Just wanted to remind you that there are other IMG-friendly specialties other than IM and peds, such as Family Medicine and Psychiatry and to a lesser extent Ob-Gyn and Anesthesiology.

One of the tricks to also think of applying to prelim surgery as it may also give you a portal to surgical specialties.

 

[Sabio]

So one more question, how long should i spend on researches & USCE after finishing the USMLE? cause my biggest concern now is time

There's no set limit for that. The longer you do it the more likely you get better LoRs and stronger connections.
Typically they ask for three months of USCE and typically they ask for hands-on experience (externships) but some programs also recognize research as USCE and few programs recognize observeships as USCE.
For further details about these see our Dedicated USCE Forum