International Medical Graduate (IMG) Friendly Hospitals

In the 2020 Match, I mainly applied to these four states:

• NY
• Philly
• Texas
• MA

I chose these locations based on a website result that showed they are the top four IMG-friendly states (source unverified, forgot where I got it, sorry). However, it turns out that I didn't receive any invitations from Philly and Texas. LOL. Despite my intrigue with Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso, as well as all the tacos, I was really disappointed not to hear anything from Texas. The money I spent on those applications could have covered a lifetime supply of tacos.

So, where are they? Do they even exist? After the Match process, I tend to think that it's not the states but rather the hospitals that matter. Some hospitals are just loaded with IMGs. I handpicked the programs I applied to by browsing the hospital websites, counting the number of IMGs in their "current residents" section, and also using FRIEDA's percentage of IMG filter options.

But to be even more targeted in your approach, you might want to consider including the hospitals that invited me:

• Rochester General Hospital
• Peter James VA, Bronx
• Lincoln, Bronx
• Bronx-Lebanon
• Coney Island, NYC Health
• Lakeland Hospital, Michigan
• Prince George University of Maryland
• St. Agnes, Baltimore (no cap for H1B)
• AMITA in Evanston, Chicago
• Fairview Cleveland Clinic, OH
• Bridgeport Hospital, CT
• Mt. Auburn, MA
• St. Elizabeth, MA

It looks like I received a lot of invitations from New York, but considering I applied to over 50 programs, it's only a 10% return on investment. I applied to less than 10 programs in MD/DC Washington and received two out of the ten, which is a 20% return (I listed MD as my permanent address, check the post on Myth Buster – Getting Match). I applied to around 15-17 programs in Texas and got zero invitations, and around 12 programs in PA with no invitations either. Even if I had received one interview from Texas, it would still be a meager 6% (1/17).

I digress, but I think Fairview should receive some positive feedback. There are loads of not-so-positive posts comparing CCF and its satellites to other renowned hospitals, but my interview experience there was super good. In fact, I was struggling to decide whether to put it first or Bridgeport first. Having attended noon conferences at BWH, grand rounds, and occasionally going to MGH for the same purpose, I must say that the quality of Fairview's conferences is on par, and what attracts me even further is how smart their residents are. The noon conference had depth, and the discussions among residents at the end of it left me in awe.

In conclusion, if you want to make the most out of your money, choose the "high-yield" hospitals and skip Texas altogether."