How to Create the Perfect Resume for Residency

How do you increase your chance of matching? No matter what your stories are, some remedies apply like panacea. Below are a few that I know, use accordingly to sooth your ailments. Side effect: potential heartache from rejections. Therapeutic range is pretty limited so please monitor the application deadlines closely.

1. International Physician Observer Program, CCF

Applicant Profile: Physician Only

Application fee: 500 USD

Outcomes: Connections, LoRs

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/international-medical-education/physician-programs/physician-observer

2.  WHO Internship (Geneva) 

Applicant Profile: Recent graduate (not more than 6 months)

Application fee: Zero

Stipend: Yes, in ~1700 CHF

Outcomes: Enrich the content of your residency interviews, Public Health and its aspirations sound really good to the PD’s ears. You can apply to regional office as well, you will have more “hands on” or “on site” experience but Geneva HQ has its glamor. They do stuffs like Cultural Night, various events organization, Intern videos/reports/photoshoot sessions that might be useful during residency interview. Weigh you pros & cons.

https://www.who.int/careers/internships/en/

3.  PAHO Internship, Washington D.C.

Applicant Profile: Recent grad PLUS the following

• is a U.S. Citizen, or
• is a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, or
• has a valid visa with an Employment Authorization from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or
• is sponsored by PAHO with a G-4 visa.
• Foreign Students in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status Participating in Curricular Practical Training provide a valid OPT or CPT or,
• Foreign Students in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status with the correct endorsement in the I-20 by the university.

Application Fees: ZERO

Do they pay you? No.

https://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?Itemid=4245&lang=en

4.  St. Barbara Elective, CA

Applicant Profile: Student

Application Fees: Zero

Outcomes: LoRs, better chance of getting into their residency (maybe)

https://www.cottagehealth.org/medical-professionals/residency-programs/internal-medicine/internal-medicine-residency-externships/

5.  NIH Elective

Applicant Profile: Student

Application Fees: ZERO

Outcomes: LoRs, but they don’t have residency program

*** NIH has many other research based programs you can look up depending on your professional background. They have 1 year research program for US citizen, and post baccalaureate research program akin to master/PhD.***

      6.  University of Alabama Visiting Student Medical Elective

Applicant Profile: Student

Application fees: is nth compared to the tuition fees of 5000 USD

Outcomes: LoRs and considered as internal candidate for residency, maybe.

NOTES: When I was interviewing at my current matched hospital, I met another candidate who did this elective. The costs can run up to $6000 per month, but he said that he was getting real hands on experiences and airport transports etc, generally positive feedback. That's all I garnered.

https://www.uab.edu/medicine/international/international-students/international-visiting-medical-students

7          7.  Pre-Residency Training Programs (UAB)

Applicant Profile: IMG

Application fees: this must be a conscious omission from their side, email them please.

If you don't feel that you are a strong candidate for this year match, maybe you might want to take an extra year off by joining this program, boost up your credential and apply next cycle as a strong candidate.

https://www.uab.edu/medicine/international/international-scholars/pre-residency-training-programs

Timeframe for USMLE pathway

Time is the most precious commodity one has, and doing the right thing at the right time is crucial. "Failed to plan = plan to fail." Here, I am going to share my USMLE IMG time frame as a former medical student, just so you can get an idea of how to plan ahead:

2013: Enrolled in medical school.

2013-2014: Started learning bench research in university.

2014-2015: Studied my ass off as a second-year med student.

2015-2016: Undertook clinical research at Brigham Endocrinology.

March-June 2016: Prepared for Step 1.

June 2016: Took Step 1.

2016-2017: Came back to Malaysia, resumed as a third-year med student.

December 2017: Took Step 2 CK.

2017-2018: Crazy busy fourth-year med student, spammed Freida website, emailed coordinators for USCE positions.

April 2018: Rotated in a Michigan community hospital.

May 2018: Took the chance to get Step 2 CS done (saved flight money).

August-September 2018: Volunteered at Kathmandu Children Hospital, Nepal.

2018-2019: Spammed coordinators again for USCE.

July 2019: GRADUATED!

August 2019: NIH Cardiology internship.

September 2019: Audition rotation in the same Michigan Hospital.

October 2019: Interview trail started.

February 2020: Interviews ended, submitted RoL.

End of February 2020: WHO Internship in Geneva.

March 2020: Matched!!!

June 2020: WHO internship ended.

End of June 2020: PGY-1 commences.

Remember, this is just one example of a time frame for USMLE preparation and the matching process for an IMG. It's essential to customize your plan based on your circumstances and goals.

 I suggest clearing off the USMLE steps as soon as you can by practicing UWorld and Kaplan for 3-4 months and studying well during medical school.

The USMLE pathway is time-sensitive, and you can make your life much easier by taking it during your medical school years when you have extra time after school to prepare for these additional tests. You can also do it during Housemanship, but it won't be any easier, so why not take it now?

When you apply for USCE, it's beneficial to have Step 1 and, even better, Step 2 scores ready. When I applied for the Michigan USCE, the coordinator asked for my Step 2 score if it was available. Although not a requirement, it is a plus factor.

Plan your medical school elective, especially the away rotation, well. If your school does not offer it, use the end of the semester break or year-end break to go to the US for your rotation. During the same trip, take Step 2 CS.

Once you have your Step 2 CS, consider applying for the NIH visiting student elective. NIH requires either TOEFL scores of 29/30 or Step 2 CS. I tried TOEFL, but I did not get a near-perfect score, so I used Step 2 CS instead.

If you have completed all the steps mentioned above, engage in volunteer activities or pursue other internship opportunities. I found out about my WHO intern position in December 2019. Later, during my residency interviews, I mentioned this experience and expressed my interest in Public Health, among other topics.

What you do after medical school is super important. Remember that your CV does not end the moment you click "send" on the ERAS application. New work experiences, internships, publications, and even additional USCEs can provide you with ideal reasons to email programs, update them on your professional achievements, and express your interest.

If you don't have the mentioned experiences above, don't worry. What matters is how you spend your time, whether it was wisely spent, and how it contributes to your personal growth.

Touch wood, but if you don't match for that year, at least you have already started planning ahead for the next even better and stronger Match cycle with your new experiences.