What are IMG Friendly Family Medicine Residency Programs?
What is Family Medicine residency?
Family medicine residency in the US is the least competitive specialty where a big portion of the international medical graduates will match. It is a discipline encompassing the study and practice of health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, care, and treatment of human beings from infancy to old age, during health and all stages of illness. This residency training includes rotations in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics-gynecology, psychiatry, and geriatrics. The specialty focuses on treating the whole person, acknowledging the effects of all outside influences, through all stages of life. Family physicians will see anyone with any problem, but are experts in common problems. Many family physicians deliver babies in addition to taking care of patients of all ages.
How many years is Family Medicine residency?
Family medicine residency is composed of 3 years. In whatever rotation you are in, there will be direct supervision from an attending in that department in addition to your senior residents and you will have lectures in all specialties usually held on scheduled basis for all the residency program. The first year, also called internship, the PGY-1 resident is called an intern. The intern will be learning mainly how to follow up patients, prescribing medications, writing progress notes and discharging the patients. He also helps the senior residents doing new admissions. The PGY-2 resident will carry more responsibility but less notes to write. He will be doing the majority of the hospital admissions, rounding with the social workers and discussing with the case managers patient-related issues. The PGY-3 resident will have more electives and more continuity clinic rotations. The third year resident will have more free time to study for the board exams.
What are the average scores for AMGs and IMGs who matched in Family Medicine?
The average scores for AMGs who matched in Family Medicine in USMLE step 1 and 2 CK are 213 and 225 respectively.
For IMGs who matched in Family Medicine the average scores in USMLE step 1 and 2 CK are 204 and 208 respectively.
What are the match statistics for Family Medicine?
About 40% of positions offered in the match go to AMGs and about 60% of positions go to IMGs. About 97% of AMGs who apply do match and about 45% of IMGs who apply do successfully match , as well as 40% who apply to the post match SOAP in FM also get positions.
What should IMGs do to increase their chances in matching in Family Medicine?
1- Answering the questions during the interviews appropriately and showing interest. Read this book at least twice before any interview: FM Q&As
2- You should apply to the same programs where IMGs matched in the previous years, these programs are found in many states as described in the below mentioned list. This is the full list of the IMG friendly family medicine residency programs with full selection criteria and requirements in PDF form that you can easily download to any computer or device from: Family Medicine IMG Friendly Residency Programs List
3- Make sure your LORs (especially from overseas) are written in a nice way so program directors will read them till the end. To help you with this task take a look into this guide: FM LORs
2- You should apply to the same programs where IMGs matched in the previous years, these programs are found in many states as described in the below mentioned list. This is the full list of the IMG friendly family medicine residency programs with full selection criteria and requirements in PDF form that you can easily download to any computer or device from: Family Medicine IMG Friendly Residency Programs List
3- Make sure your LORs (especially from overseas) are written in a nice way so program directors will read them till the end. To help you with this task take a look into this guide: FM LORs
4- Doing observerships and getting US LORs is an important part of your ERAS application where program directors will be looking for such information.
I matched already, what should I do to survive family medicine residency?
To survive family medicine residency you will need to get some books which are needed to build up your knowledge and other books to help you pass the in-service and board exams. These books are traditionally recommended by program directors and widely used by residents, you can find them here: Family Medicine Recommended Books
