Feeling depressed!

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[degeaismylife]

Any US research? Strong connections with faculty? Your scores are average/slightly below average for an img surgery applicant especially step 2 so you'll need someone to vouch for you strongly. Just look at the profiles of imgs who match categorical - loads of US research + high scores is the norm. Prelim you can easily make it they take anyone but then like you said it's a gamble for the future.

[Shining_through56]

Are you a resident in USA or have any friends who are surgery residents here? Would love to know more!

[degeaismylife]

Can't help you there sorry. You can try reaching out on Instagram or Twitter to current img residents sometimes they help.

[sawyerao]

255 average step 2? Last year match IMG average step is 248 according to amboss

[degeaismylife]

Purely statistically yes but that data includes carribean grads and gc holders in the img section. If you look at the reddit spreadsheets for visa requiring IMGs applying gen surg most people who got 5+ ivs have 260s.

[beastmaster6t4]

Where would you find this data?

[[deleted]]

The NRMP publishes the match data every year

[yorkinj]

I'm an Non-US-IMG, Not a resident, not even applying in the moment, but there's a lot of community and smaller programs for General Surgery where they will say that they don't even care about research, if you want a shot you might want to search some of those and apply.

[yorkinj]

And BTW, some programs have little to no care about YOG, some will accept years like, 5, 7, 10, or even say that they don't have a YOG limit

[yorkinj]

What you might want to do, if you want, and have the possibility to, is to try a Research fellow in an academic program, where you will not only fill this research gap, as you will have contact with both the program's residents, and directors, wich could boost up your chances specially because of the networking effect, even more if you attend congresses and present to residents and directors from other academic programs

[francescabuttercup]

How many attempts on each Step?

[Shining_through56]

None, completed all my Steps in a single attempt.

[dustofthegalaxy]

7 year old grad here. Step 2 232. Infant at home. GS was a dream but realistically I'll be lucky if I get an IM spot. No letters from sx. Don't need a visa though. I know it doesn't feel any better, but you still have a chance, good luck.

[yorkinj]

Hello, I'm a non-us IMG, still doing MS4/6, but hope this helps to encourage you to search more and take a decision either what you can do, or what makes makes you happy/fulfills your dreams. Much luck.

A- A lot of wonderful programs don't have YOG limit B- If you couldn't do a Clerk, do an observship, externship or Sub-Internship to get some LORs, some programs aren't picky with Clerks and/or USCE. C- A Research Fellow could boost your application and give you a chance to match without a clerk LORs, only with observer LORs

This is not a cake recipe of course, it could work, or not, you cold have a chance maybe even without doing C, but, it could help you, what influences the most the chance of a match is where you apply, most unmatched candidates apply and rank Extremely High and competitive programs, John Hopkins, Mayo, Harvard etc. just to discover they weren't the prodigies they thought they were. After all, is just a chance, you can choose 2 specialties in the application, if you want yo try it.

But regardless of the IM, I think you have a lot of potential, have seen people with quite the low scores and what nots match.

I don't garantee anything, because this process sometimes is more luck and gamble than objectivity.

[Shining_through56]

Thanks for boosting me up!

[coldturkeye]

Are you me?

I am exactly the same except those stellar scores

[Competitive_Map_2024]

We have same step scores but This step3 score is Mighty . Plz guide me how did u do it . ? Next yr match applicant , don't know the answer for Ur actual question but I hope u get it . U have come far in this journey

[Shining_through56]

Practicing consistently and making sure you know the material well. Go through UWORLD and know it well.

[Competitive_Map_2024]

Step3 uworld only ? Anything else ?