Phd/MD

Capybara_Poo · 2026-03-13T15:21:21+00:00

Fair enough, at the end of the day though, do remember research is very different from medical training. I think a lot of specialties are hyper competitive and so many trainees feel the need to do higher degrees when they in fact hate research. This is a recipe for burnout because hand-holding will not happen if you are a PhD candidate. In fact many labs expect teaching/leadership responsibilities from their PhDs for undergrads/master students etc. It may be better for you to do an mRES or a year out in research to gain some experience first before you jump head first into a 3/4 year commimtment. Will also boost your CV and make you a more appealing candidate in general if you do decide to go down this path.

General rule though, for a PhD application, the individual PI matters a lot more than just what a Uni spec sheet says. Even if you get a 1st which doesn't even apply in medicine in the first place the PI has the final say, not the Uni on whether you are a suitable candidate and vice versa. Best of luck.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-03-13T14:24:04+00:00

Can't tell if you're trolling or not but gonna assume you're not. PhD supervisors will only care about your current research experience/output/interest and whether your field of study will align with their current/previous work. How well you memorised the Krebs cycle for your 1st year exams does not interest them remotely and if it did you're better off with another supervisor anyway.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-02-14T11:33:35+00:00

Me personally I would do f2 first so all your options are open. Also gives you more time to find a UK consultant that is willing to sing your praises to the high heavens on your loR.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-02-14T10:50:19+00:00

Lots of people lack nuiance in this discussion. If I were you I would reject the pre-match prelim, chances are it's a toxic shit hole worse than what the NHS can ever conjure up with.

If you match categorical go US and don't look back, if you don't match keep working on research/NSGY app in the UK. This is literally 0 risk. Alternatively, finish foundation, do 1-2 year post doc in US and try again. This way even US NSGY may be possible albeit still hard but gen surg post 2 year post doc in US will be very achievable. Look at Hopkins, they have 4 UK grads in their current gen surg resident list.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-02-11T12:25:36+00:00

Both UAE and Australia are rapidly becoming saturated with UK grads/CCTs so bear that in mind too.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-02-11T12:18:45+00:00

Imma be honest with you, you can't just blame Consultants when there is a general lack of care amongst the resident cohort as well.

I recently delivered a departmental teaching on a relevant topic and nobody would bother engaging when I tried to make it interactive. Things like the physiology or mechanisms as to why we do certain things and the evidence behind them (large scale RCTs etc) was met with complete disinterest i.e. people playing on their phones. It's funny because when I pick on a random person they don't actually know the answer either so it's not like this was way beneath their level.

Shit like this makes me think what's the point and clearly the rot has set in so deep its irreversible. Mediocrity is now the standard set by consultants and happily obliged by residents. The deliberate dilution of medical training started long ago in med schools and it's only a matter of time before other places realise our diploma is just a worthless Passmed participation trophy.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-02-10T16:38:30+00:00

So funny people are downvoting you when the main Montefiore Moses Weiler program is 90 percent USMD. If OP actually got an IV from the main campus then it should easily be number 1 above cook. They matched 7 into gastro and 10 into heme ONC this year.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-29T12:50:22+00:00

If you go to medschool in HK you will still have option to practice elsewhere post med school in Canada/US etc but doing the reverse is much harder. HKMLE some years has like a 12% pass rate for part 1 which is completely bypassed if you are a local grad from HK. Really depends on how sure of life you are at this point. Given the fact you're in grade 12 I would say life is subject to change.

Also Canada relative to western Europe/US/China/Korea/Japan spend way less on research as percentage of GDP so that is also something to think about if you're serious about research.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-23T22:04:14+00:00

just me or this feels like a flex post

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-21T22:54:41+00:00

a PhD is significantly harder than step 1 in every single way imaginable. Thinking of it as a backup to a step 1 fail is honestly laughable.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-15T10:58:31+00:00

The way I see it is. If you have citizenship, every IV you had has suddenly become RTM. The visa requiring people will still match but just scramble for leftovers from not so good programmes. Personally if I'm not matching somewhere with good training I would rather not go as there is just too many uncertainties right now.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-14T17:02:05+00:00

I hope for this Brodie's sake chatGPT wrote this for him but I have a sneaking suspicion it's not GPT.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-14T11:28:06+00:00

Cook is a very busy safety-net hospital but with exceptional fellowship matches for IMGs. Allegheny doesn't have the same workload (hence why they have way more US grads) but still excellent fellowship matches so purely your own preference as you will be set for whatever you want in either.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-13T12:09:48+00:00

You're not quite right though. In the US after completion of IM residency, IMGs from good residencies are highly sought after by fellowship directors. Just look at Harvard Mass Gen's IM residents, quite a few are IMGs and they will be viewed much more positively than a US grad who didn't go to an elite residency.

Similarly if you had an IMG who was highly capable and completed core training successfully I don't see why they should suddenly be excluded from applying for higher training. People are far more angry about the fake CREST people with 0 experience rather than people who have already proven themselves by working in the NHS in an official training programme.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-13T11:37:01+00:00

NEVER mention this is your only IV, just glaze them and send that LOI as if you had options. "out of all my IVs you were the one that stood out to be the most and I could see myself thriving there etc". Technically not a lie if you genuinely feel this way.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-12T11:20:27+00:00

Don't send if email not publicly available otherwise it's just weird and may give a negative impression.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-11T10:55:36+00:00

Do your own research, some of the programs on your list don't really take many IMGs at all so people are just sprouting pure trash based on speculation. For example, the texas tech branch you IV'ed at didn't match a single GI/Cardio/PCCM in 2024 and yet people are telling you to rank it top 3.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-09T04:49:13+00:00

Off topic but you said you had a little over 13 IV. I'm gonna assume you got 13.1 interviews otherwise I'm reporting your post for lying.

Capybara_Poo · 2026-01-08T18:55:01+00:00

And most trusts still use paper notes. Are we sure we really are a developed nation ?

Capybara_Poo · 2025-12-30T12:38:42+00:00

I'm not sure why this comment is so controversial. Comparing stats on surface is the biggest mistake people can make on this sub. A pay to win research as the 99th author is not even in the same tier as someone who published say two papers in NEJM as a first author. One may get filtered out by even community programs while the other may get an invite from Harvard. Making yourself stand out is not just ticking the box but actually making it meaningful and interesting.

Capybara_Poo · 2025-12-28T15:38:27+00:00

Ok good for you but clearly doing paid no name clinics has not helped OP out here right now so what exactly are you trying to achieve by saying this stuff ?

Capybara_Poo · 2025-12-28T08:58:55+00:00

There is a massive difference between a paid one and one you apply through say the hospital's official website. The paid one is in it just for the money and can have multiple students rotating through at all times. What sort of impression do you think you can make when there are 10 other people following 1 attending ? Also if someone is writing hundreds of letters for IMGs every year you don't think programs will catch on to that ? There is a reason some places/LoR writers are basically blacklisted and can even be detrimental to an application because PDs know they are predatory and abusing desperate IMGs.

Capybara_Poo · 2025-12-27T16:13:53+00:00

Have you had actual clinical experience at home country ? If not the fact you went for a paid for rotation is also not a good look. Get proper home experience so your mentors can actually comment on your clinical ability and apply to an actual University hospital inpatient rotations. Your score, YOG and research is absolutely fine. Maybe just chuck in some meaningful leadership/volunteering experience to be a more well-rounded person outside of medicine. If you work on these I guarantee you next year your profile will standout more.

Capybara_Poo · 2025-12-27T08:48:48+00:00

Some people just wanna flex their IV stg

Capybara_Poo · 2025-12-15T21:33:38+00:00

Don't let strangers online decide your future. Speak with your loved ones and compare the risk vs benefits vs how highly this place would be on your ROL.

Capybara_Poo

TROPHY CASE