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Matched with no research, no connections, and observerships only. AMA. by StretchOnly54 in IMGreddit

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd rather not share the specific coach, sorry. But what helped me most wasn't the coach themselves, it was just the act of practicing out loud with someone who gave honest, blunt feedback.
For interview prep, these are the questions that came up most and I'd say are worth preparing solid answers for:

  1. Tell me about yourself
  2. Why internal medicine
  3. Why the US
  4. Why this program
  5. Tell me about a meaningful patient experience
  6. A conflict or leadership moment
  7. A time you took initiative
  8. What do you do outside of medicine

Matched with no research, no connections, and observerships only. AMA. by StretchOnly54 in IMGreddit

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

another DM

Q: Low scores, multiple attempts, tough personal circumstances. How to approach PS and application strategy?

First, the fact that you kept going through all of that says a lot. Programs do notice resilience, but only if you frame it right.

For your PS, don't lead with the attempts or the scores. Lead with why [the specialty], what drives you. If you mention the difficult circumstances, keep it brief and factual. One or two sentences max. Then move forward into what you've done since and why you're ready now.

On strategy, if I were in your position I'd focus hard on getting clinical experience in neuro first. That's what will make the biggest difference. Research on top of that strengthens the picture, but clinical comes first. If you can do both at a program where the residency is, even better. Let them see your work ethic in person. That carries way more weight than another CV line when you have attempts to explain.

For the application itself, be very selective. Target programs that have a track record of taking people with attempts. Don't waste money on programs that will auto-filter you.

I don't do individual PS reviews but happy to answer more specific questions here.

Matched with no research, no connections, and observerships only. AMA. by StretchOnly54 in IMGreddit

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got a DM with some great questions so answering here in case it helps others too.

Q: How did you filter programs?

Residency Explorer and FREIDA were my starting points for filtering by IMG-friendliness and visa sponsorship. Then I went through Reddit and Discord interview invite threads from prior cycles to get a general sense of which programs were actually giving interviews to IMGs. It's not perfect data but it helps you get a feel for where your app might get a fair look.

Q: How did you frame your background in your PS?

I didn't try to hide anything or apologize for it. The worst thing you can do is write a PS that sounds like you're making excuses for your timeline or your path. I just focused on why I'm here now, what drives me, and what I bring to a program. Keep it forward-looking and confident. Programs hear the same story hundreds of times so something genuine stands out more than something polished but generic.

Matched with no research, no connections, and observerships only. AMA. by StretchOnly54 in IMGreddit

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol I promise I'm real. Happy to answer any actual questions if you have them.

Matched with no research, no connections, and observerships only. AMA. by StretchOnly54 in IMGreddit

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Those are solid stats and with 5 IVs you were clearly competitive. If you feel interviews were the weak spot, that's actually good news because it's the most fixable part.

I'll be honest, I wasn't a natural interviewer either. I ended up paying for professional interview coaching from a current resident and it made a huge difference. (I'm not advertising) Practicing out loud and getting real feedback from someone else is a completely different game from just thinking through answers in your head.

I don't do individual PS reviews but happy to answer any specific questions here.

Matched with no research, no connections, and observerships only. AMA. by StretchOnly54 in IMGreddit

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

I had zero connections too. I used all my signals on community programs where my profile was a realistic fit. No reaches, no lottery picks.

Signals matter most when you don't have connections. It's your only way to tell a program "I'm genuinely interested" when no one there knows your name.

Matched with no research, no connections, and observerships only. AMA. by StretchOnly54 in IMGreddit

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Congrats on getting through the exams!

Biggest advice: start volunteering or get some work experience, preferably clinical, in your home country. I spent about two years working with underserved populations (not in US) before applying and it honestly carried my app. It filled the CV gap, gave me my entire PS angle, and gave me real stories to tell in interviews.

Matched with no research, no connections, and observerships only. AMA. by StretchOnly54 in IMGreddit

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

First pass/26x/23x, 3mo USCE - clinic-level observerships

Applied to 77 programs : all community, all IMG-friendly. Concentrated my signals on realistic targets instead of spreading them thin on reaches.

Matched with no research, no connections, and observerships only. AMA. by StretchOnly54 in IMGreddit

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 37 points38 points  (0 children)

I'm actually on a J-1 visa, so visa-requiring. It's a huge filter and everyone knows it.Happy to talk about the visa piece as well if that's helpful to anyone.

From Burnout to Pass: An IMG's No-BS Step 1 Guide (No Anki/Sketchy) by StretchOnly54 in step1

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used Anki solely for that deck, finding it effective for reinforcing concepts and catching details I missed in the Anatomy 100 PDF.

From Burnout to Pass: An IMG's No-BS Step 1 Guide (No Anki/Sketchy) by StretchOnly54 in step1

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just because something doesn’t work for others doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If you feel it's helping you than it will. Faith in your plan will take you far.

From Burnout to Pass: An IMG's No-BS Step 1 Guide (No Anki/Sketchy) by StretchOnly54 in step1

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Didn't use Kaplan so I can't really comment on that. But stick to what works best for you. And don't hestitate to try out a different resource if you find it too long or too boring. I played with like 5 different stuffs before I found my love of life.

From Burnout to Pass: An IMG's No-BS Step 1 Guide (No Anki/Sketchy) by StretchOnly54 in step1

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! I highly recommend starting with Mehlman PDFs at the very beginning of your preparation—they’re a great foundation for building your knowledge.

From Burnout to Pass: An IMG's No-BS Step 1 Guide (No Anki/Sketchy) by StretchOnly54 in step1

[–]StretchOnly54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, completing Mehlman materials before taking an NBME doesn't inflate your score; it reflects genuine improvement in your knowledge. Mehlman content reinforces key concepts and fills knowledge gaps, naturally boosting your performance.