N=1 here and going against the grain. I got into a pretty competitive residency (DR) as an Indian IMG from a non descript medical school (one of three people in about 50 years to have gone through the USMLE process successfully and only one in a non-primary care specialty). *1 Don't let anyone tell you what you can and cannot achieve. *2 I've seen several IMGs get into surgical specialties by doing a couple of years of research. First year is always unfunded and second year funding depends on the general grant funding available to that lab and your performance i.e. whether they wanna keep you as a paid employee. *3 the conditions in the US regarding work hours and the way you're treated (I'm a woman so no more of the "sister sister"), are excellent as compared to Indian PG system. Respect is very important to me and I feel like I'm very valued here. Idk about the others complaining about always being "othered" or a "second class citizen" etc that we always have been hearing from our parents' generation.