02-16-2006, 02:57 AM
Here is my opinion. I am from Latin America and I think this discusion had gotten just too long and way out of proportion. Things to consider:
1. Considering geography (distance) and costs, it is a lot easier for Latin american med students to do elective clerkships in the US. That is, meaningful USCE (hands on experience) and most importantly, good reccommendation letters. I know I did and almost everyone from my home country that applies to the US had done that.
2. Nowadays, LORS are probably at the same level of importance of scores. As I been said by one PD: "5 years ago we received 1000 applications and about 60% passed our screening score. Now, we received almost 2000 application and 85% passed that screeing. Now we need to look to other things, basically the LORS". And, in most of my interviews, the interviewer liked to comment about my LORS.
3. Quality of LORS is very important. Specially the more competitive programs want meaningful, hands on experience, preferibly University based USCE. And, for achieving that, the best thing is doing this while still in med school. Those who are looking for observership at a private practice office, taking vitals and things like that, well, they are better than nothing (probably better than home country LORS), but they will not be enough for securing an interview. As I been said by another PD: "we really can't consider a LOR that might be written by the applicant's uncle as far as we know".
4. I received a good number of invitations, and from those programs, probably in 10% they have someone from my home country. So, saying that we get interviews because of "contacts" is far from true. In fact, I just sent my applications and wait. I didn't call any "contact" for getting me an interview.
5. Something important though, is that maybe 30% of my programs, did have some previous experience with people from my home country. PD's are not stupid. When they find someone from a med-school/country that was excellent, they will stick with that med school until they find someone that is not that good and then probably won't call anyone from there for the next couple of years. And if you consider the volume of people of India compared to those from Latin america, that apply (just look at this forum) and got a residency in the past (maybe is a 10:1 ratio), it is a lot more easy to find someone from India that had screwed it in the past (only because of volume...during my rotations in the US i found people from India that were brilliant, but also some that had more problems to adapt to the new culture), so now that program won't call anyone from India, or at least, they will become more selective. And again, considering that many, if not most, Latin american applicants have had USCE, they usually have less problems to adapt. It is not who is a better doctor. There are brilliant people in both places, but also people that are not so brilliant. And the latter are the ones that damages the possibilities for future home country applicants.
Well, those were just a few thoughts. There are more things, but that will take me a whole day probably to type. Good luck and stop fighting, we are all in the same boat, regardless of which continent we came from.
Best wishes.
1. Considering geography (distance) and costs, it is a lot easier for Latin american med students to do elective clerkships in the US. That is, meaningful USCE (hands on experience) and most importantly, good reccommendation letters. I know I did and almost everyone from my home country that applies to the US had done that.
2. Nowadays, LORS are probably at the same level of importance of scores. As I been said by one PD: "5 years ago we received 1000 applications and about 60% passed our screening score. Now, we received almost 2000 application and 85% passed that screeing. Now we need to look to other things, basically the LORS". And, in most of my interviews, the interviewer liked to comment about my LORS.
3. Quality of LORS is very important. Specially the more competitive programs want meaningful, hands on experience, preferibly University based USCE. And, for achieving that, the best thing is doing this while still in med school. Those who are looking for observership at a private practice office, taking vitals and things like that, well, they are better than nothing (probably better than home country LORS), but they will not be enough for securing an interview. As I been said by another PD: "we really can't consider a LOR that might be written by the applicant's uncle as far as we know".
4. I received a good number of invitations, and from those programs, probably in 10% they have someone from my home country. So, saying that we get interviews because of "contacts" is far from true. In fact, I just sent my applications and wait. I didn't call any "contact" for getting me an interview.
5. Something important though, is that maybe 30% of my programs, did have some previous experience with people from my home country. PD's are not stupid. When they find someone from a med-school/country that was excellent, they will stick with that med school until they find someone that is not that good and then probably won't call anyone from there for the next couple of years. And if you consider the volume of people of India compared to those from Latin america, that apply (just look at this forum) and got a residency in the past (maybe is a 10:1 ratio), it is a lot more easy to find someone from India that had screwed it in the past (only because of volume...during my rotations in the US i found people from India that were brilliant, but also some that had more problems to adapt to the new culture), so now that program won't call anyone from India, or at least, they will become more selective. And again, considering that many, if not most, Latin american applicants have had USCE, they usually have less problems to adapt. It is not who is a better doctor. There are brilliant people in both places, but also people that are not so brilliant. And the latter are the ones that damages the possibilities for future home country applicants.
Well, those were just a few thoughts. There are more things, but that will take me a whole day probably to type. Good luck and stop fighting, we are all in the same boat, regardless of which continent we came from.
Best wishes.