USMLE scores -

[ArchivalUser]

hesam

I got 83 in step1 and 78 in step 2 in first attempt.
I am graduate of 1995 from egypt.,and I have no connection.
is any chance for internal medicine for me

[ArchivalUser]

Raveena

r u a us citizen or permenant resident?

[ArchivalUser]

azngal

those scores are very low for an FMG....for any medical graduate for that matter, those scores are not competitive. However, you should be ok with the less competitive IM programs in the US.

[ArchivalUser]

Jofussino

Low board scores ultimately will not dictate how good a doctor you are. As was said by another poster, your scores won't get you into any of the reknowned IM programs, but there are plenty of IM programs that don't fill all of their spots. So you may still have a good chance of scrambling (or even matching) into a decent program. By "decent" program, I mean a program that will adequately prepare you to be a knowledgeable physician. What many people seem to forget is that education is MORE dependent upon the student's ABILITY and WILLINGNESS to learn than upon WHERE he or she is trained. The more reknowned programs are often more reknowned because of their research and not their clinical training. There are most certainly many "undiscovered gems" in the world of medical training--schools that offer great clinical training but aren't recognized as top programs because they don't have excellent research funding. I think that's a trap a lot of people fall into when deciding on residency. And as I said, only YOU will ultimately determine how good a physician you become. YOU are the one who decides how much you read at night and how closely you pay attention to attendings and your patients during rounds.

So I would say ultimately don't worry about going to a "good program." I think you can probably get into a decent program somewhere--even if you have to scramble. There are many unfilled positions every year. You might have to work harder to prove you can be good for the program, but ultimately it will be good for "character building." Personally, I think it's a bit unfair that many American students who are clearly idiots have a better chance of getting into residency than foreign medical grads who are more knowledgeable and/or more committed to the virtues of physicianhood. I know from personal observation that at least 30% (maybe more) of my classmates are in medicine for all the wrong reasons. I don't know of many (though there are some) foreign medical graduates who seek to become physicians for as pathetic reasons as many Americans do. I do understand that obviously American students are more likely to stay and practice in America; but I have a philosophical problem with allowing people who are in medicine just for the money or prestige to become physicians--no matter how skilled they actually are. It's great that physicians make well above the national median income, but to not truly care about patients (How many times have we all observed residents working to "get patients off the service" instead of to "make patients well"?) is completely contrary to the notion of the "virtuous physician." If I was on a selection committee, I would take an FMG with lower board scores who truly cared about patient care over an American student with high scores who cared about money/prestige. Which would work harder? Which would do more good in the world? Again, that's a philosophical question, but I would argue in favor of the one who cares about patients.

Anyway, I think I have succumbed to the tangential thought process, so I'll shut up now. Good luck in the match to ALL who seek to become compassionate, skilled clinicians.