11-03-2001, 03:26 AM
Kumar, MD. PhD.
H1B VISA AND MEDICAL RESIDENCY FOR IMGs
As an IMG with visa issues you need to think long and hard about which specialty you will apply for, and at which hospitals. Applying to John Hopkins Surgery or Radiology is basically a waste of time no matter how high your board scores or whether you have a Green Card or not. Since applying to too many programs will cost you thousands in ERAS fees you need to be selective.
The previous experiences and attitudes of programs are ALL IMPORTANT. If they are used to IMGs you have a chance, but if most residents are American it's just a waste of time, really. The same superior applicant will get red-carpet treatment in one place, and some crappy hospital next door will laugh in his face simply because they have a prejudice against any non-American graduate, especially "off-shore". For Caribbean schools there is no middle ground - many places love SGU, AUC, Ross & Saba students and will take them to surgery or whatever they want, and others will deal with Europeans and Indians but are convinced off-shore is a big scam.
Having a visa problem puts you in a different stream from all other applicants, and I believe that stream is called Sh*t's Creek. Not having a J-1 is worse yet. It?s like having leprosy. The very worst student in your class who failed Step 1 on first try, but has US citizenship will find some community hospital family practice spot WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM, while a non-citizen with 95% board scores could well end up a GP in Wales, UK. At the very least you will not be able to pick any specialty, but may have to settle for the one that will have you.
A top Caribbean student is very likely to either transfer or get a residency of his choice (even surgery, ER, Radiology). NOT SO if you don't have citizenship, and REALLY not so if you can't get J-1. The J-1 is an exchange visa specifically designed for something like residency training and things go smooth as silk if you have it (until they deport you at the end of residency). With H1B the residency directors either never heard of it or they hate it, or they no longer sponsor it because of previous problems. You run up against the INS which is trying to get the laws changed (doctors where never supposed to be able to use this visa) and the entire medical/federal government establishment which is trying anything to lower IMG residency spots by any means possible. And believe me instead of worrying "what do I want to be" or "does this place offer a good educational environment" or "do I want to spend 4 years in this part of town" the ONLY thing that will concern you is "Will they sign me pre-match and sponsor me for H1B?" Even Canadian-trained Doctors and medical students trying to work/study in US face a lot of hurdles with this and it takes months/years.
(Recent Update to the H1B information below)
******Â Â Â In Fall 2000 the Congress has raised the H1-B Visa cap (limit) to 200,000 per year and completely exempted universities and non-profit hospitals from any cap whatsoever. This should really help future applicants, make sure to mention this to programs that are reluctant to sponsor H1. ******
The H1B visa presents a special problem, no matter how brilliant the rest of your application is. I can't blame the programs, this visa is a HUGE PAIN for hospitals, involves a lot regulations about salary, that no American is being deprived of work, and so on. They are liable for your airfare out of the country and huge fines if INS audits them and some paper / supporting document is not 100% up to par. Every place has had unpleasant experiences from low-life applicants not living up to their end of the bargain. Finally, this visa seems impossible to get for a one-year preliminary spot, here they really are not going to go thru the bother for someone who has no chance of contributing (chief resident, research, etc.) to the program. You can actually see these people grimace and start getting tics when the word H1B is mentioned, everyone really hate
H1B VISA AND MEDICAL RESIDENCY FOR IMGs
As an IMG with visa issues you need to think long and hard about which specialty you will apply for, and at which hospitals. Applying to John Hopkins Surgery or Radiology is basically a waste of time no matter how high your board scores or whether you have a Green Card or not. Since applying to too many programs will cost you thousands in ERAS fees you need to be selective.
The previous experiences and attitudes of programs are ALL IMPORTANT. If they are used to IMGs you have a chance, but if most residents are American it's just a waste of time, really. The same superior applicant will get red-carpet treatment in one place, and some crappy hospital next door will laugh in his face simply because they have a prejudice against any non-American graduate, especially "off-shore". For Caribbean schools there is no middle ground - many places love SGU, AUC, Ross & Saba students and will take them to surgery or whatever they want, and others will deal with Europeans and Indians but are convinced off-shore is a big scam.
Having a visa problem puts you in a different stream from all other applicants, and I believe that stream is called Sh*t's Creek. Not having a J-1 is worse yet. It?s like having leprosy. The very worst student in your class who failed Step 1 on first try, but has US citizenship will find some community hospital family practice spot WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM, while a non-citizen with 95% board scores could well end up a GP in Wales, UK. At the very least you will not be able to pick any specialty, but may have to settle for the one that will have you.
A top Caribbean student is very likely to either transfer or get a residency of his choice (even surgery, ER, Radiology). NOT SO if you don't have citizenship, and REALLY not so if you can't get J-1. The J-1 is an exchange visa specifically designed for something like residency training and things go smooth as silk if you have it (until they deport you at the end of residency). With H1B the residency directors either never heard of it or they hate it, or they no longer sponsor it because of previous problems. You run up against the INS which is trying to get the laws changed (doctors where never supposed to be able to use this visa) and the entire medical/federal government establishment which is trying anything to lower IMG residency spots by any means possible. And believe me instead of worrying "what do I want to be" or "does this place offer a good educational environment" or "do I want to spend 4 years in this part of town" the ONLY thing that will concern you is "Will they sign me pre-match and sponsor me for H1B?" Even Canadian-trained Doctors and medical students trying to work/study in US face a lot of hurdles with this and it takes months/years.
(Recent Update to the H1B information below)
******Â Â Â In Fall 2000 the Congress has raised the H1-B Visa cap (limit) to 200,000 per year and completely exempted universities and non-profit hospitals from any cap whatsoever. This should really help future applicants, make sure to mention this to programs that are reluctant to sponsor H1. ******
The H1B visa presents a special problem, no matter how brilliant the rest of your application is. I can't blame the programs, this visa is a HUGE PAIN for hospitals, involves a lot regulations about salary, that no American is being deprived of work, and so on. They are liable for your airfare out of the country and huge fines if INS audits them and some paper / supporting document is not 100% up to par. Every place has had unpleasant experiences from low-life applicants not living up to their end of the bargain. Finally, this visa seems impossible to get for a one-year preliminary spot, here they really are not going to go thru the bother for someone who has no chance of contributing (chief resident, research, etc.) to the program. You can actually see these people grimace and start getting tics when the word H1B is mentioned, everyone really hate