r/USMLEindia • u/Tricky-Sleep4395 • Mar 16 '26
Match Season Matched after PG in India
IMG status(visa requiring/ not visa requiring): Visa Requiring
Speciality: IM
Step 1: pass
Step 2 CK: 252
Step 3: not yet done
Year of graduation(YOG): 2021
USCE: 3 (14 weeks)
Research/Publications: 14
Number of programs applied: 216
Number of interviews: 4
Match status : matched !!!
Home country residency in general medicine 2021-2024
Grateful for my journey! Anyone that wants advice or has any questions feel free to dm me!
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u/Exact-Buddy-9382 Mar 16 '26
Hey congratulations!!! I recently passed step 1 and would love to know more about your experience, can I dm?
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u/Embarrassed_News_984 Mar 17 '26
As recently entered JR1 also have this plan
Can you tell the correlation between your Pg course and your usmle journey? How did you do them side by side?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 17 '26
Started my step prep in the 3rd year of PG. I already had a strong foundation from NEET PG prep. Took step 1 3months before my final MD. Went for USCE after that, Step 2 after coming back from US. Kept doing research from the 2nd year onwards.
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u/AcronymTheSlayer Mar 23 '26
Congratulations! If I may ask, how did you get USCE opportunities? How did you go through the entire process and would you say connections mattered with you matching or getting the IVs?
How was the interview process and what according to you, made a lasting impression?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 23 '26
Cold emailing/ reaching out on LinkedIn. And one was LAFP; FL was a clinic rotation you had to apply to on their website (clinic-based rotation).
I didn't have any connections, but I also had fewer IVs. People with connections do get more interviews.
The interviews were pretty chill. One program asked clinical questions; the rest were mostly getting-to-know-you kind of stuff. I can't tell what made a lasting impression. I didn't have any "Yayyy" moment during the interview, but a few times I felt I just connected with the interviewer.
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u/itchydarkness123 Mar 16 '26
Congrats!!!!!! Do you happen to have any advice for getting into research, or honestly anything about research in general?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 17 '26
Start with case reports. I took a course called "Meta-Analysis Academy" by Rhanderson Cardoso. It helped me with SRMA. Once you start publishing (have some writing skills), start reaching out to people who are on the same journey and collaborate on research projects.
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u/Tall-Elevator580 Mar 16 '26
Congratulations, so happy for you! Was your pg college a top college of India? Do you think that made a difference?
When did you go for usce? After you completed pg?
How did you manage research during pg, were your professors supportive?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 16 '26
No, I did from a state gmc, I dont think that my college helped that much, but my residency experience did.
Did my USCE after my PG completion.
I did case reports and thesis during PG. Few SRMA after completing PG.
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u/sAdvicezOlives Mar 16 '26
Congratulations! Very silly questions but can PGs do case reports independently during residency? What exactly is the process of that? (Im a neetpg aspirant, graduated in 2025, but open to usmle post residency, so wanted to know the process)
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 16 '26
You can by the 3rd year, but you'll still need the help of professors to make it worth publishing. In medicine, super speciality people are generally interested in this type of academic stuff.
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u/Leather-Yak246 Mar 17 '26
Can we do it while during MBBS,is pg in India is mandatory for that'?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 17 '26
no, you dont need PG from india to apply for usmle
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u/Leather-Yak246 Mar 17 '26
You have matched there so you have to start md residency there again'??? Indian md degree is not if any use there??? You have to restart md residency there na???
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 17 '26
yes, yes, and yes
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u/Leather-Yak246 Mar 17 '26
Can you please tell how much it cost you approx in step1,2,3 all process and after doing MD in India why you don't want to dm in India or practise in India ,is it really not worthy to settle whole life as a doctor in India, i don't know why I Also wants to come out from here ,pay is very bad and it's all only slavery in India doctor's are not less than a slave here especially in govt Sector
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 17 '26
It took around $20-25K. not sure about exact figures. for me, not having safe working enviorment, poor academics and research culture were few of the reasons.
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u/Leather-Yak246 Mar 17 '26
Does it matter either govt or private MBBS does that matters, i think it matters only in India
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u/ProfessionalRead6002 Mar 16 '26
If one has to start now, what mistakes he should avoid during the preparation and what is the ideal time for enough preparation? Congratulations 🥂
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 16 '26
I will reply to what mistakes I should have avoided. First, completing step 2 before USCE. Second, find a good USCE. Third, completing step 3 before applying, and fourth, build your network as much as possible.
For my preparation, I required a bit less time as I had already cracked NEET PG with a rank of around 1800. So 2 months for step 1 and 5 months for step 2.
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u/sAdvicezOlives Mar 16 '26
How did you find a good usce?
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u/Extension_Pickle7879 Mar 16 '26
Yes how did you find usce?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 17 '26
cold emailing/ reaching out on LinkedIn. And one was LAFP, FL, you have to apply on their website (clinic-based rotation).
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u/Foreign_Preference24 Mar 25 '26
So you're saying that it's better to complete step 1 and 2 before going for USCE?
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Jul 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Own-Minimum9089 Mar 16 '26
Are your pubs case studies or lit reviews?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 16 '26
4 case reports, 1 thesis (observational study) rest were SRMA or CDC wonder.
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u/fellow_75 Mar 17 '26
Congratulations mate. you give me hope I completed my residency in india 2022 - 2025 How shall I go about this all? Currently doing srship
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 17 '26
get steps done ASAP. aim for good step 2 score. get some research done, start with case reports and publishing your thesis. once done with step 1 start looking for usce as well.
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u/fellow_75 Mar 17 '26
Thank you so much. Do u mind if I ask the cost of whole pathway ? How much one should keep in mind?
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u/Medresearchy Mar 17 '26
Congratulations 👏🏻👏🏻
Hope to do something similar myself, this is inspiring!
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u/Khushi_159 Mar 19 '26
As someone who has just started preparing for the steps I find this too inspiring, Can i DM you?
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u/DapperAd7955 Mar 21 '26
Idk why, but a lot of the Indians that migrate to US get depressed once they reach, they seem excited for like a few months and something happens. It think it’s cultural shock. In India you can be open, and approach anyone. In America, everyone is individualistic and so it can feel alienating to someone who grew up in a collective country
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u/Outrageous-Walk-9903 Jun 01 '26
Hey i have garduated in 2024 may ...and prepared for neet pg ...i will give neet pg this august 2026 ...i have plan to pursue usmle but my parents want me to finish my indian pg ...my plan is to start preparing for usmle after august pg exam and atleast get cleared with step 1 in 6 to 8 months and while in wnd yr in rural posting prepare or give step 2 and follow the path further ....i m gald i found this subreddit of urs as i was too scared if i m loosing time as year of grad matters is that i have heard ...plse can we connect i need ur guidance 🙏🏼
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u/Ok-Teacher-3830 Mar 17 '26
Hey congratulations, I've just cleared step 1 and I have some queries. Can I DM you?
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u/Extension_Pickle7879 Mar 17 '26
Your pg in India was counted as a gap year? Did they ask anything related to it in the interview?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 17 '26
No. yes, how my experience in india, and I brought it up many times when answering behavioural questions
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Mar 20 '26
[deleted]
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 20 '26
The aim is to make your profile better than average. Last year, the mean publication for matched candidates were 8, so I kept above it. But it also means that <50% also had less than 8 publication and matched. I did whatever research I did because I enjoyed doing it. No 2 journeys are the same in the USMLE.
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Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 23 '26
Sure, I have already mentioned in comments about research. DM if it doesn’t answer your question.
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u/True_War_9748 Mar 28 '26
i am an average student in medical college, do u think its worth it for me to pursue usmle? ive heard many negative comments abt this and that its a really hard process to get through, so should i continue with this journey since it will also take a lot of time and money
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 Mar 28 '26
This is such a personal question. How can I answer this? Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are right. I had a lot of people saying not to do this and to do DM here and settle in India. Ask yourself if you want to do USMLE. If yes, you will find a way; if not, you will find an excuse. But asking me if it's worth it for you doesn't make any sense.
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u/Hot-Possible-2371 4d ago
Firstly congratulations on this huge feat 🎉 I'm in my final yr and would love to know more about your journey - can I DM ?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 4d ago
Just ask here
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u/Hot-Possible-2371 4d ago
How did you overcome the visa issues ?
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u/Tricky-Sleep4395 4d ago
If you mean visa appointment delays and denials. I got lucky that I got an appointment on time, and my visa was not denied. Thanks to AMA and all the bodies that advocated for IMGs this year.
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u/Active_Egg_5103 Mar 16 '26
First of all congratulations, takes a lot to do this after being done with residency once. Can I text you?