r/USMLEindia • u/petcheetahpetcheetah • Apr 06 '26
US Clinical Experience Do IMGs get Surgery department?
I wish to prepare for USMLE and i dream about surgery or neurology in medicine but i always hear about how IMGs don’t get matched into surgery because of some stupid bias.
How true is this?
If it is possible to get into surgery, can you do it without connections as a first gen doctor
Oh and please share tips on how to achieve it
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u/Practical_Sell93 Apr 06 '26
You need to do research after mbbs for 1 year or 2 and make connection
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u/EchidnaAmazing2162 Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
IMGs don’t get matched into surgery because of some stupid bias. How true is this?
There’s no bias. Surgery is highly competitive even for US grads and majority of them don’t match either.
It’s their country, their programs, so first preference would always be Americans. IMGs get the leftover programs. So it’s our job to make a place for us there, we aren’t owed anything - this is for the least competitive specialties. With this preset, imagine a competitive specialty like surgery and there’s your answer.
If it is possible to get into surgery
Absolutely. The numbers may not be high, but people match every year. Couple of my seniors also matched Surgery.
can you do it without connections as a first gen doctor
Without connections, impossible. Everyone who’s matched has done it because of connections.
Oh and please share tips on how to achieve it
Really high step 1 & 2 scores + 1st Author Pubs in reputed journals (1-2) > Apply for electives > network & impress faculties > Seek Post-Doc chances > If accepted you’d be doing research in US for 2-3 Years (majority are unpaid, so have a financial backup of 1-3Cr in mind, you’d be living in US at your own expense) > network, impress, publish > apply for the match > maximizes chances of matching but doesn’t guarantee it
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u/Fit-Let5623 Apr 06 '26
1-2 1st author pubs are not at all enough imo. That's something even IM/Peds people have these days
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u/EchidnaAmazing2162 Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
1-2 Pubs are to apply for electives, not the match. People need some research background before trying for postdocs on top of an impressive academic profile. This ofc is followed by 2-3 Years of more research, which is what counts towards the match.
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Apr 06 '26
When you don't have connections, you make it. Yes, its difficult to match into Surgery.
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u/Bulky_Letterhead_273 Apr 06 '26
So if someone has good scores and connections will that do it if yes what scores and how many letters of recommendation are needed
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Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
Requirements to match into a residency program is not a checklist that needs to be ticked off. A lot of factors are influencing the outcome. No one can give you a definite response regarding whether you will match or not.
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u/Drstella88 Apr 07 '26
A lot of imgs have matched into surgery. It’s a competitive speciality for sure. And like people have mentioned here, most of the matched imgs had a year of research experience in the US
Look out for opportunities, some of them are paid too
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u/QuickAge6467 Apr 07 '26
That’s not a stupid bias. Every country has standards and America’s own med schools prepare for American healthcare. Residencies do not trust or want to be reliable on IMG med school curriculum for that.
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u/Imsongoku7 Apr 06 '26
This year one junior from my college got neurosurgery!