Skip to main content

Before Residency

Start straight away!
•    Your three objectives initially are USMLE, Electives, Research.
•    Plan both worst & best possible scenarios for yourself. Best possible scenario is your final goal of your favourite specialty(e.g. Internal Medicine, Radiology, Orthopaedics Surgery) and worst possible is any scenario you can make up.
•    Remember that during electives, you can get to make contacts with important doctors. This offers help for your later research or residency application. You can get Letter of Recommendations, and research opportunities.
•    During your medical school, visit the website of as many residency programs of your favourite specialty, as you can from Google! Check their eligibility criterias so you have the latest update information and can plan yourc USMLE, Electives, Research (i.e. your basic guidelines!) accordingly.
•    And do not get overambitious either with USMLE, Electives or Research and residency applications too! That means do what you can...and have energy for...don't exhaust yourself in trying to achieve for which you don't have energy and courage.
•    Remember that time since your graduation is very important. USMLE before graduation is highly recommended but always remember the scores are the MOST important thing. Some programmes may give allowance of 2 years lag but the more the time lag, the less creditable your USMLE and residency application!
•    Don't electives where there is no research opportunity, no real credibility in US. Always try to go to places like National Institute of Health which are free but incredible as NIH is quite a powerful institution in USA! Always get electives where there is concomitant research = your contacts there can help you get research later on.
•    NIH requires TOEFL! You have to do TOEFL as SOON as possible! Most good electives require TOEFL. Your TOEFL score credibility expires after 2 years. So do them 3 months before applying. Once again be goal and career oriented in your electives application.
•    Plan your research, electives, time since graduation according to your residency programme requirements.
•    Search websites of residency programs of the specialty of your choice on Google and visit as many as you can, note down their criteria!
•    You should try to do research BEFORE residency, it helps your fellowship incredibly.

dr_andy (not verified)

Thu, 10/15/2009 - 15:01

jus wantd to ask 1 thng...after the USMLE and all pre-residency stuff,... is there a fee system for residency??? as in v are supposed to pay tuition fees annually during MBBS days...does the same system apply in US for residency?

N if yes, any idea wat is the annual amount? 'm speakin for a residency in internal medicine...

hi andy... you have already received enough replies.... anyhow I would just reply shortly....

Applying for residency is a somewhat expensive procedure but once you get residency, you dont have to pay any fees.... you annual salary is around 40-55 thousand dollars which after tax deduction becomes around $ 2200-2800 monthly.......

keep in mind.... residency is like internship training of India or house job training in Pakistan.... and I think we are paid in both!

tc and best of luck!

medisid (not verified)

Thu, 10/15/2009 - 19:37

Thank God!Its not like u think yaar!..............No Fees, Only Stipend.

During residency, each resident is entitled to a stipend which runs from 45k-55k US$ per annum, varying between different residency programs. on an average 30% tax cut on that payment slab. this turns out to be abt 2500$-3000$ per month................NOT BAD.....(for me, considering PGs stipend here).

BUT this salary is less compared to USA standard of living, but since u will be having such good credit prospects (after completing residency and going into pvt practice), usually banks give u a loan easily for houses, cars very easily...........even during residency years. 

In a nutshell, you can easily start your well-settled married life from PGY1.........    ;-) now when am i gonna start PGY1??

vaibhav (not verified)

Thu, 10/15/2009 - 20:42

Hey andy.... As far as i know without tution fee none of the colleges allows a residency..But i dont think u have to worry about that now bcoz once u get thro a residency u will b paid a good stipend and that itself will suffice ur tution fees easily.. So relax and keep gettin a residency ur primary goal... All the best...  

vaibhav (not verified)

Thu, 10/15/2009 - 20:44

 dude what i meant by gettin thro a residency means gettin a residency not completing it.. i thought u might get confused so clarifying it.. 

vaibhav (not verified)

Fri, 10/16/2009 - 04:02

 Haha medisid u will start ur dream life soon.. All te best for ur dreams.. And r u sure no tuition fees at all? i thought some amount of fees is taken? plz lemme know  Umar bhai... And medisid if no tuition  fee then its awesome... :) 

God bless Umar bhai....

ayushi (not verified)

Tue, 02/02/2010 - 13:13

hello....m new to dis web page......m in final yr of mbbs at adesh medical college bathinda.............mine is a new batch........i wanna give usmle as soon as possible.........bt jst lacvk dat confidence n trust in myself.....is coaching reqd for clearing step 1????????or ur books along with kaplan notes r sufficient?????/my final yr will end in dec dis yr after wich i wl entr into internship..........shud i go for step 1 during final yr of in internship or after mbbs???????hw mch tym it takes to complete all steps of usmle????????

thanx to all who hv posted their comments n experiences on dis page.........well bye guys........n all d best..............!!!!!!!!!!

 hi ayushi...i dont think there is any coaching required for step 1... u just need the right guidance and u can get that easily online on forums, websites etc... i think kaplan and first aid are more than enough... time for prep varies from person to person... it is upto u to decide if u want to give step 1 during internship or after it...

tariq (not verified)

Tue, 04/13/2010 - 09:36

hi,

    i've finished 6 months of internship n haven't given any steps or TOEFL. i wanna apply for electives. i'm from a middle class family n want to know the expenditure for the whole process of 3 months. also i'm totally confused where to apply, i'm worried where to apply as wit tuition fee it might be very costly.

The cost varies from place to place... as does the fees... it can be anything from no fess till $4000 for 4 weeks... depends upon where u apply... for further detail regarding the tuition fees, visit the following link.

Visitor (not verified)

Fri, 05/14/2010 - 00:21

Dear sir,
i have done 12 weeks of electives in New York state , and i am planning to do one more month in LSU,N ew Orleans.
Will i be eligible for residency in new york state if i do 4 months of elective training in united states???

Yes you would be... the restriction of residency application is if you have done electives more than 12 weeks in New York.. in your case you have done 12 weeks but not MORE than 12 weeks... hence it is ok... you can certainly do electives in New Orleans as they dont increase the number of weeks of electives done in NY.

Dear Umar Bhai & visitor

I got this info on value MD ...it holds contrasting views on 12 week rule and this is a email reply from NY state department.


Date: Mon, 09 May 2005 10:46:05 -0400
From: "Doug ******" <D******@MAIL.NYSED.GOV>
To: xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: a few questions about the 12 week rule

In answer to your questions:

Q - Does the 12 week rule apply to clerkships in the State of New York only, or does it include any clerkships over 12 weeks outside of one's teaching hospitals, as well? 
A - Anyone who does more than 12 weeks outside of the country in which the medical school is located is not eligible for residency training anywhere in NY State.

Q - Does this rule apply to residency, licensure, or both? That is, if a student violates the 12 week rule, and is not eligible for residency in New York, will he/she be eligible for licensure later on?
A - It could impact on licensure if you do more than 12 weeks in NY State since this would be the basis for a class E felony if the school is not approved.

Q - Does this rule apply to core clerkships, elective clerkships, or both? (As a side note, currently, our university only allows us to perform elective clerkships outside of our teaching hospitals.)
A - Both.

Q - If a school such as ours wishes to be able to allow students to do more than 12 weeks of elective clerkships in New York or outside of our own teaching hospitals for that matter, how would we go about gaining approval?
A - Approval for a school that would permit students to do extended clerkships in NYS and grads to do residency training in NYS would begin with a request from your school. Very briefly, the school would submit a comprehensive database covering all aspects of the medical education program. I and other physician and medical school educators would perform a one-week site visit meeting wth faculty, administrators, students, and staff. I would visit affiliatd hospitals here in NYS and any administrative offices in the U.S. I would draft a report that would either approve or disapprove the school and this would be communicated to the school. The cost of the visit would be covered by the school. The process is rather lengthy and very comprehensive. If the report results in approval there are often listed suggestions that we would expect to be acted on by the time of the revisit usually in two years.

Douglas P. ******
Assistant Executive Secretary
N.Y. State Board for Medicine
West Wing, 2nd Floor, Education Bldg.
89 Washingtin Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 473-4995
d******@mail.nysed.gov

Hello everyone.. i got  this official link &appropriate link to the 12 week rule.

http://officeofprofessions.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1335/kw/12%20weeks%20clerkship%20rule/session/L3RpbWUvMTI5NzI0MTE3NS9zaWQvNmVoa2xhbWs%3D

this is what it says. please go through it

Dear Applicant:

 

                Section 60.2(d) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education specifies that students enrolled in programs of medical education not registered by the Department or found to be the equivalent of such programs may serve in clinical clerkships in teaching hospitals in New York State for a period not to exceed 12 weeks during two academic years if such students do not meet the requirements of the Commissioner’s Regulations to engage in clerkships of more than 12 weeks.

 

                In New York State, as provided by law, persons performing clinical clerkships are considered to be engaged in the practice of medicine.  Section 6526(8) of the Education Law provides that “Any medical student who is performing a clinical clerkship or similar function in a hospital and who is matriculated in a medical school which meets standards satisfactory to the Department, provided such practice is limited to such clerkship or similar function in such hospital”, may practice medicine within the State without a license.

 

                In order to meet the requirements of Section 6526(8) of the Education Law and Section 60.2(d) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, a student seeking to engage in clerkships for a period not to exceed 12 weeks must secure a letter of eligibility from the State Education Department.  Students requesting a letter of eligibility must specify:  (1) the teaching hospital in which the clerkship(s) has been arranged; (2) the specialty area of the proposed clerkship(s); (3) the inclusive dates of the proposed clerkship(s); and (4) request a letter from the hospital to be sent directly to this office confirming that the applicant has been accepted for the clerkship.  Each student must also request the medical school in which he/she is enrolled to forward to the address above a statement of the student’s matriculation status.  The letter must indicate:  (1) you are currently enrolled in good standing; (2) your date of graduation; (3) you have been authorized to perform clerkships in New York State; (4) the dates for which you are authorized to perform clerkships in New York State; (5) academic credit will be granted for the clerkship(s) and (6) teaching hospital in which the clerkship(s) will be performed.

 

                In addition, each applicant must provide the following information concerning clerkships which have been completed in New York State prior to the present application:  (1) name of hospital or other facility in which clerkship(s) was performed; (2) the inclusive dates; (3) the specialty area of the clerkship(s); and (4) the name(s) of the supervising physician(s).  (Note:  If no previous clerkships have been performed in New York State, please indicate.)

 

                A fee of $30 (drawn on U.S. bank) is required for each letter of eligibility to engage in a clerkship in a specific teaching hospital, regardless of the number of clerkships to be performed.   Since a separate letter is required for each hospital, the $30 fee must be submitted for each letter.

 

                All application materials, i.e., your application form, letter from medical school and verification from teaching hospital, should be received in this office no earlier than four months prior to the anticipated date of the start of your clerkship.

 

                Please note that a letter of eligibility issued by the State Education Department does not obligate any teaching hospital to accept medical students in clinical clerkships.  Any medical school or teaching hospital may impose standards for admission to clinical clerkships, which exceeds the standards set forth in the Commissioner’s Regulations.

 

                                                                                                                Sincerely,

 

 

 

                                                                                                                Walter Ramos

                                                                                                                Executive Secretary

Visitor (not verified)

Fri, 05/21/2010 - 21:57

HI everyone

I called up the NYSD personally. After waiting for a long time and dialing 6 -8 extensions i finally got hold of the officer responsible.

me...I have already done 12 weeks of rotation in NY and i plan to do 8 weeks more in mayo clinic. will i be eligible for residency in NY state?

him...We have very clearly mentioned before that if anyone does more than 12 weeks OUTSIDE HOME MEDICAL SCHOOL, is not eligible for training in NY state.


I asked him various times with different permutations and combinations ..like 2 weeks 1 week 4 week and his answer was the same..

I am not taking the risk...!!!

z.mandy (not verified)

Thu, 09/23/2010 - 22:45


Hi umar bhai..i am a U.S. citizen (stayed in usa from 1992 till 2003) and i had gone to india for med. school...I graduated from India in Feb. 2010 with the "M.B.B.S." degree...now i am studying for USMLE step 1...As i am already a U.S. citizen and that i have been out of the country for more than five yrs or so, do i need to take the TOEFL exams?

Question number two: Am i still considered an IMG given the fact that i am a US citizen, and if so what preference would i get in obtaining a residency over IMGs who are non-US citizens?

Question number three: Do LOR's from Indian colleges make a difference for obtaining residency, or as u had mentioned shall i just get LOR from the place of externship in the U.S.?

p.s. You are doing a really good job helping us all with tough questions and motivating us at the same time...KEEP IT UP!

1. Some universities waive the requirement... some dont... I would have done TOEFL if I had been in your place...

2. You are still a IMG but IMG who does not need a visa! 

3. Not to the best of my knowledge!

Thanks a lot for your kind words! God bless you!

jasjot kaur (not verified)

Tue, 02/08/2011 - 16:53

Dear Umar bhai,

Salaam wallekum !

What are the chances of getting an internal medicine residency if i am

a green card holder

a foreign medical graduate

95 + in both steps and step 2 cs cleared in first attempt

got 3 publications in indian magazines and one publication in ADA ?

pooja (not verified)

Wed, 04/13/2011 - 02:35

Hello Umar bhai,

I am an IMG from India and I have an attempt on step 2 ck. May I know my chances of getting into peds or psy residency? I have have clerkships and research experience in USA. If there is a way.. can u guide me?

visitor (not verified)

Sat, 07/09/2011 - 16:53

hello umar bhai,,,

first of all,lot thanks for running this website..it is of incredible use to usmle aspirants like me..

my question is :how many days will it take for credentials verification?

i have applied for step 2 c.k as a student say in march and got the scheduling permit for the months of  june,july ,august.

I got graduated in june and applied immediately for credential verification.if i write the exam on july 1st when will i get the ecfmg certificate...

please do reply me as soon as possible,,,

shankar (not verified)

Fri, 02/24/2012 - 10:32

i have got an elective for 4 weeks in case western in month of june. my sister too works and lives in the US. my mother and i are planning to visit her and also some travelling around the US once in finish my elective.  i also want to give my step 2 CS while am tehre. my question is, in the visa interview, if i give them all the above information and also tell them i plan to apply for the residency programs and also appear for the interviews in the same trip, will that weaken my position for b1/b2 visa? do they consider people going to the usa for residency interviews, or people with intent of pursuing residency there as potential immigrants and so, reject their visa?

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Filtered HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type='1 A I'> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id='jump-*'> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.