Page 62 - First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2020, Thirtieth edition [MedicalBooksVN.com]_Neat
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Special SituationS Special SituationS Section i 11
ERAS application. If such an experience or opportunity comes up after you
apply, be sure to inform the programs accordingly.
Clinical research helps. University programs are attracted to candidates
who show a strong interest in clinical research and academics. They
may even relax their application criteria for individuals with unique
backgrounds and strong research experience. Publications in well-
known journals are an added bonus.
Time the Step 2 CS well. ECFMG has published the new Step 2 CS
score-reporting schedule for 2019–2020 at http://www.ecfmg.org. Most
program directors would like to see a passing score on the Step 1, Step
2 CK, and Step 2 CS exams before they rank an IMG on their rank
order list in mid-February. There have been many instances in which
candidates have lost a potential Match—either because of delayed CS
results or because they have been unable to retake the exam on time
following a failure. It is difficult to predict a result on the Step 2 CS, since
the grading process is not very transparent. Therefore, it is advisable to
take the Step 2 CS as early as possible in the application year.
US letters of recommendation help. Letters of recommendation
from clinicians practicing in the United States carry more weight than
recommendations from home countries.
Step up the Step 3. If H1B visa sponsorship is desired, aim to have Step ` A good score on the Step 3 may help offset
3 results by January of the Match year. In addition to the visa advantage poorer scores on the Step 1 or 2 CK exams.
you will gain, an early and good Step 3 score may benefit IMGs who
have been away from clinical medicine for a while as well as those who
have low scores on Step 1 and the Step 2 CK. Note that the Step 3 can
be taken only after medical school graduation.
Verify medical credentials in a timely manner. Do not overlook the
medical school credential verification process. The ECFMG certificate
arrives only after credentials have been verified and after you have passed
Step 1, the Step 2 CK, and the Step 2 CS, so you should keep track of the
process and check their application status online using IWA/OASIS.
Don’t count on a pre-Match. Programs participating in NRMP Match
can no longer offer a pre-Match.
What if You Do Not Match?
For applicants who do not Match into a residency program, there’s SOAP
(Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program). Under SOAP, unmatched
applicants will have access to the list of unfilled programs at noon Eastern
time on the Monday of Match week. The unfilled programs electing to
participate in SOAP will offer positions to unmatched applicants through
the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) system. A series of “rounds” will
begin at noon Eastern time on Wednesday of Match week until 5:00 pm
Eastern time on Friday of Match week. Detailed information about SOAP
can be found at the NRMP website at http://www.nrmp.org.
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