FOR IMGs PLANNING GRE!

Often, due to a visa scare, IMGs think of GRE as a loophole to enter the USA. Ofcourse there are many who are genuinely interested in pursuing something different like Masters and PhDs in Genetics, Medical Informatics, Immunolgy, etc.
There are some distinct advantages and disadvantages of this route towards a residency:

Advantages:

1. You get to be in the USA, free to do observerships / externships in US hospitals, as time permits
2. You get to make contact with physicians that could be possible sources of your US LORs
3. Opportunities for paid / voluntary research and publications
4. DOnt have to worry about visas for CS and Step 3 and Interviews.
5. After you graduate, you get the one-year OPT work visa which you can use for a residency / internship / preliminary year - coz this one year wont need any sponsorhip.

Disadvantages:

1. Scholarships, On-Campus Jobs and Assistantships are not easy anymore - so one needs to be prepared to shell out to pay the hefty fees and living expenses.
2. Living in the USA has its own distractions ! and studying for USMLE may not be as dedicated as you want them to be.

Lessons to take home:

1. MPH does not seem to add any value to the Residency application anymore - almost everyone knows that its a loophole entry system in the USA
2. Other fields that could add value for a Residency : Medical Informatics, Clinical Nutrition, Immunology, Genetics, Pharmacology, Cardiac Rehabilitation, etc. (which have some clinical bearing and good clinically-related research opporunities
3. Try to get into a graduate program that has a good university hospital attached to it - this way opportunities for clinical research and observerships / externships become easier and you dont have to take a break and travel to other cities for clinical exposure.
4. IF possible, complete step 1 and / or step 2 in your home country before you arrive in the US via GRE ! That gives your free time for Observerships and Research

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