GENERAL SURGERY : POSSIBLE FOR IMGs/FMGs ?

Definitely tough - but a residency in general surgery ain't impossible. A friend of mine recently got a residency position at the Methodist Hospital System in Houston on a J1 Visa and I shall be putting up advice from him pretty soon.

G. surgery has become kinda easier for IMGs over the past 2-3 years due to a reduced interest by AMGs. who are rather drawn increasingly to Anesthesiology , Radiology, Orthopedics...which bring in good pays pretty early in the profession.

On other hand, it still remains tougher than IM or FP or Ob-Gyn, and it usually is a 1-year "preliminary" position that is granted initially without any guarantees from the program about a position later - which means match participation is needed again for categorical positions. Most categorical programs need incoming residents to have completed either a preliminary year or externships / sub-internship. A good place for Surgery Aspirants to consider is the Surgery Subinternship program offered at the University of Washington at Seattle. The program offers 4-6 visiting student sub-internship positions to IMGs each year. Click here to know more about the program and apply.

However, ground work is needed - observerships count a lot ! surgical research too counts. Fellowship options after General Surgery ? These include cardiothoracic surgery (one of the highest paid specialties in USA!) , vascular surgery, surgical oncology, plastic surgery, etc.


Here are some places that are known to have offered General Surgery Observerships in the past:

St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem (PA)
Thomas Jefferson University
University of Buffalo
University of Iowa
University of Michigan
University of Nebraska Medical Center
University of Pittsburgh
University of Tennessee
University of Vermont
University of Wisconsin
Vanderbilt University


According to this 1998 Paper, International medical graduates account for 10% of the academic surgical faculty in the United States


And this is what Sameer Khalid, MD from Khyber Medical College, Peshawar has to say on my Orkut Residency Community :


"Surgery is not as tough to get in as it was previously - both scores in mid or early 90s would just be sufficient for an average community based prelim position in surgery. But it would be a prelim position.. Having said that, your chances of getting a second year position diretly would be very slim until and unless your are very very brilliant. And I know of people, amazing brains , great lors, getting into prelim and just cannot somehow get a 2nd or a 3rd year seat..
If you are really really dedicated about surgery, then forget about how long it takes.. the best method would be to get a research position in some top notch university like harvard ( i know ppl who have got in there ), get the research on an H1 visa, work for 2 to 3 years, get a green card, and then apply for a catagorical position in surgery, that is how your future would be safe.. and you would eventually become a surgeon..

Prelim , I repeat once again, is very risky, and I know of a lot of people who have been forced to leave it after an year or 2. As for orthopedics, well it is very close to impossible to get in, but then where theres a will...the only IMGs from pakistan I know who have gotten into ortho, have done the same thing.. as i mentioned above i.e. get an ortho research, paid on an H1 visa, work hard for a few years and then apply to Ortho. People from Aga Khan Med school have made it through this way ..and i repeat orthopedic surgery and general surgery are different specialties.. and residencies !! good luck, hope it helps .."

There are points that some would differ on, like getting a second year position once you have a prelim year feather on your hat may not be tougher. A person I know accepted surgery on a J1 visa and had information that J1-waiver jobs are not at all impossible for surgery either. Accept contradicting information on this blog as options - and see the best of what's possible in your circumstances...

g/l


Also read: General Surgery Salaries in USA



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