There are over 170 Psych programs in the USA. I applied to all of them. Of course this is expensive and I could afford it. However it is not necessary to apply to all of them. Yet it is necessary to apply to many if you are an IMG. Depending on your USMLE scores, CV and other factors you should apply to over a 100 programs. Most people approach applying by asking themselves "should I apply to this program?" I believe you should ask yourself "why shouldn't I apply to this program?" When in doubt, apply. You should aim high yet also play it safe. I received interviews at many prestigious places. I had a 85 on step 1 and 78 on step 2 yet received 48 invites including 7 in California. Yet I played it safe and went to many unappealing interviews as well. At the least, aim for 20 interviews. However at least 15 of them should not be super competitive. I have seen many IMGs apply to under 40 places due to financial reasons and end up going thru another match. One match is enough I feel.
2 comments:
Hey psychgure,
Do you have any idea about Univ of Mississippi psych prog? I need to compare it with Univ of North Dakota psych prog?
100 programs? You can hardly call that a strategy. NRMP data shows that ranking more than 6 or 7 programs does not increase an applicant's chance of matching. It's wasteful of resources, both time and money. I can't imagine having to go through all 48 interviews, if you wanted to go gung-ho.
If you already have an idea of how strong of a candidate you are (as an FMG, this would be based mostly on your scores, also USCE and visa status), use that to direct which tier of programs to apply to. If your scores are mediocre at best, use your resources to land a great externship/internship in a reputable hospital and aim to get only superb LORs. I agree with aiming high while playing it safe. I applied to 8 psych programs in Cali, 1 in Hawaii. Interviewed in 3, ranked 2, and matched. I was a bit nervous with such a short ROL, but apparently the strategy (and prayers) worked.
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