Anyhow let me start by explaining my title above "aim high, go all out and play safe." The match in essence is a game to be played and won.
I see many IMGs apply timidly. You have to go all out to grab that residency. Apply to many programs. Try and get atleast 15 interview invites. Also aim high. You will get some great interviews. However make sure you have enough interviews at safety residency programs. You may not match there but is it not worth a shot? Don't undersell yourself. However on same token, do not think you are above certain programs either. The top programs interviewed you as back ups. You should I matched at the middle of my list.
Here are the specific tips:
1) NETWORK
I got 5 or more interviews by knowing other residents. Use this to your advantage. They can talk to the PC or PD at a residency program and ask them to look at your application. Even if you think your application is not good, it is always better to have them look at it and reject you then not look at it at all. I even got a psychiatry interview when an internal medicine resident told the psychiatry PC about me. (Thanks!) During my externship I worked with an attending who did her residency at another program. I contacted that program and name dropped her name and got an interview almost immediatly. I told them that their program seems great after I saw what a great clinician my attending was. Be creative and use every avenue.
I even heard of someone calling up PDs at various programs and asking them information about the residency program. Do this early and not during the hectic match season. Act interested. Play up your affinity for the residency program.
2) BE FRIENDLY TO ALL
I have been to interviews where I noticed some of the IMG applicants were almost silent. They were very shy. Try and make yourself heard. Try to be liked. On the other hand don't be too talkative. In America the professor-student dynamic differs from other places.
3) KNOW YOUR FIELD
I noticed some applicants on the psychiatry interview trail never heard of forensic psychiatry. Learn all about the trends and fellowships of your field. For internal medicine there is even a field called cruise ship medicine. You should be able to have a conversation about all the aspects of your field.
4) IGNORE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS (within reason)
On the website programs will have requirements like "6 months of externship required." You only have 3 months of USCE. Should you apply? Yes.
Programs often make requirements to cut down on paperwork. However remember you may be less likely to match with that program if you dont meet the requirement. It is all relative. If a program has a score cut off of 220 and you have 216 you have a shot. However if you have 188 it is more unlikely. The only drawback to applying is a loss of around $20-$25 and a bruised ego if you don't get an invite or they don't rank you after the interview. However the drawbacks of getting a bad program or not matching are much higher (you will have to wait another year.) When in doubt, apply.
Addenum:
There are some absolute program requirments I did not mention:
1) California Letter in California
2) Possible Spanish requirements in Puerto Rico (might not apply to radio or sugery)
3) Visa Requirements
4) Military Programs (not open to IMGs and more)
5) Step 3 requirement (very rare; only know of 2 psych programs with it; may not be absolute)
The above maybe absolute. Well for certain 1,3 and 4 are.
5) APPLY ON TIME
Even if you don't have your step 2 score apply on day one. You can always send in your score later. Of course you may lose out on some interviews without your step 2 score, etc. But do the best you can by applying on day one. When your score, etc. comes in, call and email all the programs to tell them about it.
6) TELEMARKET - SHOW YOUR INTEREST
If a program has not rejected nor invited you for an interview, call them. Don't pester them yet don't be silent either. Ask them "I would like to know my status." and "I feel the program would be ideal for me." I think many programs would rather invite someone with an 85 who is interested rather than someone who has 90 and has little interest in the program. It is a waste of a slot for them to invite someone who has no interest. If a program knew in advance I would rank them 40 why should they invite me? However don't pester programs either.
7) SEND THANK YOU LETTERS AFTER YOUR INTERVIEW
This is obvious. Send them a letter or email saying how you enjoyed meeting with them. Mention some of the topics discussed. Write about how you are ideal for the program and how the program and location is ideal for you. Personalize it. I even sent all the programs I interviewed at before New Years a Xmas and New Years card.
8) YOU MAY WANT TO ASK ABOUT PREMATCH
If you have less than 10 interviews or the program you interviewed at will be in the top 3 on your RoL ask the program if the offer positions outside the match. However if you ask them, then you should take it. Don't ask a program and then decline a prematch later on (unless you got a better offer.)
Sometimes you get offered a prematch you don't want. You still want the program to rank you. Just try and defer it and say you prefer the match and you will be ranking the program high.
9) DON'T DECLINE INTERVIEW INVITES; DEFER THEM
Never turn down an interview invite. Defer them and schedule them in late January or February. Later on you can decide to cancel them. Only reason to turn them down is if you already scheduled 40 interviews and have 0 interest in that program. However if you defer it to January try and later decide you dont want to go to it, try and give them 2-3 weeks notice. It is a small world and word may get out if you don't show up with out telling them. Also you will be denying someone else a chance. So don't be a no show.
This said, schedule the more desirable ones early but not in the 1st 2 or 3 interviews. Warm up with some less desirable places. The reason you want to go to the good ones first is if they offer prematches you have a chance at it. Also some of the best interviews you will get will be offered to you in January due to cancellations. Dates offered will be limited. To maximize the number of good interviews book them early and then add the ones you will get called at later. You can cancel the crappy ones to go to the good ones later. However try and go to atleast 5-10 crappy ones as back up.
I will add more assorted tips and a FAQ later. Please feel free to post questions in the comments.
