Caribbean and IMG grads listen here

I just read a blog from someone who is a surgeon and I knew them on the internet when they were graduating medical school.
They are very intelligent but always have been out of touch for Caribbean and IMG students / Grads because they went to a US school.

I read advice "Pass the USMLE 1st time and you should get a residency in the USA" to an IMG.
That was it for the advice..............WOW it was lacking things that will keep an IMG and FMG from a Residency, a big thing a IMG or FMG needs is US clinical experience.

IMG's can get this by Observer-ships, at least 6 months but a year is better.
FMG's need this too but most Caribbean schools have US clinicals, with the US clinicals they have that experience.

Also missing was the advice of ECFMG certification ( Passing steps 1 and 2 CK/CS) and WHO/IMED medical school listings.

One other thing is California list of medical Schools, a school not on the list of approved schools by California then you cannot practice in California and about 5 other states that use the approval list for foreign schools.

Some residencies want step 3 passed for IMG's

Lastly Licensure, some Residencies will not consider anyone who cannot be Licensed in the state where the residency is. So you must make sure you can be licensed in that state after residency before applying to the residency or your wasting time and money.
All these things matter.

I always caution people to seek out the information and research don't just take my word or any others and when you call places remember, a lot of times the people who answer the phone sometimes do not give you correct information, verify it always.

Dr. Bill