Despite what naysayers might think about international medical schools, you’ve excelled in a Doctor of Medicine (MD) program outside the US. After performing well in your clinical rotations and obtaining strong USMLE Step 1 exam scores, residency is on the horizon—and you’re ready to conquer those negative perceptions once again.

One of the most pervasive myths about being an international medical graduate (IMG) is that you won’t be able to secure a residency and become a physician. This simply isn’t true. Consider the following facts about IMG residency candidates matching for postgraduate positions.

5 Things IMG residency applicants should keep in mind

IMGs who attended a quality medical school in the Caribbean or elsewhere in the world shouldn’t doubt their odds of securing postgraduate opportunities. There’s plenty of evidence showing international grads having bright futures when it comes to residency placements.

These facts highlight what the overall IMG residency matching landscape looks like and how you can give yourself the best odds of securing a position.

1. More IMGs matched in 2022 than in 2021

Numbers can certainly fluctuate from year to year, but 2022 proved to be a successful one for international grads. In fact, the number of IMGs who secured residency positions through the National Resident Matching Program’s (NRMP) Main Residency Match increased on all fronts.

NRMP data indicates that the 2022 match rate for US citizen IMGs increased nearly two percentage points compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, non-US citizen IMGs saw an increase of 3.3 percentage points.

It’s worth pointing out that the number of IMGs participating in the Match decreased in general. Many attribute this decline to pandemic-related concerns revolving around travel regulations and virus outbreaks. Lower IMG participation does mean a greater percentage of those seeking postgraduate training positions obtained them, but the numbers still indicate a positive trend for international medical school grads.

2. Your USMLE step scores and interview matter more than your school

As an IMG, you might be worried that you could be at a disadvantage when interviewing for US residency programs. You’re vying for the same positions as applicants who attended US medical schools, after all.

But where you earned your MD may not have as much of an impact as you think. According to results from the NRMP’s most recent program director survey, whether you attended a highly regarded US program is pretty far down on the list of factors considered.

Program directors are much more concerned about your performance on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, your letters of recommendation, and your Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE). Even your more than which school you attended.

3. You stand the greatest chance of matching into primary care

One thing to keep in mind when you’re going through the residency application process is that your best odds are to match into primary care. But that’s true for every medical student, not just IMGs.

There are vastly more positions available for primary care fields than for other medical specialties. NRMP survey results indicate that 2022 saw record-high numbers of positions and fill rates for primary care residency positions. Primary care specialties include:

• Family medicine
• Internal medicine
• Pediatrics
• OB/GYN
• Geriatrics

4. Some locations offer more IMG-friendly residency programs

Some states have a tendency to accept more IMGs than others. This is particularly true for locations in the Northeast, such as New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Hundreds of IMGs match into residency programs in these three states.

Although many of the most IMG-friendly residency programs are found in these three states, international medical students do match in programs all over the country.

5. There are thousands of IMGs practicing as active physicians in the US

After successfully completing their residencies, most IMGs don’t have trouble finding work as practicing physicians. There are thousands of international grads practicing medicine across the US.

According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), IMGs account for nearly 25 percent of the active physician workforce. International grads are well-represented across medical specialties, but their presence is particularly notable in the following areas of practice:

• Critical care medicine
• Endocrinology
• Geriatric medicine
• Internal medicine
• Interventional cardiology
• Nephrology

Aim for residency success

It’s clear you can build a lasting career in the US as an international medical graduate. Many physicians who obtained their MD at an international school have secured residency positions in the USA.

Not all IMG programs will offer the same high-quality outcomes. But if you attend a quality Caribbean medical school and work hard, you could become another IMG residency success story.

It also helps to have a good strategy when applying to and ranking programs. Learn more about how you can give yourself the best odds of matching by reading our article “The International Medical Student’s Guide to Finding IMG-Friendly Residency Programs.”