Number and Availability of Residency Positions
There are no formal restrictions, overall or by program, limiting the number of international medical graduates that enter ACGME-accredited residency programs. However, certain specialties and programs within those specialties vary in their competitiveness.
The number of positions available in any given year depends on a variety of factors, including the amount of funding available to the program and the program’s staffing needs. In recent years, more than 6,000 international medical graduates have entered U.S. programs in Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY 1) positions annually. For the 2006-2007 academic year, approximately 6,900 international medical graduates entered U.S. PGY 1 positions.
ECFMG plays no role in determining the number or mix of residency positions that are offered by residency programs or in selecting applicants to fill these positions. All decisions regarding the selection of applicants, including whether an interview is granted, whether and where an applicant is ranked for the purpose of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), and whether a contract is actually offered, are made by the directors of the residency programs.
Selecting Residency Programs
Before you can begin the application process, you must select one or more medical specialties. Selecting a medical specialty is best done with the help of advisors. It may be helpful to consult physicians practicing in the specialties you are considering. You should also consider the degree to which a given specialty would be professionally satisfying. For each specialty, it may be useful to research the overall number of positions available, the degree of competition typically experienced in obtaining a position, and the experience of prior international medical graduates, particularly graduates of your medical school, in obtaining residency positions. Detailed information on the number of positions, by specialty, offered and filled by the NRMP is available on the NRMP website.
After you have selected a specialty or specialties, you must decide to which programs within those specialties you will apply. There is no limit on the number of programs to which you can apply. Factors that you may wish to consider in selecting programs include the location of individual programs, their hospital affiliations, accreditation, and the performance of their graduates.