This is not a spoiler post, just the truth. Please do not attack me for telling the truth.

I am a US citizen academic university radiologist who graduated from a foreign medical school. I had high grades, high scores, and a six-month prestigious research fellowship with publications at one of the top ten radiology programs in the nation. I had strong recommendations from well-known academic research radiologists, and it took me two years to get three interviews and match into one program luckily. It was the worst time of my life. I got into a tertiary-level community training program in Bumfuck, USA. This is my example.

Just because you, as a non-US citizen, filled all the requirements to be admitted to the US Residency Match does not guarantee an interview or a residency position. Please understand The US residency training positions are primarily for US citizen medical graduates. Then, if their scores are high and all parameters are well above average, US citizen IMGs are considered. The US training system is for US citizens, and a provision has been made for non-US IMGs to apply. As a NONCITIZEN, you only have the privilege to apply, but no guarantee that you will get an interview or a residency slot.

I sat on the residency admissions committee of a university-based training program for over ten years, and the process was always the same. A score cut-off was set. Every US graduate at or above the cut-off moved forward; below the cut, they were rejected. These then were compared against each other based on graduating medical school, research and publication, and letters of recommendation. Recommendations from well-known radiology faculty were ONLY considered.

The resulting pool of candidates was then placed in rank order, and the TOP 40 candidates were invited to interview. Then, the US IMGs were considered using the same criteria, and the top 5-8 candidates were asked to interview. Finally, any FMGs with scores above the cut-off and equal qualifications for publication, research, clinical rotations, etc., were asked to be interviewed. Sometimes there were none, sometimes two or three.

We interviewed 50 candidates for six openings and would get 200 or more applications.

Based on the above process, which is quite a standard method, how many of you think logically you will be invited to interview?