Residency training & placement services FAQs

Q. How can I get a list of open residency and fellowships positions?

A. The AMA posts open residency and fellowship positions We list accredited residency and fellowship programs that are either 1) first-year (PGY-1) positions that are left unfilled after the Match and the Scramble; or 2) positions for second-year or more advanced-year positions (PGY-2, PGY-3, etc.) We also include links to other Web sites and telephone hotlines that list vacancies.

Note: The AMA does not run any residency programs. We also cannot influence the admission decisions any residency program makes regarding an applicant.

You can also search through listings of all residency and fellowship programs in the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (AMA-FREIDA)

Q. Can you provide me with information on physician placement services?

A. At one time, the AMA maintained a physician placement service but it was discontinued a number of years ago. There are reputable placement services for physicians in most large metropolitan areas which must be personally identified. The AMA does not endorse or sponsor any such placement services.

Q. How can I go about getting into medical research?

A. If you intend not to be licensed to practice medicine in any state jurisdiction, ECFMG certification is unnecessary. You need to be in contact with a physician placement service in the location where you want to engage in this research or seek out employment/research opportunities on your own.

Q. If there are cutbacks in residency slots in certain specialties, which ones will be affected most?

A. According "The Physician Workforce: Recommendations for Policy Implementation," a Report of the AMA Council on Medical Education (June 2005), a number of national specialty societies and state societies report inadequacies in their current and project physician supply. Specialty societies include: critical care; dermatology; radiology; endocrinology; allergy and immunology; psychiatry; cardiolgy and geriatrics. State societies are concerned about the adequacy of physician supply in one or more of the following specialties: medical subspecialties (cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, oncology, rheumatology, dermatology) and pediatric subspecialties; general survey and surgical subspecialties (urology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, plastic surgery); hospital-based specialties (anesthesiology, radiology); psychiatry and neurology; and primary care (regionally).

Q. Can you provide me with those residency programs that are willing and interested in accepting IMGs?

A. The policy of the AMA is that residency selection should be on the basis of merit and not on where one received his/her medical education. This policy is regularly made known to program directors. However, the policy may not influence program directors and, regrettably, other subjective criteria are often used. For some IMGs, it is a long and arduous task to be selected for a residency position, and there is little that the AMA can do to change this except to continue to announce its policy and urge fairness. Specifically to the question, we do not have the information you requested on residency programs.

Q. Would you please send me all of the OB programs participating in the NRMP?

A. You should contact the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists at 409 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024-2188, (202) 863-2525 or the Directory of Graduate Medical Education Programs, known as the Green Book, available from the AMA by calling (800) 621-8335.

Q. Does the AMA have available the E-mail addresses of all residency program directors?

A. Yes, contact information for all residency programs is listed on the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access (FREIDA) Online on the AMA Web site

Q. Is there a correlation between USMLE scores and getting into a residency program? I scored above 75% to pass the exam but have had difficulty in being accepted into a residency program.

A. We have heard that program directors often screen out applicants with criteria such as test scores and experience in U.S. hospitals. The AMA opposes this practice. The AMA believes that test results should only be reported as "pass" or "fail" and that residency programs should not discriminate against applicants by country of medical education. However, difficulty can occur because getting into a residency program is a very competetive process. The number of IMGs who apply for residency spots is larger than the number of available spots. In 2001, 7,115 IMGs entered the Match but only 5,900 IMGs were in PGY-1 residency spots.

You can try to improve your chances of being selected by a residency program by doing reseach or working in a hospital or other medical setting. You may be able to find work with academic physicians who can help you get accepted by a residency program.

Q. I’ve tried and tried to get into a residency program, but I can’t get an interview. What can I do?

A. Applying for a residency in the U.S. is extremely competitive for IMGs. There are approximately twice as many IMGs applying as there are available residency positions. The best thing you can do is to get experience in a U.S. healthcare facility before applying to a residency program. It is particularly important to get experience in a facility with a teaching program. This can be difficult, but volunteering may be your best route. If you are unable to get experience in a clinical setting, try to obtain a research position in a hospital laboratory. This may lead to clinical opportunities.

You may also consider a medical career that doesn't require patient care. "Leaving the Bedside: The Search for a Nonclinical Medical Career," a book published by the AMA, is a practical guide that leads the reader through a well-reasoned sequence of steps leading to the successful development of a nonclinical medical career. You'll find the information, guidance, and direction you need to achieve your personal and professional goals. You can buy it from AMA Catalog OP#392096 for $25

Q. Can I do a fellowship without doing residency or other U.S. clinical training?

A. A fellowship program is a subspecialty program; you have to complete a residency in the U.S. in order to enter into a fellowship program.

Q. Are there any paid positions I can look for while waiting to get into a residency program?

A. Generally, there are no salaried training programs for physicians from other countries who have graduated from medical school and are in the process of applying for a residency program. The physicians who are in this country in that situation, usually through personal contact, work with a physician in an academic institution and attend lectures, make rounds and help with research projects in the laboratory. This is not formal training and you cannot handle any patients. No salary is paid. It will give you some idea of medical practice in the U.S. It also helps to get a letter of recommendation when you apply for residencies. Some institutions do not allow this. I am sorry to say that there is no official program for an IMG who comes to the US and who is in this in-between period. On the bright side, as many as 4-5 thousand IMG physicians do get into residency programs every year. The USMLE step one and two exams should be passed. A score of 80 or over will give a better chance for getting into residency training.

Q. Do my five years of residence in my home country, or SAP pediatric certification count as possible credit and reduction in the U.S. residency time period?

A. Most likely the answer is no, but your residency program will have to evaluate your skills, experience and credentials to determine this request. The residency program may wish to consult with the state medical board or medical association.

Q. I am an IMG currently employed as an assistant professor at a University in my home country. I have completed my residency in my home country. A university in the U.S. is interested in hiring me as an assistant professor. How do I go about getting licensed in their state?

A. Each state has its own eligibility standards for licensing.
Directory of State Medical Boards in the U.S. (This link will take you off the AMA Web site. The AMA is not responsible for the content of other Web sites.)
You may also be eligible for a visiting professor license through the state licensing board.