1. DO STRONG CLINICAL ROTATIONS – meaning Hospital-based (if they are 💯 % hospital that is phenomenal but they need not be 100% hospital), preferably University Hospital Affiliation. Remember, university hospitals will not take FMGs or IMGs for one month or two months of clinical rotations!! Their GME departments will not do it. Some attending physicians, however, sneak a few students to accompany them as observers (and they charge $2000-$4000 dollars from students). However, most program directors in the US know that IMGs/FMGs cannot get authentic and official meaningful rotations at University hospitals. Rotations at University-affiliated hospitals are OK. So, this is the established system and pathway in the United States Medical System. Please don’t try to bypass or be sneaky about it. It may work, but more often, it does not.
2. STRONG LORs – A strong LOR does not mean from where you are doing the rotation or the rotation letterhead, but WHO is writing the letter of recommendation for you, WHAT is the faculty designation, whether they ARE chairman or vice chairman or head of the department or directors of the unit. That is more important. Whenever the selection committee sees a LOR, they look at the bottom of the letter for the faculty designations of the person writing the letter of recommendation. Then, they go into the LOR subject matter and see what is written. These are the ONLY TWO things in your LOR that decide whether it is strong.

3. MEANINGFUL, PRACTICAL, & IMPACTFUL RESEARCH – Examples are -The impact of tobacco in rural India. OR Financial impact of health disparities in the USA OR Gender difference in Cardiac mortality. Most people want to know the answer to these simple, practical topics. You can easily use the databases and articles to collect the data on these, which can all be done remotely or via the Internet.

4. COMMUNITY or CHARITABLE service—this shows the compassionate, human side of you as an applicant. Program directors and interviewers love to see applicants who have an attitude of giving to others. In the residency program, they want to have compassionate and humble people who serve others.

⁠5. CONTINUED INTEREST IN the PROGRAM AFTER APPLICATION –Update the program that you are very interested. Inform them of any new achievements you may have had from the time of application etc. if an attendings at that program is available, go shadow them and try to connect.