Match a resident IMG friendly program application requirements

Residency applicants need access to reliable, consistent, and detailed residency program minimum requirements. Program websites often lack essential details or are outdated. Other residency lists have only partial information for many programs. Match A Resident believes that knowing accurate and detailed minimum requirements is essential for applying to compatible programs only, thus saving applicants hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars.

Common issues residency applicants encounter regarding program requirements

Program websites often do NOT differentiate between strict requirements and flexible preferences
Program websites are often not updated for the current season
Program websites lack details regarding important factors like IMG Friendliness, ECFMG® Certification requirements, and accurate visa information
Other public databases face similar drawbacks, and most notably - are not sourced by direct and in-person communication with programs

The MAR difference is dynamic and “in-person”

Match A Resident spends about 6-8 weeks each year by calling programs directly in order to have in-depth conversations with programs over the phone. Our professionally trained update team is able to determine strict cutoffs versus flexible preferences for many core residency application criteria. Match A Resident Customized Lists are dynamic, in that as soon as a program is updated, any changes are reflected in the system and Member Lists are automatically updated.

MAR residency minimum requirement program card breakdown

Match A Resident focuses on what really matters for applicants - residency program minimum requirements.

Let’s look at an example program to help highlight why Match A Resident’s concise information is critical for making residency application decisions, as opposed to public databases whose information may be vague or generic.

Key aspects of core residency requirements to note:

Make sure you are applying to programs before application deadlines
Some programs require hands-on US clinical experience while others may prefer it or not require USCE at all
Flexible USMLE Step 1 scores vs. strict USMLE Step cutoffs
Possible preferences on USMLE exam attempts - while some programs have attempt cutoffs!
Possible acceptance of J1 visa and/or sponsorship of H1B
Cutoff time since graduation is important to many applicants - some programs have strict limits, others preferences, and others no requirements at all
IMG Friendliness of this program is high! Learn more about IMG Friendliness here
ECFMG® Cert. may be required, preferred, or not a criterion for interviews

The most important factor of our update process is our ability to truly determine preferences versus requirements, as the majority of our updates happen directly over the phone with program coordinators. Plus, we can add additional information and commentary based on these phone calls regarding individual criteria or the program as a whole.

Match a resident is customized to you

Match A Resident Lists are Customized to each individual applicant based on their profile - including USMLE® scores, USCE, time since graduation, visa requirements, and applicant type.

All irrelevant and incompatible programs will be removed from your List. Plus, members have the ability to further narrow and refine their residency application choices with Additional Filters and supplemental tools based on years of reliable data.

Supplemental program information in customized residency lists

Each program also has a Compatibility Score as well as the potential for an Interview-Link - indicating that the program has interviewed a certain number of candidates like you in the past.

We also collect Additional Information about the residency program, the hospital, and the surrounding region.

Plus, residency applicants both benefit from and enjoy reading the thousands of Interview experiences we have collected.

Watch how to optimize your Match A Resident Customized Residency List to find the very best programs for you in only about 2 minutes!

Smart residency program search
in one click.

Eligibility Requirements for U.S. Medical Residency Programs