Hi everyone,
Yesterday was IMG Day. Except for a quick trip to the cleaners, I spent the day sifting through applications from across the world.
I began with 748, quickly culling non-signalers and those with sparse scholarship and low Steps. I perused the rest in detail—MSPEs, letters, scholarship—and assigned each applicant to “likely interview,” “likely hold,” or “likely reject.” Final decisions await review of U.S. applicants. By late last night, I had 35 files left, which I’ll complete today.
Our program is an IMG magnet. This year’s interns include nineteen, the most ever, which was no surprise since we ranked so many to match, and because so many programs shrink from recruiting international grads, which dumbfounds me.
IMGs are a force at Yale. They include inspired researchers, clinicians, and teachers, hailing from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean. They are resilient, surmounting long odds and daunting obstacles to train here. They lead committees, interest groups, and distinctions, and they present at international conferences and publish widely. This year, we have four IMG Chief Residents, and our graduates will undoubtedly match into competitive fellowships, as always, and rise through the ranks at medical institutions like ours.
Our IMGs uphold the values of our diverse community, where physicians of all backgrounds work as partners, enriching our days with fresh perspectives, experiences, and ideas. Our residency’s diversity—beyond the many languages spoken—is priceless in New Haven, which is home to thousands of international visitors, students, immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
I ended yesterday exhausted but inspired. This evening, I’ll finish the last 35 IMG applicants and turn to the mountain of US files to see who might become their colleagues.
But first I’ll be heading to New Jersey to visit my mom and twin brother. Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.
Mark
P.S. What I’m reading and listening to:
- In Defense of the Detour By Giorgia Lupi
- I Want to Hold Her Hand By Roger Rosenblatt
- The Four TV Shows That Heralded America’s Fall By Stephen Marche
- People are using social media trends to get a good night’s sleep. CT doctors say it can cause harm. By Sean Krofssik
- The Single Smartest Case Against AI Doom On Plain English with Derek Thompson
- Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets By Burkhard Bilger