How important are connections for matching into a US residency as an IMG?
Hello everyone,
I’m a non-US medical student from Iraq, and I’m preparing for the US residency Match.
Recently, I spoke with an IMG from my country who matched into the US last cycle. He told me that having connections is the most important factor—more important than observerships or even Step scores. That honestly made me feel discouraged.
From what I see, making connections seems very difficult. There are thousands of IMGs applying every year, and many of them are emailing attendings and trying to network. It doesn’t seem easy to build meaningful connections this way.
I really appreciate hearing from people who have successfully matched. How important were connections in your experience? Can a strong application (good Step scores, US clinical experience, research, and letters of recommendation) still be enough without having personal connections?
Thank you!