In the midst of COVID-19 related shutdowns and travel limitations in 2020, residency programs are still interviewing to make sure they have housestaff to man the next wave of potential […]

  International Medical Graduates (IMGs) make up a critical portion of the US healthcare framework. They serve in diverse positions ranging from primary care, to under-served areas, and in […]

At RIQ – we talk a lot about the content of your answers. This is, of course, really important. However, the delivery and energy you bring to the interview can be equally important. A lot of […]

We frequently work with clients that start out who have zero research experience. This can certainly making interviewing difficult – research interests become an interesting talking point in […]

Steve and I wanted to share with you the 5 biggest mistakes we’ve observed when coaching IMG applicants. When you finish interviewing, your interviewer doesn’t remember the specific […]

The 2019 Main Residency Match® is about commence with registration opening September 15th, 2018. We outline the most important dates here – but do consistently check the National Resident […]

There are many resources currently that can help you prepare for all the USMLE steps. Observerships are widely available – but some are better than others. David and I started RIQ almost 5 […]

Here it is guys, we wanted to share with you guys the most common, and MOST IMPORTANT residency interview question. We got asked this question at about 95% of interviews. Past RIQ clients almost […]

David and I are happy to announce RIQ’s very first webina! It’s open to everyone – clients or not. When: September 12th, 2017 Time: 6:00 pm PST, 8:00 pm CST and 9 pm EST Link to […]

Burning Questions – Please Comment and Post! We know that residency application and matching is tremendously stressful process. We went through it. We now evaluate resident applicants. […]

Red flags on your ERAS application can be very anxiety inducing. There is a lot of confusion on exactly what to say and where to say it. Overall, programs get multiple pieces of information from […]

There is one question that I can predict with 100% certainty you will be asked during your residency interview. I was asked this on every single one of my 29 interviews. David and Tamara report the […]

As we look forward to the opening of the 2017-2018 National Residency Match Program season, we are distinctly aware of the challenges facing international medical school graduates. The threat of an […]

  The ERAS CV matters. The ERAS CV is a very important document for your residency applications. Too often, we see candidates spend hundreds of hours on their personal statement but only 2-3 […]

We all know what you do after leaving from the residency interview, they probably follow a pattern like this: Breathe a sigh of relief Jot down notes about the program Write thank you emails to your […]

Body language is so critical during the residency interview just as it is during the rest of our conversations in real life. It’s the way that we express dynamics, emotion, excitement, that […]

Update – Trump Travel Plan and International Medical Graduates for 2018 National Residency Match Program. We are getting this question more and more from our clients. Basically, will it affect […]

Update – 7/9/2017. We wanted to provide an update to this post. Observerships are very important when it comes to residency applications for IMGs. The simple reason is that program directors […]

All of your hard-work comes down to this. First, we want to thank you for working with us for your residency match journey and using the  RIQ Strategy. We hope we have been able to help you and we’re […]

It depends on the program, but more likely than not you will be invited to attend the pre-interview dinner.  University programs tend to offer pre-interview invitations more often.  David and I went […]

We frequently get asked the question about how many interviews should I have by now? This is difficult as every applicant is different. We look at NRMP data to help gauge how many interviews people […]

It should not surprise you that PDs and interviewers do not read a whole lot from your application.  Interview day is a schedule packed day for both interviewers and interviewees.  Usually, the next […]

Step 2 CS is the bare minimum for english proficiency Every year, about 75% of IMGs pass the Step 2 CS on their first try while 65-70% pass on their repeat attempt. Considering that Step 2 CS tests […]

The personal statement is always a challenge for candidates, particularly IMGs.  We have a strong opinion on personal statements.  We’ve written dozens of them.  We’ve edited many more.  We’ve asked […]

Will an outstanding, expensive suit get you a residency position?  No, probably not.   Can a bad suit cause you to feel less than 100% confident in yourself?  Yes.   Will a bad suit give interviews a […]

Both American medical school graduates and international medical graduates (IMGs) spend countless hours on their essay or personal statement for residency. This is understandable. The personal […]

Every year the question about thank you notes come up.  This guide will help you figure out what to do when it comes to Thank You notes. Sometimes, programs will tell you to not write a Thank You […]

David and I went through more than 45 hospitals and programs..  We have done polling on the candidates we have helped.  At each hospital, we had to do anywhere from 2 to 12 interviews with faculty or […]

David and I are a huge fans of USMLE Forums and SDN Forums they are a great resource on how do one can match as an international medical school graduate.  We are regular contributors on both sites. […]