Networking Strategies for IMGs (International Medical Graduates) to Help You in the Residency Match
- Samir Desai MD & Rajani Katta MD
- Jul 4
- 9 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Over my 25+ year career as a faculty member at the Baylor College of Medicine and co-founder of a company that works with residency applicants, I have worked closely with many IMGs. Our company MD2B Connect provides clinical rotations for IMGs, as well as residency application services, so I have had the privilege of working directly with many fantastic IMG applicants.
In my experience, the most successful applicants are those with a strong application combined with supportive relationships with US physicians. Networking can help you develop these types of supportive relationships.
Networking Can Open Doors to Shadowing, Research, and Residency Opportunities
I’ve seen amazing things happen when applicants embrace the power of networking.
Although networking can be an intimidating process, it's often critical in the residency application process. In fact, networking has been instrumental in the residency match success of many IMGs.
The relationships that you develop through networking can be instrumental in providing helpful advice, opportunities to shadow, opportunities to perform research, and sometimes even introductions to faculty at residency programs.
The bottom line is that networking is extremely important for residency match success. However, I've spoken to many, many applicants, and I've found that many are uncomfortable with the process. Unfortunately, these fears prevent them from establishing the types of relationships that can open important doors.
Many physicians are deeply grateful for their own mentors, and would like to give back
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of IMGs and international medical students as part of a panel at the National Arab American Medical Association Meeting. I spoke about the importance of networking for applicants seeking residency positions in the U.S.
In the Q&A that followed, a number of established physicians in the Arab American community spoke passionately about mentors who were influential in helping them match to their US residency training positions.
What is networking in the context of the residency match?
Networking has been defined by the AAMC as “connecting and developing relationships with physicians and other health care professionals to use as a resource in your career.”
Read this definition again. Networking is about relationships.
In this post, I’m going to provide an overview of several strategies that IMG applicants can use to begin networking so that they can start the process of developing relationships within the US medical system.
Networking Strategies for IMG Applicants
Strategy #1: Consider People You Already Know
You may already have people in your network you can connect with in a professional capacity. These may be family members, friends, advisors, and colleagues. Include acquaintances as well. After you’ve identified those within your network, you’re ready to talk with them about your career plans and goals.
Your established network may also be able to provide you with the names and contact information of people who can help you reach your professional goals.
Strategy #2, Part 1: Connect with IMGs from Your Medical School
Your network should include graduates of your medical school who are practicing in the U.S. Some schools will provide you with names and contact information, and we’ve even heard of schools arranging phone appointments with alumni. If your school does not have a list of alumni practicing in the U.S, you can harness the power of the internet to locate these individuals.
To refine your approach, we recommend initially contacting residents and practicing physicians in the U.S. who have completed their education at your school. You may be more comfortable starting your efforts with this group, and then branching out to others.
Strategy #2, Part 2: Connect with IMGs from Other Medical Schools
You can continue to build your network by initiating relationships with IMG graduates of other schools. Although you have not attended the same medical school, you still share a common bond with these physicians. It’s likely that you’re facing the same struggles that they faced when they went through the process, and you’ll find that many will be receptive to your inquiries.
Strategy #3: Join Professional Associations
You can also expand your network by joining professional associations. Organizations like the American Academy of Family Physicians and American Medical Association hold annual meetings with formal networking events.
Ethnic physician organizations, like the National Arab American Medical Association, the American Association of Physicians from India (AAPI), and multiple others, are yet another opportunity to expand your network.
Strategy #4: Recognize the Importance of Persistence
It can be uncomfortable (and even sometimes discouraging) to approach new people. You may have to "knock" on 100 doors before someone responds. One of our students had to reach out to approximately 100 physicians before she found someone willing to meet with her and then offer her an opportunity to work on a case report. That case report turned into a more in-depth research project and a deeper relationship with this faculty member, which ultimately led to a letter of recommendation that helped her match into Internal Medicine.
Remember that every person you encounter will have had people in their lives who played important roles in getting them to where they are today. The relationships you form in your own professional journey will likewise shape you and your career. That's why, even if you're feeling uncomfortable, it's so important to begin the process of networking and plan to continue, even in the face of disinterest.
Don’t make these common mistakes when networking
Sometimes I see medical students and IMGs making certain mistakes in the process of reaching out to physicians and faculty. On the one hand, these professional connections can be very valuable. On the other hand, you can’t just ask for a big favor from somebody you don’t really know. That’s the most common mistake-trying to establish a connection in order to ask for a favor right away. That will typically backfire.
Remember: the purpose of networking is to create and deepen relationships.
The best way to begin to create a relationship is to simply ask for advice
The best way to begin is by simply asking for advice. In general, I’ve found that most physicians are open to providing advice.
When seeking advice from a potential new networking relationship, what do you say?
Here’s a sample email:
Hello Dr. Katta,
I enjoyed meeting you at the AAP conference last week, and I wanted to thank you for taking the time to chat with me about my poster on post-operative infections following robotic cholecystecomy. As I mentioned, I will be applying for internal medicine in the upcoming match cycle, and I had a few questions. I was wondering if you might have time for a 15 minute phone call? If not, I certainly understand. If so, I have flexibility over the next month as I am studying for my Step exam.
Thanks so much for considering it,
Sarita Smith MD
Graduate, Strong University Medical School, Panama
Ask Tailored, Specific Questions Based on Their Experience
When you meet, you should ask specific questions that relate to your situation and that can make use of this physician’s specific expertise. For example, some students speaking to an alumni of their medical school might ask “What advice would you give to a student in my position who is trying to match in the United States?” or “How did you find your opportunities for US clinical experience when you were a student?”
If you’re interested in research, and your connection has research experience, you might ask what resources they would recommend for a student trying to develop her research skills, or if they know of any faculty involved in research who might be open to taking on a research assistant.
These questions really need to be tailored, and it’s important to take the time to think about these questions ahead of time.
Depending on how the conversation is going, you may choose to ask if the physician ever offers opportunities for shadowing or observerships, or if they know of anybody who might offer these opportunities. Don’t start off with this request, but if the conversation is going well, you may choose to ask.
If their work has impacted you in some way, then let them know.
As a physician and faculty member, it can be very meaningful to hear that your work has been impactful in some way. Here are some ways in which students have conveyed that to me.
I (RK) have a number of patient education handouts on contact dermatitis that are publicly available on my website. One of the medical students at Baylor who was applying to Dermatology reached out to me, and he mentioned how helpful these handouts were, and how the residents in clinic frequently used them.
One of our students found our podcast episode on the basics of medical ethics to be very helpful, and she took the time to write a quick review of the podcast.
One of my friends recommended that her medical student read our book The Successful Match, and this student checked the book out from her medical school library. She then wrote a review on Amazon. When we ultimately met for a Zoom call, she started by telling me how much she appreciated the book, and specifically the chapter on audition electives, and how she had mentioned that in her book review.
In each of these examples, the student expressed appreciation in a sincere way that was meaningful to me.
The most important part of this entire conversation is the follow up.
Always send an immediate thank you email, and express your gratitude for this busy individual taking time out of their schedule to help you.
The other important part of this conversation is the second follow up
Many students stop with a thank you email, but the most valuable email is often the second one. This is when you take one piece of advice that they’ve given you, and then put it into action. For example, one month later you might send this email:
“Dr. Katta, thank you so much for your advice when we spoke last month. I was able to reach out to Dr. Sage, and we will be working on a case report together. I would never have had that opportunity without your help, and I really appreciate it.”
Start and End with Appreciation
It can be difficult to know how to connect with a physician who is far more advanced in their career than you are. It can often seem as though this is a one-way relationship (in which you are asking for advice or even favors) and that there's not much that you can offer in return.
That’s simply not true, and the students who are the most successful at developing relationships with US physicians deeply understand that.
The first and most important thing that you can offer is gratitude. That could be gratitude for their taking the time to speak with you, or gratitude for the helpful advice. You can say thank you at the beginning of the conversation and/or at the end of the conversation, and you can follow that up with a separate email saying thank you. The strongest follow up emails, as I mentioned earlier, are those that provide updates on how you have benefited from their advice.
Maintain the Relationship with Occasional Updates
If you sense that the physician is open to ongoing communication, many students will continue to provide periodic updates.
Just like any relationship, you can gauge whether or not this physician is open to staying in contact. If so, it’s really helpful to send periodic updates on your career. I love getting emails from former students who tell me that they received an award, or that they were published in a highly regarded journal, or that they read one of my published articles that helped them in their research, or to tell me where they matched, or to tell me how their residency is going. These small touch points can maintain a relationship.
I also want to emphasize a few other points, because we’ve seen these even with students who have contacted us.
Use Formal Communication - Even for Casual Introductions
Even when you are introduced to a physician connection via a family friend (for example) it’s important to follow the norms of professional communication. That means addressing the individual as Dr. Smith, unless you have been directly invited to address them by their first name.
Do Your Homework Before the Call or Meeting
It’s also important to research the background of a new connection. What is their background and what are their interests, areas of expertise, and goals? Do you have any areas of commonalities? This type of preparation can help guide your questions.
It’s easy to find background on US physicians, since many public websites provide our date of graduation, medical school, residency training, and years in practice. Many physicians have profiles on LinkedIn, and academic physicians typically have a webpage from their academic institution. I have my own website that provides a lot of information on my academic background (KattaMD.com).
Spending a few extra minutes to perform this background research can be very helpful.
To enhance the power of networking, consider opportunities to network with faculty of IMG friendly residency programs or those who may have connections to IMG friendly residency programs
To learn more about how to identify and connect with IMG friendly residency programs, please see these resources:
Dr. Samir Desai is the author of The Successful Match: Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match and is co-founder of MD2B Connect, the most trusted and highest-rated provider of hands-on clinical experiences for IMGs in the U.S.
Dr. Rajani Katta is the creator of The Residency Interview 101, the online course that helps applicants quickly and confidently prepare for their residency interviews. She is also the co-author of The Successful Match: Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match and served as Professor of Dermatology at the Baylor College of Medicine for over 17 years.
