How to Apply

All applications are processed electronically through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service); we are unable to accept paper applications or applications submitted by e-mail. For further information on applying, you may contact ERAS The Association of American Medical Colleges at 1-202-828-0413.

All candidates are selected through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP); we do not offer “pre-match” positions. Generally, ECFMG certification (including USMLE 1, 2-CK and 2-CS examinations) is necessary to participate in the NRMP; graduates of medical schools outside of the United States should check with the NRMP to be sure they meet the requirements for participation. USMLE 3 is not necessary for ECFMG certification or to participate in the NRMP.

The deadline for receipt of applications for each academic year is December 31 of the year prior. Candidates being seriously considered will be invited to come for an interview between early October through mid-February; invitations are sent weekly by email beginning the last week of September of the year prior to residency start. All applications are reviewed regardless of the date they are received; because all positions go through the NRMP, applicants interviewed in February have the same chance of matching with us as do those who interview in October; please note, however, that applicants who apply in late November or December often have difficulty scheduling an interview due to availability.

Final decisions regarding the suitability of the candidate for a position, as well as the ranking in the NRMP, are made by a committee composed of faculty physicians. The criteria we use to determine which applicants to consider are flexible and depend on the applicant pool available each year.

• Preference is given only to applicants who have graduated from medical school within 2 years of the date of application.
• Preference is given to applicants who have had direct (“hands on”) inpatient clinical experience in a teaching hospital in the United States (e.g., as is often the case with graduates of Caribbean and some Central American medical schools or Fifth Pathway programs in conjunctions with attending a medical school in Mexico); hospital-based observer ships or 08/18/2017 2externships, “shadowing,” or working in a physician’s office or free clinic is not considered “hands-on” experience.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential.
• We recognize that the passing scores for USMLE examinations vary from year to year; therefore, we do not use absolute cut-off scores to judge an applicant’s qualifications.
• Preference is given to applicants who have USMLE (Parts I and 2-CK) scores in the vicinity of 225 or above. We cannot fully evaluate an application until we have received both of these scores. We do not require you to have taken and passed USMLE 2-CS when we review your application, but a passing score will be necessary
  (by the end of February 2016) to enable you to participate in the NRMP.
• We cannot tell you if we will consider your application if you did not pass one of these tests on the first try, so please do not ask. USMLE 3 scores are not used to evaluate applicants, since a large number of applicants will not yet have taken this exam.

The number of international medical graduates in our program varies from year to year. For the past few years, approximately 70% of our interns have been graduates of American medical schools.

Applicants interested in a J-1 visa are considered; these visas are sponsored by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and usually require the physician to return to his/her home country for two years after training is completed; waivers to this requirement are often available, but eligibility for this waiver varies from year to year. For further information, the ECFMG can be contacted at 215-821-2121. You cannot apply for this visa until you have a residency position.

If you are completing post-graduate work in the U.S., an EAD certificate is usually available and good for up to one year from the completion of your curriculum; you would still need to apply for a J-1 visa to complete your internship year. International medical graduates have many questions regarding eligibility requirements for a position in our residency program. If you do not see your question addressed here, it is most likely because we do not have a specific policy regarding that situation.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer observerships or externships to prospective applicants.

Please note that this information is provided as a guideline for you to determine how much your background matches what we are looking for in a resident as well as how likely our program is to meet your needs. We are unable to tell you how likely it is that you will be invited for an interview or your chances of being selected for NRMP ranking, since this is dependent on reviewing your ERAS application and comparing you with our other applicants. Applicants are selected based on their preparedness, ability, academic credentials, communication skills, motivation, and integrity. The Jewish Hospital do not discriminate with regard to sex, race, age, religion,color, national origin, disability, or past military status.