For Medical Students

The path to becoming a physician is long. You don’t have to figure it out alone.

Welcome. Whether you are in your first year of medical school wondering how you’ll ever make it to clinical rotations, a third-year student navigating your first time managing real patients, or a fourth-year building your residency application — this section is for you.

I am Dr. Joyce Cheng, a Board-Certified Internal Medicine Hospitalist and Clinical Assistant Professor. I trained as an International Medical Graduate, which means I know this road from the inside. I did not have a built-in support system, a home institution guiding my application, or a clear map for any of it. I built my path step by step — through the USMLE, ECFMG certification, ERAS, Match Day, and everything that came after.

This section of the website is the resource I wish had existed when I was sitting where you are now.

A Note for International Medical Graduates

If you are an IMG — whether you trained abroad and are now pursuing residency in the United States, or you are currently in an international medical school planning your path forward — I want to speak to you directly.

The road is harder. The process is longer. There are more steps, more hurdles, more moments where you will wonder if it is worth it.

It is.

I have lived every part of this process. And while I cannot promise it will be easy, I can promise you that your path is possible — and that the perspective and resilience you bring to medicine because of it will make you a better physician.

Everything on this page is written with you in mind.

Where would you like to start?

USMLE — Study strategies, step-by-step guidance, and resources for Steps 1, 2, and 3

Applying for Residency — ECFMG certification, ERAS timeline, how many programs to apply to, and interview prep

You Matched!! Now What? — Medical licenses, DEA registration, credentialing, housing, financial planning, and preparing your mind for July 1st

What to Expect in Medical School — A Few Honest Thoughts

Medical school is unlike anything else. The volume of information, the pace, the emotional weight of working with sick patients for the first time, the pressure of exams that feel career-defining — it is a lot to hold. Here are a few things I wish someone had told me early on.

The first two years are a marathon, not a sprint. The students who succeed are not necessarily the ones who study the most hours — they are the ones who study most effectively and sustain their effort over time. Active recall, spaced repetition, and question-based learning consistently outperform passive reading and re-reading. Learn how you learn, and build a system early.

Your clinical years will teach you more than any textbook. The transition from preclinical to clinical training is jarring for almost everyone. You will feel underprepared. You will forget things you thought you knew. You will also find, to your surprise, that being in the room with a real patient — with their real story, their real fear, their real body — teaches you things no lecture ever could. Lean into that.

Your personal statement is your story — not a list of achievements. When the time comes to apply for residency, programs will already have your CV, your scores, and your letters. Your personal statement is the one place in the application where they meet you as a person. Write it that way. Be specific. Be honest. Tell the story that only you can tell.

Ask for help before you need it desperately. Every medical student struggles at some point. The ones who get through it most intact are the ones who reach out — to mentors, to classmates, to advisors, to mental health resources — before they are in crisis. There is no honor in suffering silently. There is wisdom in asking for help.

IMGs: your international training is not a deficit. It is a different path. In many ways, it is a harder path. But the physicians who train internationally often develop a breadth of clinical experience, a capacity for resourcefulness, and a global perspective on medicine that adds real value to any program. Own your story.

Resources Worth Bookmarking

• AAMC — Association of American Medical Colleges — the central hub for US medical education, MCAT, and ERAS

• NRMP — National Resident Matching Program — everything about The Match, including data on match rates by specialty and applicant type

• ECFMG — Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates — mandatory starting point for all IMGs

• FREIDA — AMA Residency Program Search — search and compare residency programs by specialty, location, and features

• USMLE Official Website — exam registration, score reporting, and eligibility requirements

• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) — program accreditation standards and searchable program directory
  
  

Quick Links

• USMLE Guide

• Applying for Residency

• ECFMG Application — for IMGs

• ERAS Timeline

• Residency Interview Preparation

• Common Interview Questions

• You Matched!! Now What?