Competency-Based Pre-Residency Training: The IMG Model

All candidates for medical licensure in the U.S. must first pass the U.S. Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE) before they can apply to a medical residency program. U.S. medical schools make preparation for the USMLE part of their curricula. Student scores are one of the critical factors in getting accepted into medical residency programs.

IMGs, whose medical educations have not been geared to passing the U.S. exams, are at a disadvantage when taking the USMLE. Moreover, their past education and experience may have given them only limited exposure to the U.S. healthcare system and medical care culture, including how to interact with American patients.

UCLA IMG Program scholars receive intensive instruction and fully-supervised, hands-on clinical training at UCLA and its training center partners. As a result, UCLA’s bilingual and bicultural IMG scholars are well-equipped for the USMLE examinations, and highly-competitive for match placements in Family Medicine residency programs.