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Clearing the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) is just the beginning of building a medical career in the United States. Most students, whether International Medical Graduates (IMGs) or U.S. medical professionals, find themselves at a crossroads when it comes to choosing their specialty after passing the USMLE exam. This is because, with the plethora of postgraduate training options available, selecting the one most beneficial to them can be confusing.

Zeroing in on the Medical Specialty after the USMLE Exam

Choosing your field of specialization requires immense consideration for your long term goals, because this is an important step that decides your future ventures as a clinician.
Consider the following points before you settle on your specialization, once you clear the USMLE step exams.

Know Your Strengths and Interests:

Your specialization is going to be the deciding factor of your medical career and should completely align with your inherent interests. Never choose a specialization because it is in high demand and is likely to pay off better in monetary terms. Go for fields in which you are actually interested to work.

Understand the Specialties:

Try looking into the working of each specialty before choosing. There will be considerable difference in terms of the training length, patient population, work-life balance and income potential associated with each specialty. Also some specialties are harder to get into because of the higher demands, while others are much more accessible.

Consider Your Lifestyle:

Your personal life should also be a priority, just like your career. Before choosing a specialization after your USMLE step exams, you should also consider your personal commitments and choose one that enables you to be efficient in both your professional and personal ecosystems.

Look into the Match-Trends:

When it comes to IMGs trying for their specialization in the US, Match trends are something to take seriously. This is because it is harder to get matched into some specialties, and if one chooses them without proper consideration, the competition increases and the chances of getting matched could be reduced.

Deepen Your Understanding with Experience:

If you are confused between a few specialties to choose from, it is always a good idea to enroll in internships and work for some time in those fields to get a real-world understanding of how things work before choosing your specialization after the USMLE medical licensing exam. This is a method to consider if you are not in a hurry to get into specialization training.

Always remember that there is no single answer to the question, “Which is the best specialty for training in the US?” Think over and over again about every possibility and outcome before choosing your specialization. But before all of that, you need to secure a really good score in your USMLE Step exams in order to land your dream specialization. Your USMLE Step 2 CK scores matter a lot, especially if you are an International Medical Graduate.

So, if you are already planning to take the USMLE medical licensing exam and build your career in the US, don’t wait to start your preparations the right way to achieve a great score. At StudyUSMLE, our USMLE courses are specially designed to ensure that you don’t fall behind at any point in your preparation and that you receive the best expert-led training to gear up and ace the USMLE Steps.

Connect with our StudyUSMLE team today to find out more.

                                                                                                              Authored By: Pooja Premraj