Specifying Desired Visa on ERAS Application: H1b ? J1 ? Or Both ?

It's been an awfully long time since my last post on Tips4Match Blog and it's time to rekindle the flame here.

Well...like I probably have written elsewhere on one of my too-many blogs [seriously, am losing count! ] - having excessive choices make our life miserable, coz' each choice has it's own 'opportunity cost' - that is, the price you pay for missing out on the benefits of other choices when you finally make a choice. Unless, you could simply select all and still be right ;-)


When you be fill out the Common Application Form(CAF) while applying for residencies through ERAS, visa-needing IMGs are required to specify their visa preferences: H1b or J1 or Both

Here are some thoughts on why I feel you should select both:

1. Given the increasing competition, wisdom suggests that its best to keep your application less restrictive so that it flows through the initial screening sieves that residency program directors use for incoming applications. An old medical school friend visited me as she was interviewing for fellowships - she mentioned that the biggest regret she had was restricting her visa choices to 'H1b visa only' when she had applied, coz' that seriously brought down the number of programs that called her for interviews.



2. Being open to both visa types is especially advisable for IMGs applying for the primary care specialties where J1-waiver job opportunities are good: Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry Obstetrics-Gynecology and General Surgery. This does not mean other specialties will not have J1-waiver jobs, only lesser and may need early searching, but then the number of IMGs getting in those specialties are fewer too.

Recently on a AMA News article concerning J1-Waiver physician supply, Texas Dept. of Health Primary Care Office reported that a total of about 896 physicians received J1-waiver jobs in 2005 and considering that the Conrad 30 program alone allows 30 J1-waiver jobs in each of the 50 US states, we got a lot of unused potential J1-waiver positions. Of course, it's not that mathematically easy to land a waiver job, but not impossible if you use the right strategies (shall put that up later).

[ To refresh your memory - Read about the types of agencies that sponsor J1-waiver jobs for IMGs]


3. There is a palpable positive change in the outlook of IMGs towards taking up J1-visa Residencies :

a. Some very good residency programs offer J1 visas only
b. Fellowship options are certainly more and better on J1 than H1b
c. And yeah - its better to have a residency than to go down trying exclusively for that H1b - he he..a retarded way of putting the same is : A J1 residency in Hand is worth 2 H1bs residencies in the bush ;-)

4. At times, programs that say they prefer J1 visas may in fact grant you an H1b visa on non-invasive, patient persuasion. In fact, I know a guy who convinced his program to change their J1 offer to a H1b visa offer AFTER the match.

[Read about how to negotiate for the H1b visa with Residency Programs]


So for what candidates is it worth it to mention only H1b as the desired visa type ? For those who plan to take up non-clinical H1b jobs in the US after residency - in areas like management, informatics, pharma companies. etc. And why would such IMGs do a residency in the first place ? Coz' having an MD in some non-clinical fields gives a great edge.



Speaking of too many choices, maybe Barry Schwartz's book "The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less" is right on target :-)





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