https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/ Physician-written guidance for Caribbean medical students and IMGs on the USMLE, the residency Match, and ERAS. en Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:25:00 GMT https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/a-failed-step-and-what-happens-next/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/a-failed-step-and-what-happens-next/ A failed attempt is permanent, visible, and survivable. Here is what it does to an application, what the retake rules are, and how it gets handled well. Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:25:00 GMT Applications Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/going-unmatched-decide-before-match-week/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/going-unmatched-decide-before-match-week/ SOAP moves faster than anyone can think clearly. The applicants who handle it well made their decisions in February, when they were still calm. Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:40:00 GMT The Match Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/what-residency-interviews-assess/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/what-residency-interviews-assess/ By the time you are invited, your paper case is made. The interview answers a different question, and preparing for the wrong one costs offers. Wed, 08 Jul 2026 08:55:00 GMT Applications Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/what-your-personal-statement-is-for/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/what-your-personal-statement-is-for/ Most personal statements fail the same way, by retelling the CV. Here is the job the page is doing in a program's review, and how to test whether yours does it. Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:30:00 GMT Applications Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/which-specialties-take-imgs/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/which-specialties-take-imgs/ Fill rates show you where there is slack and where there is none. Neither number tells you a door is closed, and one specialty in the 2026 data proves it. Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:10:00 GMT The Match Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/protecting-study-hours-on-scattered-rotations/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/protecting-study-hours-on-scattered-rotations/ Standard time-management advice assumes a stable week. Caribbean clinical years rarely give you one, and the usual systems fail in a predictable way. Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:50:00 GMT The Caribbean Path Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/burnout-is-a-scheduling-problem/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/burnout-is-a-scheduling-problem/ Students read exhaustion as a character failure and try to fix it with discipline. It usually responds to structure instead, and knowing the difference matters. Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:45:00 GMT The Caribbean Path Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/start-earlier-than-feels-reasonable/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/start-earlier-than-feels-reasonable/ The USMLE work that separates a strong application from a weak one starts years before dedicated. Here is what a first-term student can still do. Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:15:00 GMT USMLE Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/step-1-pass-fail-what-it-changed/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/step-1-pass-fail-what-it-changed/ Making Step 1 pass or fail was meant to reduce pressure. For international graduates it moved that pressure onto an exam later in your calendar. Fri, 29 May 2026 13:25:00 GMT USMLE Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/step-2-ck-changed-the-caribbean-calendar/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/step-2-ck-changed-the-caribbean-calendar/ When Step 1 went pass or fail, the number programs rank you by moved to Step 2 CK. For Caribbean students that broke the inherited study calendar. Tue, 19 May 2026 08:40:00 GMT USMLE Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/how-to-read-a-match-rate/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/how-to-read-a-match-rate/ Every percentage has a denominator, and the denominator decides what the number means. Here is how to read any statistic about a medical school, mine included. Thu, 14 May 2026 15:05:00 GMT The Caribbean Path Dr. Mickey, MD https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/what-img-match-rates-actually-mean/ https://caribbeanmedicalstudent.com/blog/what-img-match-rates-actually-mean/ The single IMG match rate you keep reading doesn't exist. It splits by citizenship and visa status, and the gap is wider than most students expect. Mon, 04 May 2026 09:20:00 GMT The Match Dr. Mickey, MD