Residency Advisor
Essential Questions for Caribbean IMGs Pursuing Global Health Residency
Why Your Questions Matter as a Caribbean IMG Interested in Global Health
As a Caribbean IMG targeting global health–focused residency programs, the questions you ask during interviews, open houses, and pre-interview communications can significantly influence both your match outcome and your training experience.
You are not only being evaluated—you are also evaluating each program. Thoughtful, targeted questions help you:
- Identify programs that truly support international medicine and global health residency tracks
- Highlight your maturity, insight, and career vision
- Clarify how welcoming a program is to Caribbean medical school residency applicants and other IMGs
- Avoid surprises about funding, visas, call schedules, and global rotations
This article will give you structured, high-yield questions to ask residency programs, tailored specifically to Caribbean IMGs interested in global health. You’ll also learn how to adapt them for different audiences (program directors, residents, coordinators) and different phases (pre-interview, interview day, post-interview).
Foundations: Strategy for Asking Smart Questions
Before diving into specific questions, it helps to have a strategy. The same question can make you look either unprepared or impressive depending on how you frame it.
1. Know Your Goals as a Caribbean IMG in Global Health
Clarify your own priorities so your questions are purposeful. For example:
- Do you want a formal global health residency track, or is informal experience enough?
- Are you hoping to work in international medicine long-term (e.g., NGOs, WHO, MSF, academic global health)?
- Do you need strong support as a Caribbean IMG (visa, mentoring, exam preparation, career development)?
- How important are structured electives abroad vs. local underserved/community work?
- Are you considering fellowship or academic careers after residency?
Write down your top 3–5 priorities, then build your question list around them.
2. Use the “Know–Show–Ask” Framework
Transform generic questions into strong ones using this pattern:
- Know: Show you did your homework.
- Show: Briefly connect the topic to your interest or goals.
- Ask: Pose a clear, focused question.
Example:
- Weak: “Do you have any global health opportunities?”
- Strong: “I saw on your website that you have a global health pathway and past residents have worked in Haiti and Honduras. I’m particularly interested in long-term partnerships rather than one-time missions. Could you share how longitudinal those experiences are and how residents are supported to integrate them into their training?”
This approach is especially powerful for Caribbean IMGs—it demonstrates professionalism, initiative, and genuine alignment with the program.
3. Match the Question to the Audience
Some topics are best asked of specific people:
- Program Director / Associate PD
- Big-picture vision, curriculum, selection philosophy, support for IMGs, long-term career outcomes.
- Chief Residents / Current Residents
- Day-to-day life, workload, culture, actual support vs. what’s on paper.
- Program Coordinator
- Logistics, visas, licensure, onboarding, contract timelines.
- Global Health Track Director / Faculty
- Depth of global health experiences, research, long-term collaborations, safety, funding.
Have variations of your key questions ready for each group.
Core Questions About Global Health Opportunities and Structure
If global health is central to your career goals, you must go much deeper than “Do you have a global health track?”
Below are categorized questions you can adapt. Use them selectively—do not ask all of them in one interview.
1. Clarifying the Existence and Depth of a Global Health Residency Track
To ask the Program Director or Global Health Track Director:
- “I’m particularly interested in programs with a structured global health residency track. Could you walk me through how your global health pathway is organized—its key components and expectations for residents who enroll?”
- “How many residents typically participate in the global health track each year, and is it competitive to get into once you’re already in the program?”
- “Is the global health curriculum longitudinal across all three years, or concentrated into elective time?”
What you’re listening for:
- A clear curriculum (e.g., seminars, journal club, global health ethics, health systems)
- Longitudinal commitment (not just one short elective)
- Evidence that the track is established and resourced, not just “aspirational”
2. International Rotations and Field Experiences
To ask the Global Health Faculty or Residents:
- “What types of international rotations are offered, and in which countries or regions do you have long-standing partnerships?”
- “How are international sites selected and evaluated for safety, educational value, and supervision quality?”
- “Are there any rotation sites in the Caribbean or Latin America that might be particularly relevant for someone with my background?”
Key follow-ups:
- “Are these rotations guaranteed for residents who are interested, or dependent on funding and availability each year?”
- “How are residents supervised during international rotations—are there on-site faculty, local preceptors, or remote oversight?”
As a Caribbean IMG, you can also gently explore how your regional experience may add value:
- “Coming from a Caribbean medical school background, I’ve seen some of the system-level challenges in resource-limited settings. Are there opportunities for residents to contribute longitudinally to partner sites, for example through quality improvement or education projects?”
3. Funding, Time, and Logistics for Global Health
Global health opportunities are only realistic if they are funded and protected.
To ask the Program Director or Track Director:
- “How are international rotations funded? Are there institutional funds, grants, or scholarships available, or are residents expected to self-fund most of these experiences?”
- “Is time abroad considered elective time, or vacation time, or a combination of both?”
- “What is the typical duration of an international rotation, and what percentage of residents actually complete at least one?”
Red flags:
- Experiences exist “on paper” but rarely occur due to lack of funding or support.
- Rotations are mostly unpaid, short-term medical tourism, not embedded partnerships.
4. Integration of Global Health into Local Training
Strong global health programs connect global principles to local populations.
Questions to ask:
- “How do you integrate global health concepts into the core residency curriculum, even for residents who do not travel abroad?”
- “What opportunities exist to work with local underserved or immigrant communities, such as refugee clinics, migrant health services, or community health centers?”
- “Are there dedicated clinics or electives focused on cross-cultural care, health disparities, or immigrant health?”
This helps you identify if the program sees global health as more than “travel medicine”—a key point if you’re aiming for serious work in international medicine.
Questions About Support for Caribbean IMGs and Residency Culture
Even the strongest global health program won’t help you if the training environment is unsupportive of Caribbean IMGs. You need to assess IMG-friendliness, mentorship, and culture.
1. Determining IMG-Friendliness and Support
To ask the Program Director (phrased professionally):
- “I see from your current resident list that you have trainees from a variety of international backgrounds. How would you describe the program’s experience working with Caribbean medical school graduates in particular?”
- “Are there any specific supports you provide for IMGs—such as orientation to the U.S. health system, documentation, or mentorship—to help them transition successfully?”
You can also ask residents (especially other IMGs):
- “As an IMG, did you feel supported when you started here? Are there any structured resources to help new international graduates adapt to documentation, communication, and EMR systems?”
What to listen for:
- Concrete examples of IMG success (chiefs, fellowship matches, leadership roles)
- Structured support rather than vague statements like “We like IMGs”
2. Visa and Immigration Considerations
This is critical for many Caribbean IMGs.
To ask the Program Coordinator or PD (not the first question of the day, but at some point):
- “For international graduates who require visa sponsorship, which visa types does your institution typically support (e.g., J-1, H-1B)?”
- “Have there been any recent changes in institutional policy regarding visa sponsorship that applicants should be aware of?”
- “Do you foresee any anticipated limitations or challenges with visa sponsorship over the next few years?”
Make sure the program’s visa policies align with your situation.
3. Mentorship and Career Development for Global Health
As a Caribbean IMG, mentorship is especially important to navigate both residency and the path into global health careers.
Questions to ask faculty or residents:
- “How are residents matched with mentors, especially those interested in global health or international medicine?”
- “Are there faculty members who have built careers in global health that residents can regularly work with?”
- “Do you have a formal process for career advising and fellowship or job planning, particularly for those interested in global or humanitarian work?”
You want to see:
- Named mentors with global health experience
- A clear system for connecting you with them early in training
4. Culture, Inclusion, and Psychological Safety
Programs that support global health usually value diversity and equity—but don’t assume. Ask:
- “How would you describe the culture of the program when it comes to diversity, inclusion, and supporting trainees from varied backgrounds, including international graduates?”
- “Can you share an example of how the program has responded when a resident raised a concern about bias or microaggressions?”
- “What does your program do to promote wellness and prevent burnout, particularly during busy rotations or during crises such as pandemics?”
Residents’ answers are especially revealing—watch for consistency with leadership’s answers.
High-Yield Questions for Different People on Interview Day
You’ll want different sets of interview questions for them depending on whom you’re speaking with. Below are tailored lists you can adapt.
A. Questions to Ask the Program Director
These should align with vision, curriculum, and your long-term goals.
Examples:
- “What qualities do you look for in residents, and how do you see someone with a Caribbean medical school residency background contributing to your program’s mission?”
- “How do you anticipate your global health or international medicine opportunities evolving over the next 3–5 years?”
- “For residents who pursue the global health track, what kinds of roles or positions have they taken after graduation?”
- “What are you most proud of in this residency, especially regarding training physicians to care for diverse and underserved populations?”
- “What does success look like for a resident in your program, and how do you help them get there?”
These questions show maturity, alignment, and strategic thinking.
B. Questions to Ask Chief Residents and Current Residents
Here you want honesty about daily life, not just brochures.
Examples:
- “How manageable is the workload on busy rotations, and do you feel you still have time for things like global health activities, research, or language learning?”
- “For residents participating in the global health pathway, how do they balance those commitments with core clinical duties?”
- “Have any Caribbean IMGs recently gone through the program? What has their experience been like?”
- “When a resident is struggling—whether academically, personally, or with cultural adaptation—how does the program respond?”
- “If you had to choose again, would you still rank this program highly? Why or why not?”
Residents’ tone and specifics will tell you a lot about the real environment.
C. Questions to Ask Global Health Track Directors / Faculty
These are your deep-dive questions into global health substance.
Examples:
- “What are your core principles when it comes to ethical global health engagement, particularly balancing resident learning with the needs of partner communities?”
- “Are there ongoing research or quality improvement projects at global sites that residents can plug into early in training?”
- “How do you prepare residents for global health work—do you offer pre-departure training in areas like cultural humility, global health ethics, or tropical medicine?”
- “How do you evaluate and sustain long-term partnerships with international sites rather than short-term, one-off trips?”
Their answers will help you distinguish between serious global health programs and those that are merely cosmetic.
D. Questions to Ask the Program Coordinator
Don’t overlook this person—they know how the system actually works.
Examples:
- “Could you share the typical timeline for rank list decisions and how you communicate ongoing interest or updates from applicants?”
- “Are there structured orientation sessions for new residents that might be especially helpful for IMGs unfamiliar with the U.S. system?”
- “What are common challenges new residents face in the first few months, and what resources are in place to help them adjust?”
Coordinators’ responsiveness and clarity often reflect the program’s organization and resident support.
Adapting Your Questions Across the Interview Timeline
Your questions will evolve across the application season. Here’s how to use them strategically.
Before the Interview
- Use program websites, virtual open houses, and social media to identify gaps.
- Prepare a short list (5–7 per program) of high-priority questions focused on:
- Global health track specifics
- IMG support
- Culture and mentorship
- Avoid asking questions easily answered by the website.
During the Interview
- Distribute your questions across different people (PD, residents, faculty) to avoid repetition.
- Listen actively—use answers to generate smart follow-ups.
- Avoid questions about salary, vacation, and call schedule as your first topics; save them for residents or the end of the day, or check the website/handbook.
After the Interview
You may still have questions to ask residency programs via email or a second look.
- “After our interview day, I’ve been thinking more about the global health curriculum you described. Would it be possible to speak briefly with a current resident who has completed an international rotation in [region of interest]?”
- “I’m particularly committed to a career in international medicine. Are there any additional resources or faculty you’d recommend I connect with to learn more about how your alumni have pursued this path?”
Keep messages concise, respectful, and clearly interested—without pressuring for special consideration.
Putting It All Together: Sample Question Sets You Can Use
Below are example “bundles” you could realistically ask during one interview day without overwhelming your interviewers.
Example Set for a Program Strong in Global Health
To the Program Director:
- “How do you see your global health initiatives aligning with the overall mission of the residency program?”
- “What have your graduates interested in global health gone on to do after finishing here?”
To a Global Health Faculty Member:
- “Which global health partnerships are you most excited about right now, and how are residents involved longitudinally?”
- “How do you support residents who want to develop specific skills, like research methods or language proficiency, for future global health careers?”
To a Resident:
- “Have you or your colleagues participated in international rotations? How did they impact your training and career goals?”
- “How realistic is it to be involved in global health activities alongside core clinical duties?”
Example Set for a Program You’re Unsure About
To the Program Director:
- “How do you define global health in the context of your residency program?”
- “Are there plans to expand or formalize international medicine or global health experiences in the near future?”
To a Resident:
- “Is there interest among residents in global or underserved international work? If so, how has the program responded to that interest?”
- “Do you feel the program is supportive of residents who come from Caribbean or other international medical schools?”
These sets let you gather meaningful information and present yourself as a thoughtful Caribbean IMG with a clear vision for global health.
FAQs: Questions to Ask Programs for Caribbean IMG in Global Health
1. How many questions should I ask in each residency interview?
Aim for 2–4 thoughtful questions per conversation (e.g., per interviewer or per session). Quality matters more than quantity. Avoid rapid-fire questioning; prioritize the topics most important to you—global health structure, IMG support, mentorship, and program culture.
2. Can I directly ask, “Is your program IMG-friendly?”
It’s better to ask indirect but revealing questions, such as:
- “What proportion of your current residents are international graduates?”
- “Can you share examples of Caribbean IMG alumni and where they are now?”
- “What supports do you have in place for IMGs transitioning into the U.S. system?”
Their answers will clearly indicate how IMG-friendly the program is without putting anyone on the defensive.
3. Should I mention that I’m from a Caribbean medical school when asking about global health?
Yes—but frame it as a strength. For example:
- “Coming from a Caribbean medical school, I’ve had exposure to resource-limited settings and diverse patient populations. How do you see residents leveraging that kind of background in your global health or international medicine opportunities?”
This shows self-awareness and positions your background as an asset.
4. Is it acceptable to ask about funding for global health rotations?
Absolutely—and it’s important. You can phrase it professionally:
- “For residents who pursue international rotations, what sources of funding or institutional support are typically available?”
This is a normal, responsible question that demonstrates practical thinking and long-term planning.
By approaching interviews with structured, thoughtful questions to ask residency programs—especially around global health and IMG support—you not only gather crucial information but also present yourself as a mature, mission-driven Caribbean IMG who knows where you’re headed and what you need from a training program to get there.
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