International students taking medical courses in several medical colleges and universities feel uncertain about their residency as Match Day on March 17 approaches. During Match Day, medical students begin the process of applying for residency.

Residency programs were also in doubt in accepting international students, especially applicants from the seven countries specified by the Trump administration. Medical students from Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Syria that are about to start their residency were in a limbo. They were not sure whether they would be allowed to finish their residency. Residency programs were also not sure whether to accept them or not, according to Medscape.

Most residency programs will be ranking applicants on the 22nd of February. They want to accommodate these international students. But, they do not want the uncertainty of these students' status to delay the scheduled program.

The issue affected all international medical students and the different residency programs in the country. In Ohio, the president and CEO of the National Resident Matching Program was in doubt regarding acceptance of international medical students in the different residency programs. This was because there was no guarantee that these students would be allowed to stay in the US longer. Applicants from countries targeted by the ban may not be considered because it was still uncertain if they would be allowed to study in the US, according to Cleveland.com.

Even non-medical students were anxiously waiting for the new ruling on travel ban. While the Americans rallied against the ban, it might not be enough for the Trump administration to consider lifting it.

This was the first time that country of origin became a big issue in accepting medical students for residency. To many of them, getting into a residency program in the US was a dream come true. This time, though, they might not be able to realize that dream.

Tags International students, Foreign Students