Journeys in Medicine

Author Journeys User4Posted on Categories Clinical Training Experience, Cross-cultural Experience, Host Institution, Well-being GrantsTags , , , ,

IMG Connect: Welcomed, Understood, and Empowered

By Dr. Frans Serpa

Recipient of the 2024 Grant Opportunity for J-1 Physicians: Well-being Projects Supporting Foreign National Physicians

I still clearly remember my first day of residency training in the United States. This new chapter was the result of years of hard work, sacrifice, and determination finally taking shape. After studying, waiting, and planning for so long, I had made it. I was here. I was ready—or at least I thought I was.

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Author Journeys User4Posted on Categories Clinical Training Experience, Cross-cultural Experience, Host Institution, Well-being GrantsTags , , , ,

Just Ask—The Answer Might Amaze You

By Dr. Diana Carolina Largo Luna

Recipient of the 2024 Grant Opportunity for J-1 Physicians: Well-being Projects Supporting Foreign National Physicians

“Just ask. The worst people can say is ‘no’; the best might amaze you.”

This is what my dad used to tell me, again and again, when I was growing up in “the country at the center of the world” —Ecuador. This simple yet powerful advice became my guiding mantra as I embarked on my journey to pursue medical training in the United States. In moments of doubt, I recalled his words: “Just ask; the answer might amaze you.” Whenever I was thinking about another step in my career, whether it was requesting clinical experience in an unfamiliar city, applying for the Match, or deciding to submit a proposal for the Intealth 2024 Well-being Grant Opportunity, my father reminded me that asking for things is a strength, not a weakness.

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Author Journeys User4Posted on Categories Clinical Training Experience, My StoryTags , , , ,

A “Good Death” in Hospice and Palliative Medicine

By Dr. Ram Prakash Thirugnanasambandam

In the palliative oncology clinic, a common concern among patients is what to do when their oncologist tells them no further treatments are available. Though difficult, it was often my responsibility to recommend hospice care as the next appropriate step for those facing the limits of medical treatment. Patients often seek clarity on the transition to hospice care, raising important questions:

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Caring for Underserved Populations in Jamaica and the United States

By Dr. Karecia Byfield

I have cared for underserved populations in both Jamaica, my home country, and in the United States as part of my graduate medical education training. In Jamaica, I practiced medicine in resource-limited settings. In the United States, the environments in which I have practiced medicine have been more well-equipped. Yet, many of the patients I have cared for still come from communities facing significant barriers such as poverty, high crime rates, and limited healthcare access.

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Author Journeys User4Posted on Categories Clinical Training Experience, My Story, Words of WisdomTags , , ,

A Brighter Chapter After Beirut’s Darkest Day

By Dr. Alaa Rihan

My name is Alaa Rihan. Before 2020, I was simply Dr. Rihan, living a fulfilling life in Beirut. I graduated from the School of Medicine at Beirut Arab University in 2011, then joined the American University of Beirut, where I completed four years of family medicine training in 2015. Those 11 years had been the longest chapter of my life, but I was finally ready to embrace the joys of family life and a growing career in family medicine. Blessed with a daughter and a son, my husband and I built a peaceful life amid the beauty of Lebanon.

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