Cross-cultural Experience Archives - Journeys in Medicine Blog

Home > Journeys in Medicine Home > Cross-cultural Experience

Journeys User4July 25, 2025July 25, 2025Clinical Training Experience, Cross-cultural Experience, Host Institution, Well-being GrantsEcuador, Internal Medicine, PGY2, Texas, Well-being

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.

Continue reading “IMG Connect: Welcomed, Understood, and Empowered”

Journeys User4July 11, 2025Clinical Training Experience, Cross-cultural Experience, Host Institution, Well-being GrantsEcuador, New Jersey, Pediatrics, PGY3, Well-being

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.

Continue reading “Just Ask—The Answer Might Amaze You”

Journeys User4November 22, 2024March 5, 2025Clinical Training Experience, Cross-cultural Experience, My Story, Post J-1 ExperienceAlumni, Headache Medicine, Kentucky, Neurology, Pakistan, Returning Author, Texas

Growth is Best When Shared

By Dr. Muhammad Ismail Khalid Yousaf

“Serve well and learn more—they’ve given you a place in their country, and it takes a big heart to do that,” my paternal grandmother, Jamila Begum, told me during our family’s ritual prayers before I left for the airport to begin my training in the United States. This 7,500-mile journey from Pakistan to Kentucky came with its own uncertainties and challenges, but the belief that “there is a blessing when you migrate to study abroad” was deeply rooted in my cultural and religious values. I was determined to carry forward these virtues with pride and dignity, as my parents had sacrificed everything to ensure I received the best training, and my wife’s support to get me to the United States to train was monumental. Thanks to the BridgeUSA J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, I was fortunate to match and start my training at the University of Louisville (“UofL”) School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology.

Continue reading “Growth is Best When Shared”

Journeys User4May 31, 2024May 31, 2024Clinical Training Experience, Cross-cultural Experience, Host Institution, Well-being GrantsChief Resident, Internal Medicine, Mexico, PGY4, Texas, Well-being

Navigating the J-1 Journey Together

By Dr. Martha Maricela Solis

Recipient of the 2023 Grant Opportunity for J-1 Physicians: Well-being Projects Supporting Foreign National Physicians

I grew up in a town in northern Mexico, 20 minutes from the U.S. border, with a population of fewer than 5,000 people. I lived in a very small world back then, but my aspirations were big. I always dreamt of becoming a doctor, and through hard work and my parents’ support, I was able to go to medical school with a full ride. During medical school, I didn’t stop dreaming; I still wanted more. I wanted to train in a place where I could access the newest technology and resources, so I could deliver the best evidence-based medicine to my patients. That’s how training in the United States became my next dream.

Continue reading “Navigating the J-1 Journey Together”

Journeys User4May 17, 2024May 17, 2024Clinical Training Experience, Cross-cultural Experience, Host Institution, Well-being GrantsIndia, Ohio, Pediatric Nephrology, Pediatrics, PGY5, Well-being

Alone We Survive, Together We Thrive: International Medical Graduate Empowerment Initiative

By Dr. Shruthi Mohan

Recipient of the 2023 Grant Opportunity for J-1 Physicians: Well-being Projects Supporting Foreign National Physicians

I am Dr. Shruthi Mohan, a PGY-5 from India specializing in pediatric nephrology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. When I first walked through the doors of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a pediatric resident four years ago, the moment was filled with euphoria. Confident in my prior residency training from a prestigious institute in India, I was ready to embrace new training, worlds away from home, with enthusiasm. However, the initial euphoria quickly gave way to the daunting realities of visa processes and adapting to a new culture, lifestyle, and healthcare system in a new city. It was a steep learning curve, navigating a system that was entirely foreign to me, with minimal guidance.

Continue reading “Alone We Survive, Together We Thrive: International Medical Graduate Empowerment Initiative”