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Journeys in Medicine: An ECFMG Blog

Category: Well-being Grants

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

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.

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

Building a Community for IMG Trainees at a Large Academic Hospital

By Dr. Can Misel Kilciksiz

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

I am Dr. Can Misel Kilciksiz, an international medical graduate (IMG) from Turkey and a PGY-4 psychiatry resident at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WashU). I am writing this blog piece on behalf of our wonderful team, the WashU IMG Wellness Initiative. Our initiative was started in July 2023 by a group of trainees and faculty, including myself, Dr. Nadia Wattad (pediatric pulmonology fellow from Israel), Dr. Callie Torres (pathology resident from the United States), Dr. Rawan Safa (emergency medicine resident from Lebanon), Dr. Jennifer Duncan (professor in pediatrics, director of GME Wellness), and Dr. Patricia Cavazos-Rehg (professor in psychiatry, vice chair for DEI). Since July 2023, many other amazing trainee members have joined the leadership committee of our initiative, including Dr. Mew Udomkittivorakul (pediatrics resident from Thailand), Dr. Esra Pehlivan (pediatrics neurology resident from Turkey), Dr. Mehul Thakkar (pediatrics hematology/oncology fellow from India), and Dr. Shao Ching Tu (pediatrics/genetics resident from Taiwan).

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