Journeys in Medicine

Author Journeys User4Posted on Categories Cross-cultural Experience, My StoryTags , , ,

Improving Patient Care Through Cultural Diversity

By Dr. Kevin Carroll II

I am a proud Bahamian native and a fully Caribbean-trained international medical graduate. I am also a newly matched categorical general surgery resident. Achieving my dream of matching to a general surgery residency was not an easy feat. Prior to joining my current program, I had no U.S. clinical experience. After being recognized for some accomplishments in a surgical department in my home country and acquiring my Membership of The Royal College of Surgeons, I decided to pursue my goal of training in the United States. I worried that my prior achievements would not be enough. I believed in myself, so I took some risks and I networked extremely hard. After spending a preliminary year in general surgery at a program located in Georgia, I accomplished my dream. My story is proof that determination makes it possible; to those who have doubts, don’t give up! My journey to this point has been difficult and I am so grateful to the Exchange Visitor Program for making this opportunity a possibility.

Continue reading “Improving Patient Care Through Cultural Diversity”

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

My Miraculous Return to Residency

By Dr. Kushinga Bvute

We were young, happy, in love, and planning for the future. My husband thought that it would be prudent to explore the possibility of furthering our careers abroad to ensure a secure future for our family. He was a banker but also very passionate about farming. I was fresh from university and not yet established, so we decided that I would be the first to pursue opportunities abroad.

Continue reading “My Miraculous Return to Residency”

Author Journeys User4Posted on Categories Cross-cultural Experience, My StoryTags , , , ,

You’ll Never Walk Alone

By Dr. Ahmad Khan

Living the “American Dream” was a phrase I heard a lot while growing up because many of my relatives were settled in the USA. During medical school, I had made up my mind to pursue psychiatry as a preferred specialty. After making a thorough comparison of psychiatry training in Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the USA, I decided to aim for training in the United States.

Continue reading “You’ll Never Walk Alone”

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

COVID-19: Tough Calls

By Dr. Juan Del Cid Fratti

I remember hearing on the news that in China there was an outbreak of a new respiratory virus. Shortly thereafter, this virus propagated all over the world. I made video calls to my family members back in Guatemala to discuss the importance of isolation and the use of masks. They were really scared because the virus was killing hundreds of people around the world and had just reached my home country. I was training in Chicago, Illinois at one of the biggest hospitals in the city. Cook County serves a large population of immigrants and non-insurance patients. It was a time of great uncertainty for many. The virus continued to spread and one day I received a phone call from my chief resident, indicating that I would be reassigned to the first medical COVID-19 response team. I agreed without thinking because I wanted to help these patients. After the conversation, I told the news to my wife and she started crying because she was worried about my safety. I decided not to tell my parents because this was relatively new, and they would have been very scared for my safety.

Continue reading “COVID-19: Tough Calls”

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

One Size Does Not Fit All: IMG Wellness

By Dr. Priyanka Majety

It was Match Day! I’d been waiting for this day for three long years. As I opened the email with my trembling hands, I saw it. I refreshed the email to make sure it was real. I felt a roller coaster of emotions: I was elated, surprised, and relieved all at the same time. It was my dream come true. I matched to a university program in Boston. The next few days, I kept myself busy with paperwork and family celebrations. And then it hit me that I was going to leave my cocoon of comfort and move 7,984 miles away from home.

Continue reading “One Size Does Not Fit All: IMG Wellness”