Journeys in Medicine

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

Redefining the Path Forward

By Dr. Walaa Hasan

“Mom, you will pass—I believe in you.”

Those words from my seven-year-old son, Selim, still echo. Diagnosed with hearing loss at the age of three, Selim has faced life with resilience and strength that inspire me daily. If he could adapt and thrive despite his challenges, I knew I could, too.

My journey from Egypt to the United States has been one of starting over—not as a setback, but as an opportunity to grow, redefine myself, and chase my dreams. In 2019, my family and I relocated to the United States to create a better future. While my husband, also a physician, began his residency, I focused on rebuilding my medical career in a new country. Balancing rigorous preparation for residency with motherhood, I found strength in my family’s unwavering support and the lessons I learned along the way.

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Author Journeys User4Posted on Categories Clinical Training Experience, Cross-cultural Experience, My Story, Post J-1 ExperienceTags , , , , , ,

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.

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

A Land of Opportunities

By Dr. Paramvijay Singh Dhalla

I was born and raised in Punjab, India. My father, a veterinary doctor, always dreamt that his son would be a compassionate and humane physician, one who would serve society to the best of his abilities. This dream of his stayed with me, and I made it my purpose. First, I went to medical school in India. Then, in 2021, I fortunately matched into a family medicine residency at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. This year, I moved from Nebraska to New York to begin my fellowship in geriatric medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

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

How to Succeed in Your “Rookie” Year

By Dr. Sushania Pryce

In U.S. sports, the “rookie” is the newest member of the team. In basketball, the rookie often doesn’t get to begin the game with the “starting five”—the group of skillful players who start the game—but they are always eager to play. When I left my home country to begin my journey as a resident in the United States, my initial thought was that I would be just like the rookie. To some extent the analogy is true, but in the case of being a medical intern, you are both a rookie and part of the starting five: even though you’re new to the team, you have to play every game.

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

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.

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