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Posted on Categories Clinical Training Experience, Cross-cultural Experience, Host Institution, Well-being GrantsTags , , , ,

Building Support for IMGs at UAMS

By Dr. German Corrales

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

When I moved from Córdoba, Argentina, to the United States to apply for residency, I was filled with excitement and hope. At the time, I was a postdoctoral research fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. But just as I was preparing to take the USMLE Steps, COVID-19 hit. Testing centers shut down, and like many others, I had to delay my Match application by a full year. I stayed on in my research role and, during that extended time, connected with several other international medical graduates (IMGs) going through similar delays. Our shared stories of uncertainty and perseverance helped me feel less alone and more determined to continue forward.

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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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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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From FOMO to Family Medicine

By Dr. Sushania Pryce

From as early as I can remember, my family physician inspired me to help others. His ability to care for everyone in the community, from old to young, left me in awe. It became my life goal to follow in his footsteps. Before entering medical school, I knew I wanted to become a family physician. After all, growing up in Oracabessa, Jamaica, a very rural community, that was the only type of doctor I knew. Fast forward to now, years later, I have traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to complete my residency training to become a family physician.

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A Journey of Grit, Strength, and Motivation

By Dr. Esha Jain

Nothing worth having comes easy.

Each journey in medicine is unique, but all are full of grit, strength, and motivation. I write this blog post in the hopes that you can derive inspiration during your experience as an international medical graduate. By no means is this an easy route, but it is incredibly worth it, and I would not have had it any other way.

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