Intealth Logo
 
Blog HomeAbout
Journeys in Medicine: An ECFMG Blog

Tag: New Jersey

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

Growing ROOTS: A Story About the Space Between Shifts

By Dr. Nayanika Tummala

Recipient of the 2025 Intealth Well-being Grant Opportunity: Projects Supporting IMG Physician Wellness

A crescent moon over the trees in Yosemite.

I want to begin with a photograph.

It was taken one night in Yosemite: a crescent moon, the silhouettes of trees, a deep blue sky. Nothing dramatic. But when I show it to a room of residents, every single person sees something different. Some see a quiet calm. Some see loneliness. Some see that sliver of moon and feel hope. Some see the trees and think of home, wherever home is for them. I have come to believe that is the truest thing anyone can say about well-being. It is not a program or a checklist. It is personal, shaped by where you came from, what you carry, and how you happen to see the world at three in the morning when the pager goes off again.

Continue reading “Growing ROOTS: A Story About the Space Between Shifts”

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

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”

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.

Continue reading “Redefining the Path Forward”

Author Journeys User4Posted on Categories Cross-cultural Experience, My Story, Words of WisdomTags , , , , ,

March Madness

By Dr. Emilio Jose Fabian Corona

“March Madness” is upon us, but I must clarify that it is probably not the one you are thinking about, especially if you are a sports enthusiast. I am alluding of course to the Match season, that time of the year when thousands of medical students from across the country and around the world wait patiently for that long-anticipated email in mid-March: the correspondence that will dictate if your dreams of becoming a trainee at your desired program and institution are to be fulfilled.

Continue reading “March Madness”

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

Unveiling the Mind: Matching into Adult Neurology

By Dr. Shrinjay Vyas

The pursuit of a career in medicine has been a lifelong dream for me. I inherited a passion for learning and an unwavering commitment to achieving excellence from my academically focused Indian family. Encouraged by the values instilled in me by my parents, I attended and graduated from one of the most prestigious medical colleges in the state of Gujarat in my home country of India. After I completed my education, I dreamt of taking the next step in my medical career in the United States, where I could study the intricate inner workings of the human brain and have the opportunity to contribute to the global advancement of neurological care.

Continue reading “Unveiling the Mind: Matching into Adult Neurology”