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Journeys in Medicine: An ECFMG Blog

Tag: PGY2

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

Caring for Underserved Populations in Jamaica and the United States

By Dr. Karecia Byfield

I have cared for underserved populations in both Jamaica, my home country, and in the United States as part of my graduate medical education training. In Jamaica, I practiced medicine in resource-limited settings. In the United States, the environments in which I have practiced medicine have been more well-equipped. Yet, many of the patients I have cared for still come from communities facing significant barriers such as poverty, high crime rates, and limited healthcare access.

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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, 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, Words of WisdomTags , , , ,

The Pop-Up Cultural Marketplace

By Dr. Vernicia Hernandez

I am an internal medicine resident at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital (UM/JMH) in Florida. The director of my program, Dr. Stefanie Brown, is committed to recruiting the most diverse class of residents, which is reflected in our residency cohort. There is strength in diversity, and it can be leveraged through a culture of mutual understanding and respect. To help promote this culture in my program, I decided to launch a project called the ‘“Pop-Up Cultural Marketplace.” The Pop-Up Cultural Marketplace project aims to foster a better understanding of the other societies, values, and cultures represented by the community at my host institution.

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

A New Beginning for HIV Patients

By Dr. Ram Prakash Thirugnanasambandam

“Is it true that there is an injection for HIV now?”

This is a common question many patients have asked me at the outpatient clinic over the past six months. It felt like a dream come true for most of my patients who had been taking daily medications since their diagnosis. To me as well, it was a remarkable advancement in the treatment of this disease, which has defined much of my J-1 physician training experience thus far.

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