Residency Guide




RESIDENCY PROCESS Dr. Adeel Butt MBBS(AKU); MD, MS.
The following article is based on the presentation by Dr. Adeel Butt at the KEMCAANA Seminar held at KEMU. Dr. Adeel Butt MD, MS; is the Director International Scholars Program, Asst Prof of Med & Infectious diseases at Univ Of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. * Decide that you want to do one. * Choose a specialty * Choose a setting/country * fulfill general requirements to apply * research particular programs * fulfill/complete specific requirements * prepare a CV * prepare a personal statement * get ready for interview * Interview * follow up REMEMBER: You have to sell yourself * you have to make yourself standout through content and format of your CV * Good Font -Not courier, SERIF is better. Size should be adequate (12 points suggested) * titles and duties say nothing about performance CV * its true, the first page gets the longest look. * ERAS standardizes the CV * be consistent in your format * reverse chronological order is recommended * DO NOT LIE * make it look clean and legible * Other things to include: volunteer activities, computer skills, unique externships, voice, fax, email, webpage etc. * mention your visa status * mention scores if they are good - risk of irritating the reader if not mentioned * if you are listing publications, use standard format Author (Last, FI/MI). Title. Journal Year;Volume:Startpage0endpage * if abstracts/presentations, state so, preferably separately, and write them in standard format. HOW TO INTERVIEW * before the interview: -choose programs based on your interests and long term goals -apply early -write personal cover letter if they are required or allowed -show interest, but be truthful -be prepared to explain why you did all your rotations and electives in a surgical subspecialty and now are interviewing Internal Medicine. The Night Before: -get a good night sleep -relax Day of the interview: -dress appropriately -be on time-don't be too early either! -know your itinerary well During the interview: -be courteous -be generous with 'please' and 'thank you' -be patient -politely decline offers for coffee, etc while interviewing BE PREPARED -request interviews with faculty in department where you would want to do your work in the future -identify individual members if possible -look up those faculty members interests, recent work, publications -be specific when you are asked about career goals, long term plans, etc -be ready to describe your experiences during your training, especially in the US. * talk to the current house staff * ask many questions * definitely ask if the current house staff is happy * ask them to describe a typical work day, a typical on-call night. * ask them if there is any time for yourself, and for fun AFTER THE INTERVIEW * write to the program director and key interviewers * do not write a generic letter, bring up individual points from during the interview * it is quite okay to show your desired level of interest in this follow up letter * avoid telephone calls to the program director WHAT NOT TO DO * do not be arrogant * do not say anything that is not true * do not inflate ur achievements, at the same time do not downplay them either * do not get hooked on to unnecessary details * if u don't know something or are unsure, admit it- its better to say 'I don't know' than to make a fool of yourself. * do not give the impression that u are going into IM because this is a backup or last resort- think about it early on. SOME QUESTIONS THEY MIGHT ASK YOU * why this specialty * what if you don't get it * your goals in 5, 10, 15 years * how do u make an important decision regarding a patient in your care and describe the circumstances surrounding a recent decision and how you went about making the right choice. * describe the incident in which you observed a patient care situation where an error was made or where you did not agree with the medical decision making of your senior resident or attending. * what actions might you take if you suspected a physician (resident or staff) colleague's performance of being impaired by substance abuse? * teach me something about one of your interest outside of medicine * what type of criticisms upset you * what are your weaknesses? (remember these should both be positive weaknesses like 'I stay until the job is finished') * what would you do if you did not obtain a residency position next year? * are there any patients you don't like to take care of? SOME QUESTIONS YOU COULD ASK THE FACULTY * what do u feel is the strongest attribute of your program * is this program involved in research and publication? * What teaching opportunities will be afforded to me during my residency. If yes is there formal training on HO's teaching MS? * how many hours of formal education take place each week? * are your graduates typically successful with boards on the first attempt? * how many of your graduating residents match fellowships? -which subspecialty -where * where do your graduates typically practice medicine upon graduation? * do the graduating residents typically have jobs in place by the time they graduate? * is there an orientation month for incoming residents? * how does the residents autonomy change as he/she progresses in training? QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD NOT ASK THE FACULTY * what qualities are you looking for in a resident applicant? * how do u handle complaints from residents and fellows? * asking for a sample copy of the contract (it should have been offered) * do u offer residency contracts outside of ERAS/NRMP * does this program allow moonlighting? * what are the program's weaknesses? * is there resident turn over * how solid is the financial status of this program? * how committed is this institution to resident education? * is there a union? SENIOR ALUMNI ROLE * guidance * help with electives, clerkships * residency interviews * logistical support * networking -the good name that your alumni enjoy * there is only so much we can do, so do realize our limitations * all this is done without a personal gain FUTURE: * please be sure to become members of KEMCAANA/APPNA. * provide updated address whenever you move * extend the help to juniors what you received ******************************************************************************** APPLYING FOR A RESIDENCY Hammad Ehsan MBBS (KEMC) MD article written on the special request of Dr. Habib-ullah Khan MBBS, MD (KEMC) Edited by Naeem Majeed MBBS (KEMC); BSc (PU) THINGS YOU NEED FOR APPLYING 1. Four LoRs (4 things you need to highlight. honesty, hard work, professionalism and most importantly make your LoRs personal because what a lot of you people would be doing is copy paste... naqal k liyay aqal (translation: you need common sense to be a copy cat) what I mean is mention dates in it so that it looks like professor knows you personally... goes without saying you'll have to write it yourself because no professor will write it for you.. write like this.. Dr. Bhatti after completing his 12 grade with flying colors got admission in KE in 1999 and carried on the same level of performance till his graduation in 2005..I had the opportunity to closely observe him during his internal med rotation june-august2004).. No need for surgery LoRs if you’re not applying for it... 2. MSPE (medical school performance evaluation) basically a fancy name for 3 pages that are a part of your 8 page transcripts....one is deans letter and rest of the four pages are actually referred to as transcripts 3. Transcripts (already mentioned) 4. Dean’s letter (mentioned)... Ask Riaz Sab to write the one with 9-10 lines... waisay to koi faraq nhi parta (Translation: though it doesn’t make any difference)... Imp note...Your MSPE and dean’s letter and transcripts will have a round college seal on them... same is required for your LoRs but the process is lengthy... ECFMG requires it on LoRs and they need to be signed in blue ink since last year...didn't matter for us because maybe it was the first time... so better do it for your own satisfaction....how to get the seal...when you go for getting your LoR signed attach a cover letter with statement saying..I Javed Akram know Dr Bhatti personally and writing this letter for him I had the opportunity to work with him...bla bla...(sattar sab has the statement) get both documents signed from professor and then go to Riaz Sab with an application saying you need the college seal on your LoR.. Submit these three pages... you'll get the seal... EXTRA DOCUMENTS: 1. PMDC registration why... because you’ll need it for J1 visa & good standing certificate (required by few states e.g. Illinois) 2. Up to date immunization status... PPD, Varicella, MMR, Rubella. Why? because you may decide at some time to do a little observer ship to enhance your credentials and hospitals mostly require it... WHEN DOES THE PROCESS START 1. Mid July you can buy the token to open your account on eras (electronic residency service) for 40$...how... go to your account on ECFMG. It’s the last option towards LLQ on the front page... 2. You’ll get an access no. next day through email... Go to www.aamc.org. Use access no and open your account 3. Before you start filling your info on eras...look for eras document release form on ECFMG site. WHY? because you need to send 13 things to ECFMG to be uploaded on your account...earliest by 10th august because it takes 4 days to get to USA and 15 days to be uploaded...one deans letter... four page transcript... three page MSPE... four LoRs... there is one more total 13... document which is basically for those who have done electives and US professor will write LoR for them that will directly landing ERAS...that document allows you to c that LoR before it is uploaded... Bottom line you don’t need it... 4. Start filling your ERAS info... You have time till Sept one... now I discuss its features one by one… PROFILE THIS BASICALLY involves your contact info. Keep it American I.e. give US addresses and phone nos. most imp thing here is whether you are ECFMG certified or not... change it as soon as you are...another imp thing. Sometimes it is easier to get call from a state where your staying... also when you call the program coordinator to get a call ... sometimes it helps if you’re located in the same state. E.g. Oklahoma University... PERSONAL STATEMENT WELL its imp so let’s discuss how to write it... you need to find a reason that inspired you to be a doctor. because they want to know that this individual is a doctor by choice and not because of lack of a better idea... include stories of your experiences that made you realize you should be a doctor and also write about your med school experiences...to stories are enough...also write few lines about your future goals (fellowship) people say that community program don’t like it if you talk about fellowships..Well everybody knows it’s always on the cards so I would say why lie about it... here is my personal statement... Don’t copy it....it’s just to give you an idea how you do it... Keep all your results that will be coming after September one on manual....like USMLE 3 result... Play it safe...if they know you failed. You’re in trouble...otherwise you have a chance.... MY PS My association with the medical profession dates back to my birth. Both my parents are doctors, and they opened their walk-in clinic, adjacent to our house, immediately after my birth. They also named their clinic after my name; hence I was introduced to this lifestyle very early in my life. Growing up and watching my parents discuss medicine at dinner table always fascinated me regarding the opportunities in this career. I realized that treating patients could be a great source of emotional satisfaction. It has an inherent component of diversity associated with it as almost every patient has unique characteristics and symptoms. I also became aware of the fact that this profession requires commitment, however, in the later stages one is also financially rewarded for this hard work. My father has also been very careful to highlight that medicine is a noble profession; anybody can earn money but the real wealth lies in helping the poor and needy. I still remember my parents arranging free medical camps in different villages and I really used to enjoy just being there and assisting them by noting the blood pressure readings and fetching medicines for them. I felt proud when someone called me ‘little doctor’. This all inspired me to work hard to gain admission to a medical school, and I was not the only one to enter medical school from my family. My elder and younger brothers are also medical students, whereas my fourth and youngest brother is currently in pre-medical school. Unlike my elder brother, I opted to go to a medical school in a city different than in which my parents were living. The reasoning for this was twofold. First this medical school was more prestigious, had a history spanning more than 146 years, and was considered the best in my country. The second was that I also wanted to experience life on my own, having lived with my parents for more than eighteen years in the same city. I never regretted my decision on either account and enjoyed each bit of my medical education. I gained more in terms my medical education since it not only exposed me to vast ocean of knowledge but also helped in my personal grooming. I learned how to interact with my colleagues and most importantly how to communicate with my patients. Earlier I used to be uncomfortable in situations like breaking bad news and asking personal questions from especially females. During my degree I learned that it is our responsibility to help people through difficult situations and saw various professors doing this firsthand amid my trips to the hospital associated with the medical college. One specific incident that I remember was when I was in 3rd year and I saw a 2nd year resident explaining the cause of the disease to his patient, his tone of was very rude and when the patient asked a question he hurried onto the next patient instead of responding. I could see the disappointment in his eyes. I went up to the patient, took his file, and explained to him his diagnosis and clarified his confusions. I felt his questions were mostly anxiety-related and my talking to him helped him relieve it. Apart from my educational activities, the medical school was also a time of self-discovery and personal exploration. I was elected as class representative of a batch of 250 students. Although the margin of my victory was narrow but I fulfilled the role for three consecutive years. This period was very significant because I was required to interact with different segments of my batch, coordinate different activities, and present their point of view to the college authorities. At occasions I found that it was consuming too much of my precious time, which could have been spent studying, however I realized that it refined my inter-personal communication skills. My philosophy regarding a physician is the following, I think of a physician as an investigator looking for missing clues, trying to discover hidden facts, jotting down any available information, and finally presenting a diagnosis based on this process. I have always been intrigued by this process and believe that to arrive at a proper diagnosis good team work is required. Different entities such as the consultants, residents and the laboratory staff have to work in tandem to provide a better experience to the patients. Every person involved in the process has to be an expert in his or her area of specialization and that is why I am more interested in internal medicine. In terms of domain, I would love to devote my life to pulmonology and critical care because I find it incredibly challenging and fulfilling requiring immediate decisions to be made and procedures to be performed in acute settings. It is my utmost desire to apply in a residency program that not only fosters team atmosphere, offers quality education, builds sound conceptual foundation but also provides research opportunities. CV here is my CV to give you an idea how to write it. Once you fill all the columns...computer itself generates the CV for you....once again keep it original keep it personal. MY CV** HAMMAD AHSAN BHATTI AAMC ID: 12585127 Present Mailing Address 814 C Cherry Lane East Lansing, MI 48823 Preferred Phone: 5172147367 Alternate Phone: 5173558178 Mobile Phone: 5172147937 hammadehsan_81@hotmail.com Permanent Mailing Address house no 338 street 97 G-9/4 Islamabad, 44000 , PAK Medical Education King Edward Medical College , Pakistan 12/1999 - 8/2004 MBBS, 7/2005 Education Undergraduate - ISLAMABAD MODEL COLLEGE FOR BOYS F-8/4.ISLAMABAD., ISLAMABAD BIOLOGY, PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY 3/1995 - 3/1999 UNK, 11/2001 School Awards & Membership in Honorary/Professional Societies 3rd position in anatomy in 1st professional 2002 First division in all professional examinations First division in Medicine, Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics, Ophthalmology and ENT 2nd position Punjab University Volley ball tournament 2004 College Color in volley ball 2004 Team member class volley ball team that remained college champion for three years(2002-2004) Class representative for three consecutive years 2003-2005 Winner of college Theme Day twice 2002,2004 Member Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Member Kemcolian Dramatics Society Member Student Patient welfare Society (SPWS) Certification/Licensure Board Certification PMDC License No 46723-P 07/24/2005 Examinations USMLE Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills) 8/2006 USMLE Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) 5/2006 USMLE Step 1 11/2005 Work Experience 12/2005 - 5/2006 Average Hours/Week: 78 Mayo Hospital Lahore Pakistan House Surgeon I worked in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department Mayo Hospital Lahore (dec-may) for six months. As a house surgeon I had in-patient as well as outpatient duties in addition I had one month compulsory burn unit duty in which we dealt with emergency burn and trauma cases including 8th of Oct earthquake victims. My responsibilities included preliminary patient assessments, and preparing them for surgery and taking part in clinico-patho conferences where I was encouraged to present cases. During my rotation I had the opportunity to assist in many interesting reconstructive surgical procedures including nerve grafts, flap rotations and facial reconstructions in addition to the routine procedures like rhinoplasties, hair transplant and face lifts in fact I was given a chance to perform a basal cell carcinoma resection involving left side of face under general anesthesia in recognition of my hard work and dedication. Volunteer Experience 12/1999 - 4/2005 Student Patient Welfare Society (SPWS) Volunteer Worker This society is run by medical students of King Edward Medical College with the sole purpose of helping the non-affording poor patients. It organizes charity walks, funfairs, fund-raising concerts and members also visit different organizations and donors to raise the money for the under-privileged. 2/1994 - 4/1994 Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust Cancer Hospital Volunteer Worker I took active participation in raising money for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust which is one-of-a-kind cancer hospital well equipped with state of the art technology to diagnose and treat cancer. Research Experience 7/2003 - 9/2003 King Edward Medical College Research Student, Professor. Dr Maaz. (Community Medicine) I conducted a research under the supervision of Professor. Maaz as a class project to study the PREVENTIVE ROLE OF SOYA BEAN OIL IN CORONARY HEART DISEASE. It was a population based case control study conducted in G-9 sector of Islamabad from 1st July till 10th September. It included adults between ages 20 and 40.70 subjects were taken out of which 37 were patients among whom 26 were that not using soya bean oil. Out of 33 not suffering from coronary heart disease 19 used soya bean. On applying CHI square test p-value was<0.05 and odds ratio calculated to be 0.32 hence statistically proving the preventive role of soya bean oil on coronary heart disease. Publications/Presentations/Poster Sessions Med Pharma/Punjab Institute of Cardiology Publications/Presentations/Poster Sessions Med Pharma/Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Infective Endocarditis, Hammad Ahsan Bhatti, Publication Date: 4/2005 Hobbies & Interests I like to indulge myself in sports in leisure time. I am very fond of volley ball, basketball, cricket and badminton in addition I collect coins. Whenever I get the opportunity I love to spend time with my family and my friends. Language Fluency (Other than English) Punjabi is my mother tongue spoken in Punjab and also I am very fluent in Urdu which is our national language. Other Awards/Accomplishments First position in SSC (10th grade)in my college 1997 Winner of Federal Board Merit Scholarship 1997-1998 Chosen Head Boy 1998 Second position in HSSC (12th grade)in my college 1999 Winner of Federal Board Merit Scholarship 1999-2004 Participated in Quiz competitions all over Pakistan including representing my college on radio and television Participated in 5th Biennial International Heart Conference 2005 Participated in ACLS course held in Shifa Hospital Islamabad and passed it 2005 Apr 19 KEEP ALL YOUR RESULTS THAT WILL BE COMING AFTER SEPT ONE ON MANUAL....LIKE USMLE 3 RESULT... play it safe... if they know you failed. You’re in trouble… Otherwise you have a chance.... MATCH REGISTRATION it is missed very easily....29 Nov is the last date... After that you pay 90 instead of 40 $... DON’T MISS IT... people like to wait for the pre-match and hence they miss it... ENTERING USA* If you’re not considering taking step3 then try to cover march not because of post match because that is rubbish (yet to hear about somebody getting it) but because of visa issues especially if you’re going for H1… because it helps if you contact your program and get all your documents in order (contract H1 papers) by going there in person without relying on the mail... will save you lot of time... and you need that for your clearance..for those who want to take step3...hey cover tat in your first entry when you go for CS. how...plan your CS so that you get your result in one month(possible) so you’ll be able to apply for step3 in 15 days once you get your certificate and 15 days after that you’ll have your permit to take the exam... you’ll get calls on basis of step3 from mostly community program... that too only if you have your RESULT by 15 of October... so take it somewhere in mid sept... no later than that... otherwise the only purpose it would serve will be H1 visa... last date for that is 31st march university program like you to have USCE... not step3.. e.g. go to us on 10th of may... take your CSA on 19 may… result will come by June 15..ullb able to take your step3 by july 15...buy eras token... send your document (13 document I talked about earlier) and come back and then go back end of October... I’m assuming you have 5yr multiple... those with single entry should take CS before 14 July… result will come on 16 august… meanwhile you apply for match... you’ll be able to apply for step3 on august30...remain in us for 6months and take your interviews...I’m assuming you have both scores above 95... if not it’s better not to take step 3...also go for backup .. Apply in pediatrics, neurology, family... J1 is not a good visa but if you don’t match step3exam is good enough reason to apply for the visiting visa... BEST TIME TO INTERVIEW MID NOV TO MID DEC...Cluster your interviews e.g. take NY interviews in mid November... Chicago interviews in end November... so on...doesn’t always happen this way... But do try. SURVIVING IN USA I THINK 3000$ are enough if you’re on your own otherwise if you’re staying with somebody in USA... may be 1800$ or less...hence proved... Find a mamu in us...it’s easy even your distant relations are very keen to allow you to stay with them for reasons I should not go into... CARDS Will come in handy...you need to take them along... 1. Credit card in your name... will be a sort of ID... otherwise take your fathers...once you’re in us go to chase bank or bank of America and open your account with them..you need proof of residence to open an account no need of SSN... people have used their CS result for that purpose… it has your name and address (us) on it...ask for a debit card... you’ll get it in 15days... benefit... well you won’t have to pay any transaction charges whenever you buy anything and also greyhound has few hot seats for trips around NY and Chicago like NY to boston which will be half price if card holder is travelling... 2. NICOP card... means your NADRA card in English...They charge 900 rupees for it...benefit… you can’t carry your passport all the time... also people at Amtrak require photo id and accept NICOP as one.... 3. int drivers license..why because you can rent a car and drive on it for 3 months.. people even drive for more than that because only your passport has the info when you entered us.. and hopefully won’t be carrying it... 4. YMCA card… benefit... hostel room costs 25$ at the max while hotel costs 80$ in routine...and YMCA has more than 10000 hostels in us… and they charge not more than 10$.. Google it and save money... ACCOMMODATION As I said if you have contacts (relatives) in us, nothing like it... otherwise YMCA card will come in handy... lastly Google all the hostels in that area... TRAVELING if you have clustered interviews in big and famous cities then Amtrak 280 dollar one month will suit you... even though 15 Nov-15 Dec is their peak season and they sell the pass for 380+$ still you can have the same pass for 280$... how... just say to the clerk I need 280 $ pass..if it does not work come again tomorrow dif timing... diff clerk...you’ll get the pass... trust me... if you have interviews in less famous cities where Amtrak does not go...Odessa, Cincinnati etc with dates wide apart… go for 600 $ 2 month greyhound pass...it’s worth it... sometimes air travel is cheaper than bus or train... go to priceline.com.. or kayak.com... especially between NY and Chicago.. you can buy the ticket for as little as 59$ for intercity travel go to Google write public transport Chicago especially for NY go to hop stop… enter the zip code of the areas where you are and where you want to go and it will tell how to change subways... WHAT TO EAT Halal Zabihah are the two terms you’ll hear more frequently in us… well if you care for both of them then I my opinion burger king fish meal is better than mc Donald... if you’re really hungry go to subway and ask for vege patty not vege delite....it always helps if you stay in groups... PROGRAMS Depends on your 1. Scores (step 3 will include your chances in community program) 2. USCE (it’s your pass to get a university program) 3. IMG friendly or not (international medical graduate) 4. What kind of USCE you have... research and electives are better than observer ship 5. What kind of visa do they offer? H1 is far better than J1 Imp note...!!!! Location matters too... because if you go for match (i.e. wait till march means no pre-match) certain states require you to get state license first before you apply for visa and it is a hectic process filled with extensive documentation e.g. Missouri license takes almost one month and im not sure but think you cannot apply before February...Illinois also takes one month and if your degree is more than two year old than you have to take an online course... appear before the board for an interview before you get the license and then the visa process starts...bottom line.. you don’t have that kind of time if you want to get your visa stamped from Pakistan...if you want to convert it from us or have Canada as an option then story is diff.. New York on the other hand requires no license at all so you go straight to visa process... keep this point in mind... it always helps if you know somebody in the program...you can drop names during your interview in fact they will ask you themselves because then it’s kind of a guarantee ...provided that senior has a good impression....your chances inc... also because they think I will be easier for you to get in... Imp note... it’s always a very good idea to write to programs in which your interested by taking their addresses from FREIDA and ask them about their requirements... e.g. my name is Dr. Bhatti my scores are 96 92 CS passed and I’m certified since august 2006..I did observership in etc... I’m highly interested in your program but I have following concerns...what type of visa do you offer.wat is your cut off in terms of USMLE scores... what is the ratio of IMG in your program...etc... HOW TO EXPLORE A PROGRAM GO TO GOOGLE...WRITE FREIDA...THE FIRST LINK IS AMA FRIEDA... OPEN IT...in the middle of page is written residency/fellowship... click it... now choose location by state e.g. click New York... it will ask you to choose specialty... click int med for example and scroll down the page to click search plus… it will show all the int med program in New York... to each program page and see their specification… You can get the email address write to them... you can go to their web page... RATIO average IMG applies in at least 70 programs in specialty of his choice...now the ratio is very imp... because again if you have good scores plus experience you’ll go for may be 40 university and 20 good community programs... but if you have both scores 95+ without USCE... in my opinion go for 20-30 university and 50 community programs..if both scores in 90 but below 95 or even one above 95...go for 10-15 university and at least 55 community... if any score below 90..then you should have some experience like externship/observership before applying and go all out for community...except if you can get a research experience then you have a real chance at university program... these are purely my own opinions and I don’t mean to discourage anybody.... BACK UP WHENEVER YOU HAVE A PLAN YOU SHOULD HAVE A BACKUP PLAN :) Before I discuss it let me just go over a small detail that should be kept in mind when you go for a specialty e.g. int med... the first 10 program you apply will cost you 6$/program means you will spend 60$... next 10 will be 8$/program so it will be 80$(by now you have spent 140 $)..ok the rate of next 10 programs in the same specialty is 14$/program so you will give 140 $.. in other words in applying from 1 till 30 you have spent 280$.. now the rate will be fixed irrespective of the fact in how many program you apply..it is 25$/program..so if you apply in 20 more programs… it will be 20 times 25=500$ (total 280+500=780 for applying in 50 program) and so forth now comes the imp point .your back up... after applying in int med suppose you decide to apply in family for backup… now again you’ll go to the starting point.. first 10 program 6$/program,next ten 8$/program and so forth... meaning by giving only 60$ dollars you can apply in another ten program of diff specialty...instead of going by the rate of 25$/program for additional programs... hope I have made it clear enough.. Recommended backups 1. I would strongly recommend pediatrics as a backup especially to those who have scores in 80 because it is less competitive and if you have both score in 90... You even have a chance to pre match in a pediatrics community program.. 2. Transitional med is a good back up.. 6 month surgery… 6 month int med... so that next time you apply you have real good USCE.. enhances your chances for int med and surgery wherever you want to go... it’s a very in thing and unfortunately very little heard about... 3. Family med in my opinion is tough because your dispersed all over the place ...you’ll be dealing with gynecology/obs.pediatrics.and int med plus you have surgery rotation… and if your program is opposed i.e. in the same hospital there is department of pediatrics and gynecology and internal med.. then you get less pt load and less practice and so forth... but it is good for gals because they can I think specialize in gynecology obs..also because you do surgeries some family guys can later on limit themselves to even plastic surgery procedures and mint money... bottom line...initially very hectic but later on provides a zillion options and opportunities to earn big... e.g. you can also go into pain management and also addiction which is the next big thing in us where the money would be.... 4.neurology..very good field but problem is then you have to find a one year preliminary int med program somewhere...prelim (one year) internal medicine is a bit diff to find unlike prelim surgery...because if you do that then, your options inc many fold you can go into anesthesia, derma, radiology, neurology etc... but again people have done it over the yrs so if you want it...go for it... BUT THERE’S A CATCH You’ll have to write a separate personal statement giving reasons why you chose pediatrics or family med when you apply in those programs. .eras will give you the option to attach the PS that you wrote for family medicine when you send your application to them and similarly you will do the same when you are going for int med so you’ll have to switch PS and attach the appropriate one… to write a diff PS you can get help form first aid for match... Questions: WHAT SHOULD BE THE PLAN FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO DO A HOUSE JOB do it when you’re taking your step2...will help but you know it’s tough to keep up with tough routine of medicine hjob...ok how it would help...will be beneficial for your exam...when you go for visa theyll knw that this guys been busy doing something worthwhile because they don’t think its rite to take time off for exam...when you go for internal med interview especially in community and also I university program they appreciate this fact because they know that this guy just needs to know the system and then he will be automatic in no time... ok why no h job in step one..because past record says it’s tough to handle it with the kind of study and amount of time you need to put into step one only 1-2 examples where people were actually successful...so bottom line.. h job in step one...big no... in step 2 is ok if you can handle it... I did it in plastic surgery in step2 and every interviewer asked me why this paradox... I’m applying in internal med and I did h job in plastic...though I got away with it by saying ‘because PMDC requires 6 month h job in surgery and 6 m in med and now when I go book after interviews I’ll do it’.. very few interviewers actually bought my story... IF WE TRY TO GET A HJ IN MINORS DURING OUR PREPARATION FOR STEP1, WOULD IT BE A GOOD IDEA? There are 2 things that must be kept in mind... visa and residency interview because that’s where you show your experience... they have forms that you fill to show your experience...you’ll get your visa even if you show your working in psych because all they appreciate is that your working (even fake experience)... so anything will do and now that’s what I did without realizing that I will be applying in internal med and I have experience in plastic surgery and people in interview ask questions why are you applying I internal medicine when have experience in plastic...so the lesson for you guys to learn is that keep both things in mind. Where all your purposes are served, that’s the path 2 follow coming to your question. thing about interview that you should keep in mind is that you have to make a story for yourself e.g. I told everybody I want to do fellowship in pulmonolgy and critical care so had I done my h job in chest medicine... that would have been wonderful for me but I didn’t consider that point hence I had to suffer the tough questioning during interviews.. so minors help a lot and I would recommend that make your story now and you can do h job in cardiology saying during your interview you did this because your highly interested in cardiology and so forth...will serve both your purposes.....you can go for neurology... hematology oncology and I would highly recommend nephrology... less hassle more time to study.... another point...sometimes people get false experience...it works to get you the visa and call for interview but mind you gentlemen they never ask you to provide the experience certificate...they question you...’Any interesting case that you came across... describe it’… you cannot fake that... bottom line do h job in a minor ward but it should be a known hospital like mayo... try to learn something... will work wonders for you.... WHY DON’T TRY TO GET A MINOR HJ DURING STEP 1 PREPARATION TIME? H job and step 1... it all depends on you...if you do suppose nephrology during step one and int med during step 2 ...and get 95 + in both steps...nothing like it...match guaranteed...though it will be tough but if you can devise a system preferably with a partner with same goals and a tight schedule… it is possible... I’m a kind of guy who likes to play it safe... Pakistan experience is not considered equivalent to us... so 6 month is almost same as one year... that’s why I said do it in step 2 and you’ll be safe in terms of visa and interview both... so though odds are high its possible ...and its personal(choice)... DISCLAIMER This article was primarily prepared for the students and alumni of King Edward Medical College/University, Lahore, Pakistan. Some of the instructions/tips will be applicable only at KEMC/U or (in a few instances) Pakistan. We have taken utmost care to exclude any errors/omissions in this article with good intent for all, but this document CANNOT be used as a source of reference for legal proceedings anywhere. Please verify the information from official sources before you proceed. The authors, website administrators & the TSDocs are not responsible for any damages/losses that may occur while following these guidelines.
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