Strategy meets opportunity
ScrambleMD.com
It is the only thing
Getting into residency isn't everything;
How I got into residency after 4 interviews
Part 2
Clinical experience
I wrote emails to program directors in internal medicine and family medicine program saying that I was ecfmg certified and would like to do an obsrvership to get some US clinical experience. Most did not reply, some said they don’t do any form of observership and one sent me an email that he hasn’t finished training his residents and did not need anybody wasting his time.
By share persistence I got a program director to let me shadow him for a month. He gave me a solid letter of recommendation. He also cautioned me that there were no guarantees that I would be invited for an interview in their program.
My application
I developed a strategy during this application round:-
- I applied only to IMG friendly family medicine programs.
- My total application was 8 programs
- In 6 of those programs I had made contact with either the PD, a resident or an attending
- I was invited for a total of 4 interviews
- The interviews went well, but compared to other applicants I didn’t stand a chance.
- After every interview I sent my thank you notes and reiterated my commitment to family medicine.
During the ranking period, I tried to get in touch with the programs but they where mostly not there or non committal. I submitted my rank order list based on what I felt was the best option for me.
On match day I got the email, we are sorry……..needless to say I was disappointed and devastated, I took the day off and the next day started putting together my strategy for the scramble
On scramble day I was ready. Once I got the list of unfilled spots I went to work and within two hours I had secured a family medicine position.
The relief I felt was beyond description. I can tell you that all the contacts I had built in the previous years all played a part.
Hope for the best and plan for the worse.
Good luck.
How I got 4 interviews
After my fast attempt at getting a spot, I knew that if I just applied again blindly I would not have any chance; the competition was just too much.
I called friends and colleagues who were in the US and got some good advice.
The bottom line was that I should get some US clinical experience through an observership or externship, letters of recommendation from US physicians and concentrate my application to img family medicine programs in community hospitals.
© 2009 www.scrambleMD.com All Rights Reserved
Home I Privacy Policy I Contact Us
 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
For $199, Is this the iPad Killer?
