chemamr
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chivas lost this weekend vs jaguares. 3:1 i think. can you believe it?.
yes, that's the idea Medusin. But don't think americans are the best, they also get 70's and 80's in the steps of the USMLE. Anyway, we just have to study and that's all and try to achieve our dreams (as you say medusin)
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| chemamr
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my girlfriend's aunt told me (this aunt lives in Los Angeles, CA) that usually the brain is mexican and the equipment/technology is american. Talking about doctors and healthcare services.
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| noxar311
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Hi guys...your posts have been really helpful....laloblum...i went to the falcon review website and I found the course u mentioned...did u take it in dallas,too?....the site doesnt explain very well the schedule or the content of the whole course...it actually advertises it as CSA course (which led me to think that the site was kinda out-of-date)anyway,,,,would you mind tellling me how the course goes?...is it just the 40 practice actor-based cases?.... what kind of feedback did you get?....does it resemble the real exam?..any lectures?...this cs thing has me a lil worried cos i dont know what to expect...i feel confident about the "knowledge part"but i think im gonna have take one of these courses to gain "interpersonal" confidence...so Im maybe thinking the falcon course could be a good option... thnks in advanced lalo.....
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Yarbles, great bolshy yarblokos to you. What you done you had no right. I'll meet you with chain or nozh or britva any time, not having you aiming reasonless tolchocks, it stands to reasonless, I wont have it...
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| laloblum
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Norax>
Yes the course is in Dallas, Tx. The schedule is about the same everyday! You wake up, go to the class and practice almost all day, you have the teacher that evaluates you in every encounter you take so you practice until you have mastered!. The first day is kind of an orientation, about the test, what do you have to do, what you don't have to do, and a review of some of the manuevers... The good thing about the course is the exposure to the patient-based ancounter.
Some times is more than 40 actor-based encounters... depends on how fast the class moves, lectures on the beginning of the course, and it does resembles the real exam, with the timing, and the note writing... It's a really good course and enogh to do really well...
I don't have a doubt that if you take the course you can pass... and take the CS out of you back...
Sigo triste por mis chivas!!
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| SilatK
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There is also the one day Kaplan course. It's 1000 dollars for one day and it covers a lot too. If all you need is to refresh some stuff and get an idea of what the test is about this is it. What you see in the five day you will see it here in a condense form. There is one available date for march and I think also february.
Remember that the least you do to the patient to help them heal the better!!! And after you are done with your residency keep on learning medicine!!! But most important learn how to heal!!
Oh y ARRIBA EL ATLAS!!!!!!!!! JEJEJEJE
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| Hagar
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just curious...what was the required anatomy text at UAG? we had lockharts which i grew to hate at UANL. only recently they switched to moore's
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| chemamr
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in UAG they use Moore.
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| laloblum
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In the international program they use Gray's Anatomy!
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| laloblum
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Today a friend of mine pass Step 1 and also got into residency in Mexico... she didn't past the ENARM, but after they opened new residency spots she got in... I am writing you this because I think is important to talk about this topic.
Once you get into the USMLE road, you will suffer different emotions from the almost total depression to the greatest joy. We are few doctors in Mexico that try to do this pathway to become a better physician.
But is harder to choose if the USMLE way is correct when you also have a opportunity in a Mexican Hospital to do residency, because residency its time consuming, leading you to very little time to study. So you have a great choice to make, Mexico or USMLE.
In my experience I entered a Mexican residency while preparing for step 2 CK & CS, and I didn't study like I was supposed to do, at the end I failed step 2 CK... So, I quit and studied like I needes to and passed. The good thing is that now a have a residency place in the US...
So all of my fellow Mexicans, think about your future, especially if you are interested in the USMLE, because it's a lot of money thrown in the trash if you don't completed that path.. And also you take a spot for another doctor to have a further education.
I don't say it's impossible to do a residency in Mexico and prepared for the steps... but don't be in the position of my friend... he thinks everyday what to do... which is the best path... avoid all that, make your choice from the beginning.
Maybe it's not an interesting topic... but I thought it was good to mention this for everybody that is going to start their path.
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| chemamr
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Congrats laloblum!! do you mean you got a prematch offer?
i think itīs a good topic laloblum. As some of you know, i also was a resident in Mexico, i did all the 1st year of a general surgery residency in Guadalajara in the Cl. 46 of IMSS. But then i started to think about my future, what were my goals, where did i want to live, etc. I knew it was difficult to be studying for my residency and for the USMLE at the same time (more as a 2nd year resident of surgery in the C.M.O.; and more in our case, like IMGs, we need good scores in the steps ) so i thought several weeks about it and decided to quit to prepare my steps. Now, I think i took the right decision, fortunately now iīm ECFMG certified (just waiting for the paper, but itīs now in OASIS) and i think iīm in the correct way, maybe i wonīt enter to a residency this year, but if not, iīll do it next year, almost as a fact.
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| chemamr
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i want to ask you guys, i know it's not an exact number but in your opinion, based on what you have seen and heard.
What's the percentage of mexican physicians who go to the USA to study their residency?
like a little poll.
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| Mxshrink
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I dont know about how many get to do it Chemamr, but I can tell you, that at least in my classroom in Monterrey, maybe 80-85% of us wanted to come to US for residency, very few had the (huevos) to take the test, and from those who did, very few passed and are in the path for residency. I may be 2 years behind my pears who started their residency in Mexico, and I may be broke now, but hey, now that I am close to get in to residency, I cant get the smile out of my face. Like you all know, theres a lot of suffering on this road, but at the end, wow, I have no words to describe it, Im sure some of you are feeling it now, and some of you will know what I am talking about in a few months. Good luck.
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| chemamr
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yes, that's another point. Many (but MANY) wanted to come to USA to study, some of them tried and gave up, just a few took the test(s), not all pass them, etc, etc. I agree, one must have "eggs" to do this thing.  And there is also a big number (majority I guess) who don't think about it or don't try it.
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| laloblum
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I think actually very few each year can get into residency, because for us as Mexicans, is not a easy or a cheap road to take... is very expensive to buy the books, take the test, courses, etc... and the steps are very hard tests, not compared to nay mexican test (not even the ENARM)... so even do many Mex docs dream to get into residency in the states... just a select few can...
And Yes... I already got a prematch offer... so I am staring July 1st my pediatrics residency... It's hard but not impossible
Chivas 3 - 1 Colo Colo 1... next victim... Los Pumas
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| chemamr
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now i see you are a real chivas' fan.
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| laloblum
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Is there some other team?.... 
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| confe
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Hi all,
I really appreciate all the comments that are posted , which inspire those ( like me!!) that have the dream to enter residency in the near future. You can imagine how sometimes or more so many times you think if the journey is really worth it!!... That is why coming to this forum helps so much!!
congrats laloblum on the prematch offer!
Chemamr and Mxshrink I admire your inspiration to continue with this journey, take care.
I will be taking step one in March or April
Hey girls...how is the studying going? Lorena how did your last interview go?
Good luck
Confe
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| Mxshrink
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Laloblum, Congrats on your pre-match!!!. I am sure you wake up every day with a smile on your face. Good luck during your residency, I hope that in 4 years we can all be chief residents, and demonstrate what us Mexicans are made of. And dont forget to keep showing up in the forum, to help those who are on the boat we were before.
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| Hagar
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hi mxshrink. were you at UANL, UDEM or TEC? most people at UANL when i was there mentioned the wish to do a residency in the states but very few actually went thru with taking the test. and of those who did none that i know of passed. now i'm at a school in reynosa and its the same deal, everybody says they are going to do it but i've been there 3 semesters and nobody has the "cojones". but an interesting note, here in the rio grande valley(mcallen) i'd say 60-70% of doctors come from mexican med schools.
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| Mxshrink
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Hi Hagar; I am from UDEM, I think almoast 100% of TEC plan to take the test, 85% of UdeM, and 70% of UANL, and yes, very few actually take the test, and very few pass it. I know, there are a lot of Mexican doctors in McAllen, also in el Paso, (I have 2 friends doing their residency there). But hey Hagar, dont let the rest of your class pull you down, concentrate and study hard for the tests. Good luck
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| Lorena
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I thought i wound contribute with my "granito de arena" to this motivation/discussion going on lately.
I am from Veracruz , Universidad Veracruzana. At the time i was a student there, NONE of the medical students i know thought about taking the USMLE exams (i am sure more than 50% dont even know what USMLE stands for, even less are familiar with them) just because we are not thinking about migrating, i guess it is because living in the south- we dont have a lot of american influence (for good or for bad) therefore we just dont get information about the USMLE exams , even less how to prepare to take them , etc.
That was my case, i found out about the USMLE exams when i got married and came to the USA. I didnt have a clue about the american system and all these exams , etc.
Step 1 was so hard for me because my medical education about basic sciences was neglected the last couple of years and also because it was not good enough to start with.
When getting my credentials verified from my school by ECFMG , i found out I am the first in doing so. I could not believe it! nobody from my medical school before had ever applied to be certified by ECFMG - thats what the academic secretary told me anyway- well, I was surprised and It was also a pain in the butt, getting translations done, explaining to my dean what i was trying to do...oh boy... oh boy, not to mention that the papers ecfmg sent were lost in the mail twice! ( you know our mail system in Mexico, right?)
Anyway, what i am trying to say here it is that even if I was not trained for USMLE , it is definetely doable and it depends on your enthusiasm and desire to do it.
I am not in a residency yet but i am seeing some light at the end of the tunnel finally!! and let me tell you guys, it is definetely worth it.
I studied for step 1 for almost a year (i know it is a long time!) but i passed at my first attempt with 215/87. I know it is not a great score but "mi trabajo me costo!" so i am happy with it, because i did my best . Step 2 was another story because i think we are well trained in clinical knowledge and again 215/87. Passed step 2 CS. I graduated in 2003 - when i finished my social service in a rural community in Mexico- I have some clinical and research experience in Mexico. NO USCE.
I applied for Internal Medicine and family medicine this match and got 10 interviews (5 for each). I have to mention that i got the interview invites before i was ECFMG certified (i got certified last december) and i applied only in California, my PTAL or california letter was in process -i finally got it with no defficiencies last december as well-. I think most of my interviews went pretty well and i have received very positive feed back from 4 program directors. None of the programs i interviewed with offer prematch so i will have to wait for match day.
I want to wish all of you the best of luck, and please in whatever i can help you i would be glad to. I think this thread is great and it helps a lot in whatever stage you are on this path.
Confe. my last interviews wet pretty well, and i know now how i will rank my programs, i will let you know where i end up. Keep on the hard work and enjoy your studies.
sincerely, Lorena
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| Mxshrink
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Hey Lorena, Congrats on passing all your steps and having your interviews, and I am sure youll match where ever you want to. I agree with you, basic science is nothing in Mexico. At my school (UdeM) they didnt train us for the USMLE, but maybe because all the american influence Monterrey has, most of the students there know about the USMLE, and I would say that around 50% or maybe more of my peers were from Puerto Rico, so they obviously know about it.
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| chemamr
Moderator and PGY1
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Hey guys, i wanted to ask you what do you know about Gastroenterology (IM + gastro) as a profession, its lifestyle, preferently in USA (if not, in Mexico). I appreciate any response. I really donīt dislike the Gastroenterology, I like this kind of diseases and i would appreciate any answer from you, guys.
- how many hours a week approx do they work, do they have free time?,
- do they have urgencies?
- what kind of invasive procedures can a gastroenterologist perform?
Thank you in advance.
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| Mxshrink
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Chemamr, I'm going to answer some of the questions, They have a pretty good life, they make good money (if not a lot), they do have free time, but the do have emergencies (like intoxications and stuff like that, but I think most of it can be threated by the emergency doc.). About invasive procedures, I dont know if you have to do a special fellow for endoscopy, I think you do, but thats something you could acomplish if youd like to. I think its a nice profession (not as nice as psych, but its ok). je, I just had to post my point of view.
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| chemamr
Moderator and PGY1
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thank you Mxshrink. do you know how much an internist or a GASTROENTEROLOGIST must pay for his malpractice insurance/year??
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