chemamr
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hey SilatK, would you mind telling me in which hospitals did your friends get a position in IM??  they sound like IMG friendly programs.
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| Lorena
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Silatk!!! I hope to see you in California soon too!. I cannot wait to move!
It was never a question in my mind about ranking IM programs on top, I was just not sure about ranking FM also.
Thank you for the encouranging words!! I'll go for it. IM is what I want to do for the rest of my life and hopefully I can start this summer
I sent you a PM.
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| Medusin
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Cool Lorena! I think you have made the right choice. Good luck with everything.
In other issues, I was wondering if anyone in the forum has done a Live Prep Course or any course in the US for Step 1? I have heard they are really expensive but that they are helpful. Can anyone comment on this?
Also, how helpful is a volunteer experience at a US Hospital. Right now that I am in Austin I have heard about this volunteer program at Brackenridge Hospital. It is not really an observership or an externship. Its mainly volunteer work, sort of like community service and you can apply for differente floors like the ER, post surgery, oncology, etc. However since it is not an externship or observership I dont know if geting into it would be helpful for my application. Well I hope someone can comment on this.
The website for the program is http://www.seton.net/AboutUs/Volunteers8/index.as...
Thanks
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| chemamr
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it's useful Medusin, you are making bigger your curriculum, thus: it's helpful in your way to get a residency in the USA.
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| chemamr
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but if you wanna follow this way of doing things to help you get a residency in the USA. You also should do ELECTIVES in your Clinics -around 4th year-, even in your 5th year (i mean, in your medical school, of course), you could take at least 1 month to go to any hospital in USA, i think that can help you a lot Medusin, because they give a lot of importance if you were in a "hands on" approach or clinical setting in the USA. Or doing your Clerkship in USA. You have only to investigate how to do all this (i know you can do it because several partners of mine made their clerkship (the whole 5th year) in Mexico, D.F. in the Salvador Zubiran (great hospital), maybe you´d better go with the Career Coordinator, i think it´s still Dr. Lara and tell him your goals, so he could help and support you. I think he will because when i started with all this, they ask you some papers from your medical school and i went with him for his signature and he was very nice and friendly. He identifies with us because Dr. Lara told me he made a fellowship or a masters in Mayo Clinic, i think it was in cell biology or something like that.
hope this helps.
Edited by chemamr on 02/18/06 - 04:55 AM
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| Mxshrink
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Hi Medusin, first about the live course, I did the Kaplan live prer in NY. it is expensive, and its good, but I would prefer to do just the videos (which is the same cost as the live prep alone).
About the volunteer work, I think it helps a lot. I used to go to an AIDS clinic to do volunteer work (which basically was only to go and talk to the patients) and I feel it helped me a lot, in every interview they asked me about that experience and what took me to do that, and I think it speaks really good about you when you say that you did it just to help and you were not payd. Good luck.
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| chemamr
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hey guys, did you know latinos are already the largest ethnic minority (nowadays, even more than african-americans) in the USA?. And in 2040, -according to the current trends-, more than 50% of US population will be represented by the ethnic minorities (and most of them will be latinos)?. That sounds promising for people who speak spanish, like us. 
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| Medusin
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Hey guys,
Thanks for your prompt responses.
Mxshrink: could you tell us more about your experience in the AIDS clinic? It sounds very interesting. Where did you do it? Do you remember any specific cases you could share with the group?
Chema: Dr Lara is still the career coordinator. Actually I have been trying to contact him and the Unidad de Becas e Intercambio for a possible ¨convenio¨ between U de G and UT Houston Medical School. It is a summer research program. I have spoken with the head of the program and about the possibility for students from U de G to attend this program. She was ver nice and told me there is a chance, but there has to be input from U de G and the department chairs, etc to make this kind of agreement. I hope we cane make it happen.
About the clerkship (internado) in the US I have heard it is called the Fifth Pathway, but I was under the impression that only students from UAG could apply for it. I actually have a friend who is doing his clerkship in Salvador Zubiran and speaks very highly of it. I was not aware that Dr.Lar had gone to Mayo Clinic. I understand it is a very prestigious institution in the US.
About the latinos taking over, that is great! jaja. It does sound promising.
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| chemamr
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yes, in general: Johns Hopkins is the best hospital and Mayo Clinic is the Number 2 of the USA. But that's in general, there are some areas (specialities) where Mayo Cl is the number 1.
Fifth pathway is different. I don't know if you can do it, you must ask and investigate. I'm talking about doing your clerkship in the USA only, it doesn't matter if it doesn't work as a 5th pathway and it works only as your clerkship, that's enough. you got it?.
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| noxar311
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If u dont mind my intromission..I believe the fifth pathway is only available for US-citizen-IMG´s, and it isnt even available in the entire US....is only currently available in a couple of New York hospitals... Of course, if u were born in the US, u can just ignore what I just said....
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| SilatK
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chema: as soon as I get the name of the hospitals I'll let you know.
Medusin: do the Kaplan videos only.
The fifth pathway has to be available in your school and the only one in Mexico is UAG. But you must be a Permanent resident or U.S. citizen. In the U.S. it is done in new york and Ponce, Puerto Rico. Perhaps this year there will be more places open in the U.S.
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| chemamr
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mmm, i think you guys are misunderstanding what i told Medusin. I only told him to try to do his clerkship or a couple of months of it in the USA, but NOT AS A FIFTH PATHWAY, only as a simple and ordinary clerkship. For instance, in UdG you can make your whole clerkship in Salvador Zubiran if you want, well, instead of going there, he could try to do it in the USA, but i don't know if this is possible, he must investigate about it.
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| Hagar
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fifth pathway is only for those who have done undergraduate studies in the US acceptable in quality to the level needed to enter medical schools in the states. it is NOT restricted to UAG graduates but only to hospitals in new york do fifth pathway
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| Hagar
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and i don't know about the volunteering thing being much help. pushing patients around in a wheelchair and dropping urine off at the lab isn't "hands on experience". i know this because i volunteered at a major hospital here in mcallen
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| chemamr
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Hagar: do you think that it´s been useful (your volunteer job) during the interviews or in your application??
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| SilatK
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It does help on the interview not as hands on experience but it could be as a trade of your character. In this sense it could help you get in to the program.
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| general malaise
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i have not begun the application process, i will be taking step 1 this summer. volunteering being not too helpful is just my opinion on what are the most important things to get into a residency in the states. the tasks that i was in charge of helped me little in becoming accustomed and familiar with the clinical environment in US hospitals. most IMGs i know that are now practicing in the US finished med school and then began working as PA's, RN's or even PCA's here. in my opinion this has more weight during the application process. volunteering is good to sprinkle on the extra character traits
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| general malaise
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i'm not hagar anymore, i don't like that name anymore
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| Mxshrink
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Hello again. About the volunteer work I think that is something very imortant during the application and interview. I know its not hands on experience, and I bet that the PD's know this as well, but it talks very highly of you (as a person) the fact that you've been helping someone for nothing in exchange.
About the AIDS clinic, Its just to go and do some company to the patients, talk to them, ask them how are they dealing with the fact that they are infected, listen and learn from them. Show some compasion, remember that most of the AIDS patients are eople who are abandoned by their family and friends by the time they are in the clinic.
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| Lorena
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Hi there!
Medusin: I will give you my opinion about volunteer job.
I think it is important because it shows your compassion and desire to help others. Specially if you are applying for psychiatry -you show you enjoy listening to the patients,you care for their feelings, changes in their life, and that you are trying to help them with your company and empathy. I agree though that it is not hands on experience and that maybe for other specialties wouldnt be considered that important -not even observerships are that important anymore-
but definetely it is better to have some volunteer experience than nothing at all, and as general malaise formerly known as Hagar said, it helps you get accustomed and familiar with the clinical environment in US hospitals. So ... I would say go ahead if you feel like doing it, I think it would be very interessting and the experience "habla bien de ti y de tu vocacion de medico".
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| Lorena
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for the step one preparation, I didnt do the live course. I used kaplan web preparation and notes along with Goljan audios and notes + first aid. I can send you some material if you want. I think that was enough.The live prep is way too expensive.
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| euroboy98
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Hi, I am also mexican and I am also trying to do a residency in the US. I want to congratulate everyone for such a great forum. I will be participating in this year´s match.
I read the last couple of posts. I think volunteer experience shouldn´t be underestimated. I agree with everything that was said and would like to add that it is also good because you get to practice your english (key part of interviewing) and you also get to meet people and make contacts; if you already now what specialty you want, then it´s even better to do that vol work at that department. You get to meet people and, you never know, someday knowing this or that doctor, med student, resident can help you land a job, a residency, an interview, an observership, a rotation, etc.
Once again, congratulations and good luck to everyone!
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| chemamr
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general malaise: how can i be a PA or a RN or a PCA?, any idea?. please answer. by the way, i don't know what is PCA.
thanks
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| general malaise
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PCA is patient care assistant. to become a physician assistant i believe you take a two yr course but most programs require some undergraduate work. RN's take about two years also. about the volunteering i guess it depends on what residency you are trying to get into. i'd say if you are wanting to get into psych then volunteering at an AIDS clinic, or with terminally ill patients, or with geriatric patients then will have a lot of weight. since my hope is to get into general surgery, after i take step 1 i'm thinking about taking a 1yr program and get certified as a surgical tech. i have one year left of med school so i think i can manage to take it while i'm finishing. hopefully if everything has gone well i'll have a couple years work experience by the time i start the application process.
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| Medusin
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Thank you Lorena. I would really like any material you can send me.
Amado aka Medusin
my email is amadojim@yahoo.com
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