doc_droc_apurva
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My 2c for whatever they are worth
My best wishes to the ppl who have matched. Be merry and enjoy these few days of delight god has bestowed upon u. and my humble suggestion – find some1 whom u can help in these times of need.
For those who didn’t match. I know the pain. I feel the anger, the disappointment. The pure agony. I was there last yr. and would want to avoid the experience for all its worth. The scramble wil b the most thankless, heartless, worthless, ingratious piece of timewaste u will ever do in ur life. I assure u on this. What I hope to convey in the following lines the facts and the tricks which I hope help u as they helped me. If u have any doubts at the end of this post – pls feel free to ask. Im here to help.. I apologise in advance for the errors or for anything which irks u. that is not my motive.
The facts: bitter and non sugar coated
1. if u don’t have a green card – ur fighting an uphill battle. If u want an h1 – ur fightin an impossible battle. Be ready to accept what comes ur way. J1 is fine.
2. scrambling into internal medicine will be next to impossible. I would be smart and concentrate on prelim surg or fp. u can always leave or switch. Consider this yr as a earning experience over a learning experience. No1 is goin to pay u 2500$ in ur home countries per month for a cap of 12 patients per intern.
3. For the die hard nuts (like me) – unless ur 100% sure u will make it big next yr – I wud consider j1 prelim surg. With 1yr usce and solid lors from big faculty (as most prelim surg spots wil b in uni progs) – u will get much better IM calls next yr. a definite consideration for those with low scores. I met a lot of prelim surg to IM ppl on my iview trail – quite a few of them at bigname uni places.
4. I personally didn’t try for anything except IM last yr. I had a few calls. I didn’t attend them. but I was very sure of my chances this yr. if ur not – keep ur options open. Even psych pgy1 is 8months of internal medicine. Next yr wil b tuffer – not easier than this one. The uk horde is coming. And it will defin take up the community program spots on a prematch. Face it mr fresh grad – if a program can get an attending and have him work on a residents pay from day 1 – no1 is gonna take u and teach u. except bigger academic programs. But then they are tuff to crack anyways. So if u have to make a paradigm shift in ur thinking do it now. Personally – if I had known it wud be so tuff this yr – I wud taken something last yr. but then thankfully with the grace of god it has worked out well for me. Take calculated risks.
5. all the good spots wil b filled up by amgs. They have their deans calling for them. Focus on the weaker spots and weaker specialties. Don’t go for prelim med at brown uni when st barnabas is within grasp. U wil b disappointed.
Modus operandi: madness in method
6. ur 4 weapons – eras, email, phone and fax – in descending order of effecting. In terms of doom3 – eras is ur bfg9000 – most effective – limited ammo of 30 progs. fax is ur fists – worthless unless u know where to hit the demons. Email is ur plasma gun – weapon of choice. Phone is ur alternate weapon of choice – chain gun.
7. get as many ppl, phones and computers with high speed connection as u can lay ur hands on. Give every1 2 phones and 1 computer - ideal.
8. phones will b perennially busy. Or off the hook. Even the voice mail wil b full within 30min of the scramble starting. The programs wil b overwhelmed. Consider urself extremely lucky if u can get across to 10 ppl per 100 programs called.
9. get an online fax service like efax, myfax, jblast. Use it only if u have (by some stroke of luck) got the pc on the phone and have asked her for an internal unknown fax number. Bcoz all the public fax numbers as on the scamble list wil b perennially engaged. And u wil get a failure message on ur fax service after 3hrs. and its too expensive – at 20pages per application. And programs aren’t goin to read the reams of unsolicited paper which their machines spew out on scramble day.
10. grab all ur eras docs – cv, ps, lors, score reports, deans letter, mspe, ecfmg certi. And scan them in black and white or grey. Use limited resolution. Then convert into pdf using software like www.win2pdf.com (free and im not advertising any1 here). Combine all ur jpgs into 1 big file and print it out as pdf. It shouldn’t be more than 3-4mb in size. Adjust ur image quality accordingly. As email accounts of the unis are designed to reject very big files.
11. now make a list of all the pds of the speciality of which ur interested in. regardless of whether they have filled postions or not from frieda. Sort them into groups of 50.
12. make a cover email and attach this large pdf and email URSELF. Do this for every speciality. Keep a backup email address. Don’t use gmail if possible – bcoz it sends across as zip files as per my friends. I prefer yahoo.
Timeline: wait in the cold cell as the bell begins to chime, reflect on ur past life for u don’t have much time..
1. at 12pm the scramble wil open. The nrmp server wil b down – 100% guaranteed. The nrmp email with the list wil come to u around 1230. question is what do u till then?
2. grab that sample email in ur inbox and use the email lists u have. And forward across to all the progs indiscriminately until u get the scramble list. Pds forgive me. Many progs keep this email. I got replies as late as april. I even had a uni iview in may. Progs keep this in case they have sudden vacancies. Also u have nothing to lose.
3. now network with ppl who are trying for other specs. Try to get the list from them. It wil b a mad rush. Bcoz getting the list is the bottleneck. I got my list my good friend vai last yr at 1230.
4. once u get the list – split it amongst specialities. Like 2 ppl tryin for fp. one of them covering central and south. And the other covering northeast fp. YOU SUPERVISE EVERY1. YOU SCRAMBLE FOR THE SPEC UR INTERESTED IN. keep the other specs for ur pals.
5. make them call 2 progs simultaneously. It’s a waitin game. If u talk to 1 pc per hour – ur doin gr8. leave voice mails even thoh they wil get deleted.
6. start emailing the progs with vacancies. Fax/eras a few selected ones ur really interested in.
7. if u get across to a pc – ask her if she prefers ur appli on eras/fax. Do as she says. Be nice and gentle. They may appear flustered. Remem they also have the bad end of the bargain.
8. go thru last 5yrs unfilled lists. U wil pick up trends and pre empt a few programs.
9. keep emailing and calling – repeat cycle every 3hours.
10. keep food and drink handy. U wont have the time to decide and order pizza. Keep working til atleast 6pm. Start the next again at 7am.
11. if u have a contact in the program with the unfilled position – NOW IS THE TIME TO USE IT
12. hit the programs where u had iviewed and which are unfilled.
13. if u know some1 who can make calls for u – give him the entire unfilled list and ask him where he feels he could help u. ask him to try for everythin in the geographic region ur in.
14. if there is a program 2 streets away from u with a vacancy – RUN NOT WALK THERE.
15. go find a resident of AAMC. Register there. U wil get calls from that place
16. DON’T USE ANY PROFESSIONAL WEBSITES except aamc. THEY ARE CHEATS.
17. keep trying. Keep praying.
18. even post scramble positions open up due to visa issues. Esp at j1 progs. Email this package once every 10-15days. If ur Indian – remem email is free – and whatever is free is usually good..
For most of u it will not work out. Trust me – life doesn’t end here. U can improve ur cv. Come back bigger, better and stronger. I know a lot of ppl who didn’t match last yr – who passed s3/usce/research and prematched or matched, including difficult specs like aneas. On the other hand I also know ppl with a 95+ average who didn’t do anything in the interim and are unmatched again. Time is again of the essence. Run rabbit run. U don’t have a lot of time. Just 6months till sept comes again..
I end by sayin the lines which I feel are most apt here..
I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
and I'm the only one and I walk alone
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
Gl and godbless
apurva
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| msashraf
Forum Senior
Topics: 7
Posts: 156
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gr8 post thanx for all the info. i was really looking fro in depth info like this one.
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| Doc2378
Forum Guru
Topics: 46
Posts: 688
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Great job man...am proud to know you man!!...keep rockin'..
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Courage does not always ROAR. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow" - Mary Anne Radmacher
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| doc_droc_apurva
Forum Guru
Topics: 38
Posts: 1,705
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saale party mein aana. aur bhabhi ki saheliyon ko lekar aana
gl with ur s3 mate.
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| shwe
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 471
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Thanks, very good poem too. Will ask when Q comes, not for this yr, next yr. What is the best chance for IMG eg IM or FM or Ped Or Psy, looking for H1, no post grad, no research here, no UK CE too.[thought UK IMg problem are solved & better???]
How to get USCE?? Where in general, ?? private clinic or hospital or paid mini residency??
Apart from USCE, any other place CE counts?
Which states better chance for IMG... TN??, CT??, NY?, Mn??, NJ??, MA?, PA?, OH?, NC?, Atlanta?, TX?, OK?,FL?, Baltimore... VA?
Thanks.
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| doc_droc_apurva
Forum Guru
Topics: 38
Posts: 1,705
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hi there shwe
cud make another thread. wil defin reply tehre. just wanted to keep this one for scrambel
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| cs_usmle_can
Forum Elite
Topics: 60
Posts: 192
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Thanks doc.doc.apurva: I really needed that information.
1. Can I email the same program many times?
2. I don't have my step 2 CK results in hand until probably next week....Can I still go for scramble?
3. Do they call you for an interview or do they interview you on phone?
Thanks
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| doc_droc_apurva
Forum Guru
Topics: 38
Posts: 1,705
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1. yes til eternity
2. try. however ur chances are bleak.
3. both
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| prader-willi
Forum Elite
Topics: 28
Posts: 364
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hi apurva...thanx for the great thread...its been of help in these most trying times.....
as u said about applying for prelim surg...all my lors nd my ps were for im....will the progs acccept dat?
also....i dont think the cv on eras can be changed...so if we apply by eras...will the progs get the same cv?
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hang on in there......u will survive....
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| cs_usmle_can
Forum Elite
Topics: 60
Posts: 192
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Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. God bless you!
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| fox
Forum Guru
Topics: 70
Posts: 727
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Grt post...a quick Q. If you settle for a j1 for a prelim spot, do you think you can transfer to a pgy2 next year or you will be faced with the 2 year home country requirement? You cant work a visa waiver job with a prelim. So whats the funda with a J1 on prelim. Pls advise
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| aajkal
Forum Elite
Topics: 42
Posts: 241
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agree with apoorva. i tried for med too last year in scramble but didn't attend the interview as time was too less for me to travle from india.
better try fp as there will be many empty spots and on j1 i think fp is a possibility.
for gc u can get fp at very good places.( i envied gc people last year but one has to accept that they will get preference)
good luck. will soon post what i did after failing to match last year and hope it can be of some help.
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| shwe
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 471
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Thanks apurva. IMG , no GC , any chance of scramble??? In which specility??
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| whiterabbit
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TX Great post
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| doc_droc_apurva
Forum Guru
Topics: 38
Posts: 1,705
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eras cv cant be changed. keep ur med lors. change the ps
j1 prelim surg - u can do 1 more yr or transfer to im and then finish that residency and serve the waiver
every1 has chances - go for prelim surg/fp if ur ecfmg certified. non certified ppl have a ery hard time.
gl and keep me posted..
apurva
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| dev
Forum Guru
Topics: 70
Posts: 1,794
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hi guys
for all those who are in scramble, good luck. be prepared and be ready. The hope is not lost after these 3 days. register to www.findaresident.com. I had an interview in June for a prelim position. so u never know.
I agree with Apurva's post. You need help and be sure to ask it. Few of my friends were not reaAdy to ask for help. Dont feel bad about asking help at this point,cause this is your chance.
After scramble is done we can do a thread on what to do for next 6months. its not very far from next match.
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| luci
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 44
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Thank you so much Apurva for your advices. I am still studying for step 1 and you post sure helped me get the bigger picture. but as a beginner I have one question though : what do you mean by :" Next yr wil b tuffer – not easier than this one. The uk horde is coming. " ?
Thank you again!
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| bbb
IM Program Coordinator
Topics: 34
Posts: 5,227
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8. phones will b perennially busy. Or off the hook. Even the voice mail wil b full within 30min of the scramble starting. The programs wil b overwhelmed. Consider urself extremely lucky if u can get across to 10 ppl per 100 programs called.
ABSOLUTELY!! At 12:01, if I haven't had lunch, I might as well forget about it. Even if I fill, applicants call me. It's going to be a long day.....
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bbb - trying to combine common sense and humour into realistic answers, but not going to guess on anyone's chances of getting into a position....
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| dev
Forum Guru
Topics: 70
Posts: 1,794
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to luci
Each year the competition is getting tougher as more people from different countries are planning to come to US for better training or money or whatever reason it is. Initially many people from countries in british commonwealth would go to UK. But UK is making its immigration laws tougher hence people who are already in UK and fresh grads are making US and USmle their targets. Hence the competition is more.
A doctor who has worked for alteast 1-2 years in UK is as good as an attending and it is a hands on clinical experience in a western country. Hence they would be given preference over fresh foreign grads with no experience.
There are hospitals like Case Western-MEtrohealth,UMKC, bay state, yale bridgeport which take grads only from UK. so for u to be competitive you should make your application different and varied from others.
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| amygdalaa
Forum Guru
Topics: 24
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Apurva, once again hats off to your generosity!
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