USMLEGladiator
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Note:This is copied from other forum & posted here to help people.Pls share ur observership experiences here.thx
About getting observership:
Do your homework first :
Obtain a list of programs on FREIDA on the aamc website. Click on individual programs for the email ids if the program coordinators/ directors and the websites of the universities or hospitals. Check the websites for information about observership/ externships/ short term research projects. note down the email ids and contact numbers of the coordinators. prepare your resume/ cv in the american style. the format is available on the usmleweb website. now write to the PC/PD to enquire about the observership/ externships. What are the things to ask: Formally introduce yourself. Mention any exams taken or pending results. Express a desire to match in their program and why you prefer that program over others...a nd that you wish to get some experience before applying for a residency spot. Also ask if one is required to pay a fee for the same. What are the requirements to apply for the position? Steps cleared? malpractice insurance? Favourable visa? Fresh / old graduate? Do they offer / suggest accomodation? Is their institution IMG friendly? If you are interested in externship, ask about the visa requirement...whether they sponsor any? When to apply : The best period is April- June. Most programs are accomodating of observers and externs before the applications for the residency pile in. As the number of applications are increasing every year, the possiblity of getting US clinical experience during the interview season ( October to February) will be meagre.. unless pre- arranged. The wait : You have taken the first step.. now its their turn to respond. Wait for 2 weeks. Resend the email..Wait another week for the reply. If there is still no reply.. now is the time to call. Do not leave voicemails.. your call will not be returned. Which places to consider : IMG friendly program with IMG Residents in the hospital is the safest bet. Some hospitals like Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) offer observerships to candidates in IM/ PEds/ Ob Gyn.. but they hesitate to offer interviews / residency spots/ good recommendations to the observ There is no clear procedure, you try to email programs/profs/prog coordinators and request them to allow you for an Observership. Either plan your CS around that time and get visa for CS and do O'ship also Usually hospitals and Universities only provide Observerships to graduates. Externships are usually provided by private practitioners or these paid sites which charge anywhere from $350 to $500 per week plus more in the name of registration, insurance etc. If you have the dough, the paid ones are not difficult. This year USCE has become the key factor in getting calls, so take it VERY SERIOUSLY. I'd add some more info here.. There are two kinds of observerships, ones that have established observership programs like Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai Medical Center etc. These are very few in number and competition is a way too high. Another type is when you request any individual prof to observe with him and he allows you. Now established programs are few and tougher to get unless you apply 6-10 months in advance. But individual profs or depts allowing you is relatively easier and more feasible route. There is rarely a fixed funda regarding such observerships. First lets see what a prof would look into while assessing you application: - Visa status - Scores, if any - Your CV ie. any research background specially for a research post - Does he know you or if somebody he knows has recommended you - Overall feasibility of you as a prospective residency candidate at their program.. this is the most important thing and all the above factors are assessed in this light. - Of course, the timing of your application. The sooner the better. If you apply to profs randomly without even a single step score, in general they won't even consider you once. Out of the certain established programs some might accept your application without scores. Emailing is the easier option but its always better if you can personally meet a prof. The chances of acceptance are much higher in such cases. Specially the people who are already in US and are looking for USCE in their own city, should try and meet the profs in the nearby programs personally. A prof tends to say yes more to a person who he can talk to in person rather than a faceless email. Visa is a very important issue. No prof is going to sponsor a visa for a observership post and only rare established observership programs give you a letter for the visa. Hence the best bet is the period when you get to US for CS. When you email programs, try to convince them as to your suitability as a future resident. That would be the most important factor in your acceptance. Here's a few from the list around on net, that are known to offer observerships. Since this list is everywhere on the net these are the most difficult to get cos everyone tends to apply to these.. Chandler Medical center, Lexington, KY Cleveland Clinic, FL Columbia University(Med) Cook County, IL Duke Hospital, Durham, NC Elmhurst Hospital, Queens, NY Emory University Griffin Hospital, CT Good Samaritan Hospital, IL Harbor Hospital, Baltimore, MD Hennepin County Minneapolis, MN Jackson Park Hospital, Chicago, IL Maricopa Medical Center Meridia Huron Hospital, East Cleveland, OH Mount Sinai Medical Center, FL Providence Hospital, Washington, DC Temple University, Conemaugh, PA University of California, San Francisco, CA University of Miami, Miami, FL University of Texas,Houston Medical School, TX VA Medical Ctr., Washington, DC Wayne State University, Detroit, MI West Virginia University Hospital, WV Temple University Hospital I have come across a few people who did such externships and there experiences have been less than pleasant. Some of the attendings are IMGs themselves and sometimes they don't treat us well. Sometimes they make you work like an ass. Sometimes the places where the attending practices is such terrain that its impossible to find housing there. My friend went to Texas for such a paid externship and discovered that either he had to stay in a hotel near the clinic for the whole month at $80 a night or stay at a cheaper place far away and rent a car (fortunately he had a Canadian license which is valid here) which again is very expensive. After a couple of days a nurse at the clinic, who stayed near his room, pitied him and offered to drive him everyday to and from work. So best is to talk to somebody who has done such an externship, before going because you never know. Apart from this there is no way to determine the quality of such program. Freida > Search your specialty and/or area> Program website > Info on O'ship, if any > email ids > email them. But usually O'ship is not dependent on your qualifications. Contacts and persistent emailing are the ones that work best. Its good if you have a good CV, mainly scores, publications, USCE or previous experience in the field (for some), you are more likely to be invited. I mean previous exposure to US system as a medical assistant or physician assistant (many GC holders do that) or with a private practitioner increases your chances of being invited to competitive places with lots of applicants. Many a times surgical branches prefer people for observership who have some sort of exposure to US system, even if in medicinal branches. So, yes USCE helps in getting more USCE. Such job vacancies are advertised on craigslist a lot. I don't know about any other places. I've met people during IVs that claimed 1-2 years USCE which surprised me. Later on i realized most of them were working as PAs. Only someone with a citizenship or GC has this option because nobody will sponsor visa for this job. It pays you as well as gets you at least 'some' USCE. Externship or Observership is gettable on (a) First come First Serve Basis (b) Money (c) Contacts It is usually not based on credentials. Dear dipsite, ask someone with a low 80s score, what happened when he applied to good universities for an O'ship. How many of such candidates were offered an O'ship??? Very few, thats because credentials do matter. Of course its not like residency, so they can be bypassed sometimes with applying early, contacts and persistence. Now just to put your query to rest, just read this reply from a big university program to me regarding O'ship. I got similar replies from many Universities. Quote: We are especially open to this if the applicant is someone interested in coming to our program for training, and whose credentials make it likely that an application to come later as a trainee would be successful. Now, the first come first serve funda comes into play because there are hundreds of applicants at times for these O'ships, so there are plenty with decent credentials, so who comes first gets it. This applies less when contacts are at work or for small programs. USCE should be obtained from a place which should give an Interview call, Harvard won't give an Interview Call.
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| RX 135
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thanks...u say to do observership when we visit usa fo step cs but, i heard we can have trouble with our H1
if we over stay. this is wat my visa counselor explained..
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| arizona_wave
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I want to know about observerships in Maricopa hospital, Arizona if anyone has done it there......U can PM me also. I just want to know what all observers get to do and places to stay nearby ?
Thanks
Edited by arizona_wave on 01/02/08 - 09:26 AM
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