IMG Masterclass

After almost 80 episodes and 2 years of Podcasting production, I am sorry to say goodbye for now! - Life demands and family-related expectations have led me to make the decision to put an end to the FMG-IMG Podcast. As you can imagine, this requires quite a bit of effort and dedication time to be put together. Not only content preparation, guest invitations, editing, and publishing takes quite a bit of effort. Current professional demands and life commitments have led to a steep decline in the frequency of productions, and I made the decision as of last month that for now, I will be taking a hiatus at this line of communication. 

I hope you have enjoyed it very much and I thank you for reaching out to me for consulting, advice and mentorship. Your comments and feedback have been nothing but kind and I am truly grateful for your listening and being a fantastic audience.

Life will get us together again, and I will look forward to sharing other projects with you as soon as life gives me another opportunity, for now, I am putting away the Mic, and storing all the production gadgets. 

Thanks again for all the support over the last 2 years, I will keep you posted as things evolve and the new projects mature.

Happy end of 2021!

Best,

Dr. Alonso Osorio.

www.OsorioMD.com

Good bye!

 

"IF YOU LOVE A HEALTHCARE WORKER, PRAY DAILY THAT GOD WILL RENEW THEIR PASSION, JOY, AND CONTENTMENT IN THEIR CALLING. BECAUSE WHILE THE WORLD FIGHTS OVER A SHOT, THE MEDICAL FIELD IS FIGHTING TO KEEP THEIR DESIRE TO SERVE"

And here I include the 2 statements made on social media that I have found moving and very appropriate for our current situation:

I'm vaccinated and, no, I don't know what's in it—neither this vaccine nor the ones I had as a child; or what’s in that Big Mac, that pumpkin-spice flavoring, or in hot dogs or chicken tenders; or what’s in other drugs used for other treatments … whether the treatment is for cancer, AIDS, or polyarthritis.   I don't actually know what's in Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or other pain meds that almost everyone takes; I know it cures my headaches and my pain. Or what’s in cough medicine, that allergy nasal spray, insulin, or high blood pressure meds.   I also don't know what's in ink for tattoos, vaping cigs, or every ingredient in my soap, shampoo, or deodorants. Likewise, I don’t know what’s in lipstick.   I don’t know the long-term effect of cell phone use or whether or not that restaurant I just ate at REALLY used clean utensils, fresh foods, and whether the employees there washed their hands. In short ...   There's a lot of things I don't know and never will.   I know one thing: life is short, concise. And I still want to do something with my life other than just going to work every day or staying locked in my home. I still want to travel and hug people without fear and experience more of my life "before.”   As a child and as an adult, I've been vaccinated for mumps, measles, rubella, polio, chickenpox, smallpox, and quite a few others (as an adult, I’ve been vaccinated for tetanus and hepatitis, and each fall, I get a flu shot that is less effective at preventing flu than the Covid vaccine is at preventing Covid-19). Yet, my parents and I trusted science and never had to suffer through or transmit any childhood diseases that used to kill children and adults. I'm vaccinated, not to please the government but:  

• * to not die from Covid-19.
• * to NOT clutter a hospital bed if I get sick.
• * to hug my loved ones without fearing I may transmit a deadly virus to them.
• * to not have to do PCR or antigenic tests to go to a concert, go to a restaurant, go on holidays, and many more things to come.
• * to live my life.
• * to have my kids/grandkids go back to school and play sports—safely.
• * to make these days of Covid-19 become just an old memory.
• * to protect us—all of us.

  Finally, Dr. Jeffrey Dietzenbach, an Iowa Clinic general surgeon, wrote the following post last week, and his message is too good not to share.   "COVID observations from a general surgeon… Full disclosure: this is my first Facebook post ever; I hope I’m doing this right! Also, I am not an expert on COVID-19 or infectious diseases.   This pandemic has been long, difficult, polarizing, historical, exasperating, and confusing. I can complain about it… but not that much. I have had no loved ones or close friends who have become extremely sick or died from this virus. I personally have not contracted this virus.   As a general surgeon, the only care I have had to administer to a COVID-positive patient is the occasional appendectomy or gallbladder removal. I’ve been lucky enough not to have to spend countless hours in the ICU managing ventilators and medical care. Those healthcare providers are the real heroes.   However, one thing that has really perplexed me throughout this whole pandemic is the lack of humility—namely, the lack of humility when it comes to expert opinion.   I like to travel. Do I get on the tarmac and inspect the plane's mechanics or discuss the flight plan with the pilot or tower? Nope. I’m not an expert in that. But, I have the humility and faith that those people are experts and will get me where I need to be safe. I like a nice yard.   Do I tell my lawn care company how much nitrogen and weed control to use? Nope. I don’t have the time to devote to learn about that. I’ll leave it up to the lawn care expert. I hope I never get sued. Would I defend myself in court with a total lack of legal knowledge? Nope. I’ll leave that up to the legal experts.   When my car needs to be fixed, do I tell the mechanic how to repair it? Nope. I know nothing about auto repair.   Do I walk around talking about COVID-19 and vaccinations and constantly posting about it? Nope, I’m not an infectious disease doctor or a pulmonologist/critical care doctor.   I get it. Frustration about closing schools and businesses, social distancing, limiting travel, using masks, etc., is understandable.   However, the benefits and philosophy behind some of these things are not black and white. The thing I don’t understand is this distrust of expert healthcare providers and lack of humility. Biostatistics is not easy.   True research (not just looking through Google and social media) and reviewing data, studies, and articles is not easy.   Believe me, as a General Surgery Program Director; we hold six journal clubs a year reviewing the most recent surgical literature. I have the humility to know that I am not a statistician and by no means an expert in this field.   You can find an “expert” on COVID-19 anywhere. Online, at work, at the dinner table, on MSN or Fox News, especially social media. I find it interesting that there are many infectious disease specialists and pulmonologists across this planet. I don’t recall any of them suggesting anything counter to the most recent accepted best practices, based on the most updated information we had at that moment in time.   Yes, things change. The virus changes, data and statistics change, discoveries change, and new information emerges. One thing that doesn’t change is the expertise of scientists, infectious disease doctors, and pulmonologists. I’m a doctor, and I think I’m a pretty good one (one could even say an “expert” at surgery), but when it comes to my kids' health, I will follow my pediatrician’s recommendations.   Likewise, when it comes to a vaccine, I will follow the generally accepted recommendations by the EXPERTS.   And…when I start to see a brown spot on my lawn, I’m calling my lawn care guy.   Ask yourself how many times you put your life at risk by humbly and faithfully putting your trust in a person. Eating at a restaurant, walking over a grate on the sidewalk, taking an Uber, or for God’s sake, going on a carnival ride at the Iowa State Fair! This doesn’t make you a “sheeple.” This happens all the time, every day.   All I’m asking for is a little humility and trust, not in me or this post, but experts."   These are not my words, but I felt so identified by them that it was very hard not to share with you all!!!   Thanks for Listening,   Alonso Osorio, M.D. 

EPISODE # 73

"Customer Satisfaction & Medical Care"

Today’s society increasingly demands transparency and access to information that allows for informed decision-making. The companies that created these surveys believe that by giving current and prospective patients and their families access to doctor ratings and comments, they gain additional insight into other patient interactions. As a result, they can make more informed decisions when choosing a health care provider.

These are examples of the questions, maybe not fully up to date, but will give you a hint into what you can expect on what will judge you daily (See attached Picture in the Box).

Customer Satisfaction Companies feel that access to patient satisfaction information allows the healthcare system to change policies, procedures, and communication techniques in their employees (Physicians, Nurses, Ancillary Staff, etc.) to ensure that they provide the best possible health care experience for our patients and families.

Customer Satisfaction, Verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and their implications with patient care are drastic and have implications in the work satisfaction, longevity, and even the stability of keeping your current job. Employers are even making decisions in hiring and firing, just based on the patient's perception of you and how "SATISFIED" they were with your care.

And trust me, "The customer is always right" - Sad but True. Well, guys, this is the name of the game, and as long as reimbursements percentages are based on customer satisfaction performance, these "judgment methods" won't be going away, not any time soon, at least not in my lifetime! 

And don't forget to share, if you care and found it useful!

Best, 

Alonso Osorio, M.D. 

Episode #72: Psychiatric Medical Clearance in the USA

As part of the emergency department (ED) evaluation of patients with psychiatric complaints, emergency physicians get asked to perform screening laboratory tests before admitting psychiatric patients, the value of which is questionable, and the evaluation of most patients presenting to the ED with a psychiatric chief complaint can be medically cleared for admission to a psychiatric facility by qualified physicians using an appropriate history and physical examination, including vital signs and an essential mental status examination.

We have proposed no need for routine medical screening laboratory tests based on current Evidenced Based Medicine (EBM) for years. Still, despite that, it has been ingrained in the institutional protocols that a certain amount of unnecessary testing must be done.

Despite the collegiate recommendations, still to this date, we do use an extensive battery of Laboratory testing (CBC, CMP, Pregnancy Test in all Women, UDS, UA, TSH, EtOH level, ASA/APAP Levels), driving up the cost of overall healthcare in America, without including other additional tests that might need to address their other chief complaints and the usage of ancillary Sonographic and Radiologic expensive workups (US / CTs / X-rays, etc.), some of them done due to fear for Medico-Legal liability or just due to protocols that have been implemented for decades that fall out of reasonable medical practice, and that to this day, remain to be part of the requirements for acceptance at long term psychiatric hospitals and mental healthcare-related facilities.

It remains a topic of enormous debate and an obvious source of financial waste. Yet, despite all this conflict, I do not see a deadline in which we can see ourselves caring for this vulnerable population anytime soon, at least to the remainder of my personal, professional medical career.

Take also into account that in the USA is not a rare occurrence to see the same patient in the ED several times a week, getting all these tests performed on them over and over, potentially contributing to morbidity, and why not, potential long term side effects, like the usage of ionizing radiation, like CTs, that has very well correlated with causing malignancies in human beings.

Having said all this, take a small dive into the topic, get acquainted and used to care and evaluate these patients in your medical wards and emergency departments thought your professional career. This topic was never taught to me as an FMG, and when I started my training in the USA, I didn't understand where this concept and process came to be!

Thanks for listening --- ONE MORE TIME !!!

Best to you all,

Your coach & mentor, 

Alonso Osorio, M.D.

 

Episode #71 with Chase DiMarco

www.findarotation.com

FindARotation (FAR) is a platform by medical students and physicians for medical students and physicians to connect and schedule their clinical Clerkships, Observerships, and premed shadowing experiences.

Chase DiMarco founded FAR. Chase is an M.D./Ph.D.-C, MS, and MBA-HA. He is the Founder and educator at FreeMedEd, which began in 2014 to consolidate free educational resources for his classmates. He is the host of the Medical Mnemonist podcast, Rounds to Residency podcast, Medical Ping-Pong podcast, and co-author of "Read This Before Medical School."

Chase has a passion for making studying easier for all students, bringing great educational resources to the masses, and increasing the options and availability for clinical experience in healthcare professions.

You can find his works online at ChaseDiMarco.com/media.

FAR is a platform in which medical learners and clinical preceptors find clinical rotations, schedule clinical experiences, and take control over their academic future!

FindARotation.com Provides:

*Increased autonomy
*Increased transparency
*And increased affordability!

FAR is the first marketplace of its kind, allowing for crowdsourced resources for healthcare students and professionals. FAR allows for more options locally and nationally for students without the financial burden of a placement agency.

It also utilizes automated systems to decrease faculty, provider, and clinical coordinator time when it comes to clinical tasks. It aims to increase efficiency in scheduling student rotations and clerkships, finalizing documentation, and receiving payments (where necessary).

Follow Chase and FAR online @findarotation
or email [email protected] for immediate help.
He can't wait to hear from you!

So, if you found it helpful, please share and comment, leave us a review, and follow me at:

OsorioMD.com / [email protected]
Thanks for Listening,
Alonso Osorio, M.D.

#MEDICALEDUCATION, #INNOVATIONINMEDICALEDUCATION, #CLINICAL MEDICINE, #USCE, #EXTERNSHIPS, #OBSERVERSHIPS, #INTERNSHIPS
#IMG, #FMG, #ROTATIONS, #IMG ROTATIONS, #MEDED, #MEDTECH, #CLINICALEXPERIENCE, #CLINICAL CLERKSHIPS

We are celebrating Episode #70 - A milestone in my podcast production efforts. Briefly, I want to send an uplifting, motivating message to all of you and each of the IMG / FMGs that have found and secured a residency training spot for GME in the USA. 

After years of preparation, hard work, and dedication, you have accomplished a huge milestone—one more step in the lifelong ladder to professional success. 

The internship is full of surprises, amazing moments, and constant daily discovery, as ever challenging and very intense, physically and mentally overwhelming. But do not worry, it will be another type of stress, and you must have the determination to keep growing as a physician on this career effort that will never stop. 

Today is your internship... in the future, Fellowship or Attendingship. But the road, its endless, at least for the next few years, and the possibilities to explore are here for you.

Push hard, move forward, and keep dreaming!

Welcome to the American Graduate Medical Education...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Best wishes and Good Luck,

Your coach,

Alonso Osorio, M.D. 

[email protected]

www.OsorioMD.com 

Thanks for listening!

By now, most of the recently matched IMGs are probably already in the United States looking for a place to live and applying for all the important documents in and outside their hospitals.

You Matched, Now What?

It is a short guide to find all the high-yield information to go about relocating to the United States and settling in. It contains valuable information on the number of things you need to do before and after your residency.

In addition, it also walks you through the things that you will have to learn during your first year, like how to pay your taxes before April 15 of next year.

This guide does not focus on the medical aspect of things; it focuses instead on the essentials, the basics of personal finance, immigration, and daily life in the United States.

The book is designed to help you navigate the non-academic aspects of your new life. From getting a place to live without getting scammed, and applying for your social security number, driver’s license, and other documents to making sure that you OPT-IN for the RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS that your hospital offers.

The book will explain why this is of utmost importance and give you access to a simple but useful budget sheet to track your expenses and savings. It will point you to numerous resources that will help you throughout your residency.

Dr. Ruiz-Cordero has planned to get an easy-to-read guide to all of you soon but don’t worry, you can pre-order the eBook on Amazon now, and it will become available for purchase at the beginning of July!

Check it out on the following!

link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097CQ96VP

Also, feel free to sign up for his newsletter as he will be sending relevant info (without spamming your inbox) in this link:

https://mailchi.mp/7c5e689c124f/drrobrc

Rest assured that the best is yet to come, and feel free to reach out if you ever need help, either through me or directly to him.

Thanks again for listening!

Alonso Osorio, M.D. 

[email protected] 

www.OsorioMD.com 

 

We wrap it up with my personal comments about the main pitfalls to avoid while practicing medicine in the US.

My only hope is that some of you would corroborate my experiences or for the ones that have not gone through the life exposure to these situations to gather the knowledge or situational awareness to be ready on dealing with “Hot Button” situations during your medical school, residency, fellowship or current attending life as a practicing physician or provider in the USA.

• Actions punishable by the State Medical Board and Local agencies
• Completeness of Medical Records and Delinquent Files
• Business ventures could break STARK LAW (Physician self-referral), the Anti-kickback statute (AKS), and the Civil Monetary Penalties Law and here is the link for further information about this complex topic: https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/physician-education/01laws.asp
• Prescription of Controlled Substances
• State required CME for license recertification
• Inappropriate sexual behavior, sexual approaches, excentric stuff!.
• EMTALA – What are it and its implications for Emergency and Non-emergency Providers
• Call schedule and Responsibilities
• Not reviewing or reading hospital bylaws
• Practicing Beyond the score of your practice
• Avoid anything that seems to be fishy, sketchy, or just if double-guessing yourself; avoid it altogether.
• Racism in America / Gender Bias / Segregation

Thanks again & I am hoping to get back on my schedule of material production once weekly! 

The consultation cycle is now open: 

www.OsorioMD.com

[email protected] 

Best!

Alonso Osorio, M.D. FACEP, FAAEM, FAAFP. 

Episode #66 is a Potpourri on my 20 years of navigating the healthcare system in the USA. Part one condenses the initial segment. It is full of juicy information that will assist the new physician in navigating life as a doctor while straying away from potentially career-ending situations. 

#TroubledDoctors

#DoctorsNONOs

#MedicalMistakes

#DoctorEthics

Do you guys wonder how do I get Ideas for content?

Well, I will tell you my secret, during my commutes, from work to home or vice versa, I mostly listen to plenty of on the go "car university" Audible titles, and some of the things I have learned, I try to use them and apply them towards my medical practice and my life. Also, Some of these teachings bleed right into my podcast production project. 

Since the FMG & IMG Podcast is an experiential show, my only goal is to show you how (I am not saying it is the only way or the right way!). Still, over 20 years, life and experience have taught me, either by personal mistakes, lessons, or anecdotes, which is the best pathway to choose when dealing with all the different scenarios and life situations. One day, you, like me, will encounter on your path. 

For that reason, I collect my ideas, type them, write them down, purify the thought process, and come up with the bulk of my content—episode 66 is juicy, sometimes funny, but for the most part enlightening. The different topics that I wanted to touch on cannot be summarized in only one episode and will split into a couple of listens; Part 2 will be in episode 68. (Since E67 has already been publishing with Dr. Valdivia). 

I apologize in advance for the production mistake and jumping around. As long as you listen, I will be delighted to know if my contributions to your life were helpful. 

And please remember, if looking for coaching, mentorship, and VIP advice in your career path into the USA, I am here to help. So, email me at: 

[email protected]

and visit www.OsorioMD.com, where more information is available. Share and distribute my content. The podcast is also available on my YT channel, and it has been extremely popular with plenty of views. Remember to like, comment, and subscribe!

https://youtu.be/STxPLMyNESs

Deep Diving - A Brain Surgeon's Choice for Practicing Wellness!

Dr. Juan Valdivia-Valdivia returns to speak everything about Deep (sea) Diving and how this correlates with his professional career as a Brain & Spine Surgeon. Based on Tampa Bay, Dr. Valdivia found a niche in a rare and unique sport that takes Cardiopulmonary / Brain Physiology to a new level. 

The human body does not know limits, and the overall body and mind preparation is required for this and many other disciplines (Not only sports but also business, relationships, etc.)

Some of the topics that we discussed are:

1. Visualization techniques and similarities for performance: Surgery vs. Freediving.

2. Self-programming or Mind-programming & how it helps in surgery (life, sports, business) and a parallel to other activities like freediving. 

3. What it means to be "Present in the Here and Now."

4. How to balance life with a busy practice, a study schedule, a family life. How crucial is wellness in the process of preparation and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

5. The Brain and Water, and his opinion on evolution, neuroanatomy, and in-water physiology responses. 

6. The Ocean: "The Big Mother" - an interesting concept!

7. Why humans have felt attracted to the water/ocean so much over our process of evolution. 

8. Why do humans love to dive and breathe hold?

9. What's the foundation for a good physician/doctor/provider.

10. What does it mean to "Put the patient first!".

Many of you wonder why we speak about this topic. The reason behind it is the content discussed and how it could help us use strategies to increase and maximize performance during the USMLE test-taking process and ECFMG certification pathway. 

Never forgetting and leaving behind yourself and your loved ones, and having a balance at work and in life. His perspective as a Neurosurgeon is interesting, and visualization and mind programming could help quite a bit with the proper test-taking preparation and eventually a good outcome and success in achieving your goals!

He shared an amazing link on YouTube that explains further this interesting and rare sport: Freediving!

https://youtu.be/TpUycK-2_lI

Enjoy, and Please share!

Do not forget to visit: 

www.OsorioMD.com 

Contact me at:

[email protected] 

Thank you again for listening, 

Alonso Osorio, M.D. FACEP, FAAEM, FAAFP.