IMG Masterclass

RESIDENCY APPLICATION & VIRTUAL INTERVIEWING

The 2020-2021 USMLE / ECFMG Cycle for interviewing through ERAS has opened, and applications are currently under review. As we move forward with Interview offerings, the need to adapt and transition into a virtual platform of telecommunication has been a rapid process that will be implemented and launched right away.

For the Residency Programs, this has not been an easy challenge, and the implementation had to be expeditious. Multiple organizations have played a significant role in advising the proper way to conduct a fair, humane, and unbiassed interviewing process that will allow the selection process for the coveted spots in a reasonable fashion without turmoil. Despite all the COVID related measures taken regarding social distancing, one of them is directly impacting us. We must adapt, train, and prepare for the virtual interviewing set up that will be in place.

A few suggestions of advice to consider before venturing in this process to ensure adequate preparation:

1. Identify a Quiet & Suitable Environment.
2. Avoid any potential distractions.
3. Use a professional backdrop.
4. Beware of the Unconscious bias.
5. Technological set up (Hardware / Software).
6. Familiarize with the Interview Materials (Read the "Game Rules").
7. Verify that the residency program has your contact information.
8. Personal hygiene and professional dress code.
9. Double-check that technology is working correctly.
10. Take notes.
11. Be on time. Be professional.
12. Be thankful for the opportunity.

Best of luck with this new virtual environment – and as always, be flexible and adapt to the "new way of doing things" after the COVID19 Pandemic. I only wish that soon we all come back to our previous "normal" in which human interaction was essential for the identification of the proper applicant, that will be the right residency for the residency position. Programs and Ruling associations are working hard to optimize the process and make it as humane as possible. For now, prepare well, so you will "Shine" through the screen.

I hope this helps!

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

www.OsorioMD.com

www.FMG-IMGCast.com

[email protected] / [email protected]

Physician Career Advancement & Tips for organizational success!

Amer Aldeen, MD, FACEP – Is the Chief Medical Officer for US Acute Care Solutions, the largest physician-owned acute care practice in the US (and probably the world!). He comes to offer us his experience as a physician leader in corporate healthcare America. Career advancement and ongoing professional development are key as we mature into our jobs. This episode is full of tips of wisdom and I do know you will enjoy it very much. 

• A Great physician means that you take excellent care of patients, but it also means that you possess many of the skills and abilities to be a great leader/administrator. One pitfall is that you cannot assume that being a great administrator comes automatically just because you are a great physician—it takes different training, practice, and time. You have the tools and the intellect, but there are different rules and different success metrics. Up to now, you have dedicated yourself to clinical success—working hard to excel in your undergraduate studies, medical school, residency, post-residency, etc. Now you are in a position where it is not just about how well you do individually, it’s about how well the entire team moves forward. Are you the type of person who can only make yourself perform better or can make others around you perform better, too?

Here are some quick and easy tips to get you started—doing these will cost no money at all:

• Put your CV on your computer desktop and update it frequently with every new accomplishment and milestone. 
• Be an expert in something (for the clinical generalists). What clinical scenario do you see in your daily practice that interests you the most? Be the go-to person for specific issues. You cannot know everything—but be good at most things and fabulous at a few. You don’t have to do a fellowship to be an expert in a few clinical entities.
• The word “committee” has the word “commit” in it—commit to attending, commit to working, commit to following up, commit to volunteering to do tasks. People are relying on your commitment to be there, give your input, but also listen to others’ input and complete tasks.
• If they do not remember your name, they will not remember you. Make sure they learn it but be nice about it (they are not likely familiar with your native language), and you could emphasize the proper pronunciation of your name. 
• When you disagree with an idea or plan of action, ask questions. Learn more about it; think of it as a chief complaint: get a thorough history, do not judge right away. Be patient. Work and develop your emotional intelligence (EQ).
• Where there is no money, there is no mission”: Make sure you factor in finances to all your plans for improvement. Consider low hanging fruit first—what can you improve for free? Please do it. What can you improve with a little bit of money? Do that next. What can you improve with a lot of money? Think about that, plan for it, and wait for your opportunity.
• Do not just identify problems, solve them. Identifying problems is relatively easy. Being an intelligent problem identifier is a colossal waste of talent. Instead, be an intelligent problem solver. It takes more effort, but that’s how people become extraordinary. Do you want to be known as someone who identifies problems or someone who fixes them? Mediocre managers identify problems. True leaders fix them.
  
  Thanks for listening! 
  
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  Feedback and reviews are always appreciated. Share, because Sharing is caring!
  
  Alonso Osorio, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, FAAFP.
  [email protected] 
  813-465-9157

Today, our guest, Mr. Julio Rodriguez, has gone into detail on the importance of having a good English language and we go into the specifics concepts for the ones getting ready to learn/optimize & maximize your language, with His 28 years of English teaching experience speak for themselves and he can be found at: 

www.theenglishcoaching.com

Habla Inglés Fluido & Profesional!

Entrena tus habilidades para hablar Inglés como siempre has querido!!!

*Coaches en vídeo y en vivo.
*Programación Neurolinguistica.
*Juegos de Neuro-Asociación.
*Sesiones 100% Interactivas.
*Económico, fácil & Divertido.

Text Whatsapp for Info: +1 805 450 1066 USA #theenglishcoachus

https://www.youtube.com/TheEnglishCoachUS/

https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheEnglishCoachUS/reviews/?ref=page_internal

https://www.instagram.com/theenglishcoachus/

Thanks for listening!

Alonso Osorio, M.D.

Dr. Parul Aneja returns to the Show. She is an Infectious Disease Specialist and an FMG from India. She has been a very active frontline physician in the Tampa Bay Area; during this pandemic, she has been working long hours trying to fight this horrible Virus that took over Florida during the last few weeks. We discuss topics that are easy to understand by the public since we decided to answer the most commonly and frequently asked questions by the laypeople. We try to "Bust Myths" and provide an honest, objective opinion on the public concerns and their doubts. We address the Current standings on treatment and management approach, and we go over the importance of wearing a mask and the implications on public health and wellness. Also, we brush on the psychological aspects of potential burnout during the daily grind and how social distancing has impacted the psychology of the human race, the importance of physical touch, and how this "new normal" has become the standard of living. 

The misinformation provided by social media and news has been overwhelming, and the polarization of opinions has led to the public to create their own biased or not ways to see the pandemic. The purpose of this podcast is to talk, in simple words, with the support of our experience, about a topic that has been manipulated and misinformed. Everyone is allowed to believe what they want to think. Still, the facts and the reliable science behind this infection are carefully brought up to the public light straying away from giving personal and or political opinions. 

Our future remains uncertain, and unless we take group (society) measures to adapt to the spread of the Virus, ie. Social distancing and Mask usage, we won't see an impact on the range of COVID19. We hope, eventually, that our kids will get back to school in a safe manner and also, our lives, across the world to be back to what we were used to enjoying! 

The vaccine is a work in progress. Dr. Fauci remains to be a leader, and a great physician that relies on objective scientific giving his opinions without sensationalism and the Virus is as ever-changing as the politics in the USA. It's not a Hoax! Most of us have had our lives touched by the Virus. We all had a person or loved one who has died from this vicious disease process, which we don't understand very well and continue to follow the evidence behind medical studies and discoveries as we go along. Stay tuned for more updates, and I hope you have enjoyed the enlightenment on COVID19 Myths and misinformation. 

Please share because sharing is caring. Leave positive feedback and a five stars review if well deserved it is appreciated!

Alonso Osorio, M.D. 
www.OsorioMD.com
www.FMG-IMGCast.com 

Contact me at: 

[email protected]

Dr. Parul Aneja Returns to the Show!

She is an internist and Infectious disease specialist & an FMG from India. Lately, she has been a very active frontile physician in the Tampa Bay Area; during this pandemic, working long hours trying to fight this horrible virus that took over the state of Florida during the last few weeks!

 We understand topics that easy to understand by the general public since we decided to answer the most common and frequently asked questions by the laypeople. 

We will try to "Bust Myths" and provide an honest, objective, and politically unbiased opinion to the public concerns and their doubts.

We address the current treatment and medical management approach, and we go over the importance of wearing a mask and the implications that it has on public health and wellness. 

Also, we brush upon the psychological aspects of medical personnel and physician burnout due to the daily grind and how social distancing has impacted the psychology of the human race. We had undervalued in the past the importance of physical touch and human proximity, and how this "new normal" has become the standard of living. 

The misinformation provided by the news and social media has been overwhelming and biased, along with the polarization of opinions that has led the public to create their own truths and how they perceive the pandemic that has created havoc in 2020.

The purpose of this podcast is to chat, in simple words, about a topic that has been greatly manipulated and misinformed. 

Anyone is allowed to believe what they want to think! but freedom is also about making the right choices at the right moment and empowering each other to overcome the spread of this potentially deadly illness. 

Our future remains uncertain, and unless we take a group (society) measures to adapt to avoid the spread of the virus, ie. Social distancing and proper Mask usage, we won't see an impact on the dissemination of COVID19.

We hope, that all of our kids, will return eventually to school, but in a safe manner and also our lives, to get back to normal, across the whole world. 

The vaccine is a work in progress. Dr. Fauci remains to be a leader, an image of measured thinking, and measured words who relies on objective scientific data and giving his professional opinions without sensationalism since the virus is as ever-changing as the political environment in the United States. 

It's not a HOAX!

Most of us have had our personal lives or loved ones affected by COVID19. We all know a person that has died from it or who's life has permanently been affected by it with a longstanding physical and occupational/psychological disability. The implications of this virus are not only in health but in the economy and every aspect of our lives during the year 2020. 

Stay tuned for more updates, and I hope that you have enjoyed the enlightenment on the 'RONAs Myths and misinformation. 

Remember to share, because sharing is caring! 

Please leave us feedback and a five stars review if well deserved and its very much appreciated. 

Thanks, 

Alonso Osorio, M.D. 

www.OsorioMD.com

[email protected]

www.FMG-IMGCast.com 

Dr. Parul Aneja returns to the Show. She is an Infectious Disease Specialist and an FMG from India. She has been a very active frontline physician in the Tampa Bay Area; during this pandemic, she has been working long hours trying to fight this horrible Virus that took over Florida during the last few weeks. We discuss topics that are easy to understand by the public since we decided to answer the most commonly and frequently asked questions by the laypeople. We try to "Bust Myths" and provide an honest, objective opinion on the public concerns and their doubts. We address the Current standings on treatment and management approach, and we go over the importance of wearing a mask and the implications on public health and wellness. Also, we brush on the psychological aspects of potential burnout during the daily grind and how social distancing has impacted the psychology of the human race, the importance of physical touch, and how this "new normal" has become the standard of living. 

The misinformation provided by social media and news has been overwhelming, and the polarization of opinions has led to the public to create their own biased or not ways to see the pandemic. The purpose of this podcast is to talk, in simple words, with the support of our experience, about a topic that has been manipulated and misinformed. Everyone is allowed to believe what they want to think. Still, the facts and the reliable science behind this infection are carefully brought up to the public light straying away from giving personal and or political opinions. 

Our future remains uncertain, and unless we take group (society) measures to adapt to the spread of the Virus, ie. Social distancing and Mask usage, we won't see an impact on the range of COVID19. We hope, eventually, that our kids will get back to school in a safe manner and also, our lives, across the world to be back to what we were used to enjoying! 

The vaccine is a work in progress. Dr. Fauci remains to be a leader, and a great physician that relies on objective scientific giving his opinions without sensationalism and the Virus is as ever-changing as the politics in the USA. It's not a Hoax! Most of us have had our lives touched by the Virus. We all had a person or loved one who has died from this vicious disease process, which we don't understand very well and continue to follow the evidence behind medical studies and discoveries as we go along. Stay tuned for more updates, and I hope you have enjoyed the enlightenment on COVID19 Myths and misinformation. 

Please share because sharing is caring. Leave positive feedback and a five stars review if well deserved it is appreciated!

Alonso Osorio, M.D. 
www.OsorioMD.com
www.FMG-IMGCast.com 

Contact me at: 

[email protected]

The Interviewing Process Crusade could be an expensive, dreadful and lengthy one and how much much or not you do get to have will depend on how well you have planned for it. Do the Research, Investigate, Network, and Inquire colleagues, friends, and use specific available resources on what it will take to decrease the physical, emotional, and personal burden of this cycle, which, in the long run, becomes an investment on yourself and your professional future. 

The price tag will vary, but I would say, based on my research, it will be close to $4000 USD for the average applicant, not considering the special circumstances that will apply to FMG (Living overseas in need to travel into the USA). So, please be mindful of considering the most up to date exchange rate for your country's of origin currency, and the amount of money needed to expend to travel long international distances to interview in America. 

The Interview process for 2020 is around the corner, and I think the timeliness of this episode is crucial in giving you tips of advice for those that will be lucky enough to get a residency interview appointment. Specifically for 2020, we don't know if any program will be doing face to face interviews, but we all know that some of them will be doing virtual online interactions, that could modify the cost of the investment for the current year due to COVID19. 

Despite the fact that 2020 has been an exceptional year for all of us, I think, that if we ever get back to the "normal" reality, this episode will apply well to all of us, considering to get on the road and travel in between several residency program sites with the purpose of finding the residency in the specialty of your Dream. 

Please listen carefully, because not all of the circumstances that we discuss apply to all of us, so make modifications and adapt as needed. The website www.SmartMedTravel.com is a useful one for those interested in discovering it the benefits that it has to offer (No financial relationship with them!) - So, feel free to explore and research well before you embark on this path.

"An Investment in knowledge always pays the best interest"!

Thanks for listening, 

Alonso Osorio, M.D.
www.OSORIOMD.com 
www.FMG-IMGCast.com
[email protected]

What is the USMLE?
How do I credential myself via the ECFMG?
Where do you start?
How do I study for the USMLE?
How much time and dedication shall I invest?
What shall I expect during the process?
How I remain motivated?
What resources shall I use? There is so much out there!

For all of these answers and more, you must listen to this phenomenal episode...

Dr. Abhiram Challa is an IMG who attended College and Medical School in India. He graduated from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE University in Belgaum. Motivated by the strong desire of returning to the USA he set his own path and study plan to succeed at taking the USMLE Steps.

I found him via YouTube on his amazing channel "Dr. Challa". He produces incredible material that enriches anyone with excellent tips of advice in how to devise a plan & strategy to ace the boards. Also, He describes the complete IMG / FMG certification process in the USA. Now he is a Resident in Internal Medicine after joining Kansas University in Wichita, KS.

He can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dr.challa/

Please do not forget to Subscribe to our YouTube Channels and to follow us on Instagram for more content and updates on how to become a successful applicant for the ECFMG / USMLE credentialing process.

Thanks for Listening - Alonso Osorio, M.D.
[email protected]

A listener's request! - We do listen to our followers and adopt suggestions for future guests in our podcast. Today we invited Dr. Ihsan Irfan Mamoun, specialized in Radiology - He studied Medical School at Jordan University of Science and Technology, with a Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery, MBBS. He also has a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from Ashland University and completed a Residency Training in the Specialty of Radiology at the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, OH (To include an Internal Medicine Preliminary year at the same institution). Then he followed it with two fellowships, one in Neuro-Radiology and another one in Pediatric Radiology.

He represents the "Dream come true" for an IMG. He explains his path and the dedication needed to make himself an attractive applicant to such a competitive specialty. We talk about the specific qualifications required to have an opportunity to make it into Radiology, and we describe how crucial is the process of having strong LORs, PS, and Research experience related to the specialty of your choice. As you listen, we also talk about a topic of interest, which is Preliminary and Transitional years, and how important it is to follow the correct application process for the ERAS. 

I hope this episode brings some enlightenment and expands on topics that are crucial to obtain a position for GME in the USA. Thanks for listening, and remember, to leave feedback, a review, and share it with friends and colleagues. We also have a YouTube Channel where you can also listen to the content and material: https://www.youtube.com/user/alonsojosorio. We are available in pretty much every global platform where podcasts can be found and downloaded. Spread the word; it will help me grow!

Thanks, 

Alonso Osorio, M.D. 
www.FMG-IMGCast.com (Soon to become www.OsorioMD.com) 
[email protected]