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The IMG Roadmap Podcast episodes
- 62. IMG Roadmap Series #55: Dr. Kristen Scatliffe and MD FEME
In this episode, I am joined by a group of IMGs from the MD FEME podcast.
These established physicians share the innate challenges of being an IMG as well as personal challenges and how they overcome them.
You will learn valuable tips on how to overcome your struggles both in the classroom and in the field. You will hear the stories of women who have been right where you are as they offer you encouragement and advice for any season in your own journey as an IMG.
Here’s a few self-reminders every listener should take note of:
- DON’T let others discount you because of your struggles or challenges
- Build up a strong sense of SELF-CONFIDENCE
- NEVER give up because you failed the first try
- ALWAYS pursue your dream with DETERMINATION and RISE ABOVE the nay-sayers
- Ask for help along the way
- “NO” is just a doorway to another opportunity
If you would like to connect with MD FEME or any of the guests on the show, you can find their information below.
MD FEME Guests:
Kristen Scatliffe, MD - Pulmonary Critical Care IMG; IG: @krisdbaby79
Emily Shay, MD - ID Critical Care IM; IG: @idcritmdKandice Waul Bennett, MD - Family Medicine IMG; IG: @goodas_waulmd
Lubna Chaudhry, MD - Family Medicine IMG; IG: @drmomwifebossKimberly Works, MD ; Web: https://www.pediatricworks.co/Akua Ampadu MD - Internal Medicine IMG; IG: @doctorkukie
Jana McKenzie, MD
MD FEME
Website: https://www.mdfeme.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/md_feme/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGfaHI1AGJoQv4TQbUJXpA?reload=9
37 min - 61. IMG Roadmap Series #54: Dr. Priyana Tweet
In this episode, I interview Dr. Priyana Tweet, a newly minted doctor and graduate from Ross University in Dominica.
After her first residency interview, she found out about her failure on one of the USMLE examinations. She fought internally about how to handle this. She asked for help, worked hard, leveraged integrity and re-took the examination while still on the interview trail.
Today, she is an intern pursuing her dreams in residency.
In this episode, you will learn about her journey through a Caribbean medical school and how she overcame the challenges along the way.
If you’re looking for opportunities to network at conferences, check out AAFP and AMSA online.
If you would like to connect with Dr. Tweet, you can email her at [email protected]. You can also find her on Instagram @tweet7337 (https://www.instagram.com/tweet7337/)
22 min - 60. IMG vs. D.O.? ( Got questions about International Medical School versus Osteopathic Medical School) ?
Very recently a popular scrub apparel company posted an image of a female doctor of osteopathic medicine.
This is not unusual but what was highlighted in the image is that the book was from the "For Dummies" series which breakdowns concepts for the simplest of readers. The book in question was upside down and was titled "Medical Terminology for Dummies".
This reminded me of the misconceptions that circulate regarding IMG's and also DO's.
In today's episode, Dr. Ruth Arumala and myself discuss FAQs about international medical school (an MD route) versus osteopathic medical school (the DO route).
As an Obstetrician-Gynecologist with a practice in Mansfield, Texas, Dr. Ruth Arumala provides evidence based medical care to women of all ages at all aspects of their lives. Dr. Arumala specializes in the management of pregnancy, fibroids, PCOS, sexual dysfunction and menopause.
Dr. Arumala has won several awards that demonstrate her exceptional clinical skills and service to her community. These include 2020 National Minority Quality Forum’s 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health, 2020 Fort Worth Magazine “Top Docs” Tarrant County, Ob-Gyn, 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars, and 2020 Women in Medicine’s “Top ObGyn” Fort Worth.In addition to her clinical duties, Dr Arumala also serves as the entertaining hostess of the ‘Pretty + Pink Podcast: A Modern Woman’s Guide to Health.” From love, sex and relationships to the managing personal finances, Dr. Arumala interviews inspirational female expert guests who explore a broad range of topics that affect women.Armed with her varied experience in medical training, Ruth Arumala, DO, MPH, NCMP invests a lot of time and resources to preparing the next generation of physicians for their careers through one-on-one mentoring and video series hosted on several media outlets.To learn more about the work Dr. Arumala is doing check out:IG Personal @i.am.dr.arumalaIG Ob/Gyn Practice @my.mansfield.obgyn_IG Podcast:@prettyinpinkpodWebsite: www.drarumala.comPodcast: https://www.drarumala.com/pretty-in-pink-podcastListen to the full episode for more!
*INTERVIEW PREP FOR IMG's IS LOCATED HERE: https://imgroadmap.com/p/interviewprep/?preview=logged_out *
30 min - 59. Roadmap Series #50: Dr. Tomilade Adepoju (Ophthalmology).
This IMG matched into Ophthalmology but she wants you to know she is not special!
As a graduate of a Caribbean medical school, she knew what the blogs say about her odds of matching into a competitive surgical specialty.
But … she accepted the challenge, and took action to build a success story for herself.
In the process she gained a mentor without knowing it and in this episode you will learn how that was beneficial for her.
As a current PGY-4 in New York State Dr. Tomilade Adepoju is sharing all the gems she has learned along the way.
In this episode, you will learn about:
- How to match into general ophthalmology
- Fellowship options for IMG’s and how to get there
- Why IMGs should not shy away from competitive specialties
- How to prepare for a competitive specialty.
You can find a previous interview she did with us here as the second guest of the IMG Roadmap interview series by clicking here.
29 min - How to match into general ophthalmology
- 58. 7 Mistakes IMG's Make When Studying For The USMLE.
In this episode educator and USMLE guru Dr. Adeleke Adesina invites you to learn about how to combat the mistakes that IMGs make when it comes to test preparation.
He also delves into his E.A.S.E study format which over the last 10 years has resulted in a 97% pass rate on USMLE for his students. You can find out more about his USMLE prep program by clicking here.
EASE is an acronym he created that stands for:
E - Examine
A - Associate
S - Summarize
E - Evaluate
In this episode he also shares some attitudes that he wants you to ditch which include:
- Lack of systematic approach
- Use of buzz words without intent
- Misusing question banks or not using them as efficiently as should beAnd so much more!
Listen to the full episode on the IMG Roadmap Podcast to learn more.
Sign up for the Smash Usmle webinar by clicking here.
33 min - 57. IMG Roadmap Series #44. Dr. Nneoma Nnodum (Internal Medicine & Public Health)
Have you ever wondered if you can take all the USMLE required tests within one year?
If you think this is impossible, think again!
Because … this IMG did just that!
She is a non-US IMG from Nigeria who just completed internal medicine residency in the North Eastern United States. Besides taking all her exams in a "timely manner", she still did not match on her first attempt while on an F-1 visa. Despite that, she went on to pursue a masters degree during her gap year and continued to forge ahead!
In this episode, you will learn:
- Her opinion doing a masters degree to boost your application.
- How to prepare and take all your exams in 1 year and her exact scores on step 1 and step 2
- Why she did not spend more time studying!
- Tips for preparing for the Internal Medicine match.
- How keeping a group of motivated friends during this tedious IMG journey.
- J-1 vs H1 B visa choices and why she chose a J-1 visa.
You can find her on Instagram here : @oma_hottiemd .
Leave us a review below!
29 min - 56. IMG Roadmap Series #70: Dr. Ayesha Baig, Pediatric Gastroenterology
Do you have questions about what exactly is a pre-match and how to land one when applying for residency? Are you anxious about your move to the US after you've completed your international medical education? Managing the hectic life of a pediatric gastroenterologist while being a full-time wife and mother, IMG Dr. Ayesha Baig shows us that with enough determination, focus and sacrifice, we all have the potential to achieve our wildest dreams. Keep listening to find out the details of her success story which included her writing medical licensing exams in three different countries!
Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Dr. Ayesha completed medical school and then decided to move to the United Kingdom. However, after having written the GMC examinations there, she found out that the UK was not giving medical training visas to international graduates at the time. This prompted her to attempt to practice in the UAE, where her husband was located at the time, which required her to take the relevant exams.
Eventually, though, she decided to move with her family to the and after having taken all of the USMLE steps in only one year, Dr. Ayesha landed a pre-match residency position at the Brookdale University hospital in New York, followed by a three year fellowship in gastroenterology which she completed in 2020.
When asked how she was able to land a pre-match, Dr. Ayesha advised that while she was indeed blessed to have received such an opportunity, the following tips may help IMGs to improve their chances of doing the same:- Even if your scores are not stellar, focus on developing the other parts of your CV and market yourself well.
- The right amount and quality of experience is key. Wherever you are, try to engage in as many observerships, research, and clinical opportunities as possible.
- Try to excel at your interview and present the best version of yourself at all times.
And finally, as we are surely all wondering, how was Dr. Ayesha able to pull all of this off while having a family and a host of other responsibilities and challenges? As such, she advises us to:
- Have a strong support system
- Have time sensitive goals with realistic expectations
- Understand that sacrifice now can lead to bigger benefits later
- Strategize and make use of your resources in order to make the best financial and educational decisions
- Stay organized and think ahead
- But above all, remain positive and believe in your potential.
Dr. Ayesha is truly an inspiration to us all, and if you would like to reach out to her, you can do so via her Instagram where she answers your pressing questions and provides invaluable information @Dr.ayeshabaig
Listen to the full episode here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-img-roadmap/id1490731292
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/45NNJ7ewtqynqyssbwm1xz
Google Podcasts:https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mOGMzY2EwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1490731292/the-img-roadmap-podcast
RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/the-img-roadmap-GE0MMg
29 min - 55. 2021 IMG Match Results In Review & FAQs about the 2021 IMG Roadmap Course!
Are you interested in taking your IMG journey to the next level? The IMG Roadmap Course is back again to help you reach your full potential! In this episode, you will learn the details about the upcoming IMG Roadmap Course hosted by Dr. Lum. It is carded to begin on April 5th 2021 and seats are getting filled already!
To get answers to your frequently asked questions, read this article here: https://www.drninalum.com/faq and you can also sign up for one of the upcoming webinars where you will learn more about the course before enrolling. Dr. Lum will be there to answer any questions you may have about the course and offer guidance as to how you can join. You can sign up for the FREE webinar by clicking here.
For an idea of what's to come, you can also CLICK HERE to read and watch the webinar on "What to do if you did not match as an IMG"
Now to talk about the most pressing issue at hand; the residency match results according to the ECFMG:
132 more IMGs matched this year when compared to last year! This is a freaking big deal, though the percentage looks lower, its just because the denominator (i.e. number of available spots) is higher. You get it? The fact that there are more spots available only serves to give us hope that even more IMGs will match in years to come.
Some more granular data from ECFMG : 928 + first year positions were available this cycle compared to the last one (2020). That means over 900 opportunities to achieve your dreams as an IMG!
56.7% IMGs matched this year compared to 61.1% last year! Though this percentage may seem smaller, it actually represents the fact that 132 more IMGs in total matched, compared to the increase in the number of available spots.Here is some more information specific to the demographics of all applicants:- 3,152 US citizen IMGS matched out of 5,295 participants.
- 4,356 non US citizen IMGs matched out of 7,493!
- 2,143 US citizen IMGs did not match & 3,587 non US IMGs did not match!
Aren't these statistics inspiring? Now is a greater time than ever to take the leap as an IMG to go for the residency position of your dreams. IMGs are rightfully taking up space in all areas of medicine in the US from Family Medicine to Orthopedic Surgery among so many other specialties.
Stay tuned and secure your spot in the IMG Roadmap Course as soon as possible!
Listen to the full episode at the links below:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-img-roadmap/id1490731292
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/45NNJ7ewtqynqyssbwm1xz
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mOGMzY2EwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1490731292/the-img-roadmap-podcast
RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/the-img-roadmap-GE0MMg
17 min - 54. IMG Roadmap Series #69: Dr. Emmanuel Morakinyo, Internal Medicine
What if you had dreamt of being a surgeon, but somewhere along your medical journey your passions and interests changed? Dr. Morakinyo represents a very important part of many of our lives - the reality that things may not always go according to plan and the fact that we always have the power to make the best of every situation. Keep listening to find out how this IMG navigated SOAP and landed his current residency match!
Nigerian-born, Canadian citizen Emmanuel Morakinyo is the picture of a non-traditional IMG. His medical journey began at the St. Georges University after which he landed a residency in internal medicine at the Orange Park Medical Center, just outside of Jacksonville, Florida.
While he had every intention of pursuing a career in surgery, after four months of surgery-based rotations, he decided that such a specialty did not align with the life that he had come to envision for himself. Upon this realization, he re-evaluated his interests and their compatibility with his life-plan and proceeded to begin the match process. He eventually ended up enlisting in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) and took the gamble of not submitting a rank list!
When asked how he was able to navigate SOAP, especially with such a risky start, and how he would advise others to approach the process, he outlined the following:
- If you have even the slightest inkling that you will need to go through SOAP, get all of your documents in order as soon as possible.
- Upgrade, tailor and personalize your personal statements to their intended recipients. Use any advantage or leverage that you may have to increase your chances of landing a match.
- Ensure that you have a good internet connection and that you prioritize so that you can dedicate enough time to monitoring the various online portals.
- Have a solid support system - this process is indeed anxiety-inducing, but having people around to help you makes all the difference.
- Stay away from irrelevant online forums that may bring unnecessary negativity and stress.
- Exhaust the number of applications that SOAP allows you.
Even after such a seemingly daunting process, Dr. Morakinyo is currently transitioning into his second year of residency and maintains a positive attitude. Here are some inspirational tidbits that he hopes will inspire us to do the same:
- Speak your goals into existence
- Do not be discouraged if you do not match and have to go through SOAP - it's not the end of the world.
- Put in your best and leave the rest to God.
You can reach out to Dr. Morakinyo on his instagram @iyanulive.md and through his email [email protected]
Listen to the full episode here:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-img-roadmap/id1490731292Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/45NNJ7ewtqynqyssbwm1xz
Google Podcasts:https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mOGMzY2EwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1490731292/the-img-roadmap-podcast
RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/the-img-roadmap-GE0MMg
31 min - 53. IMG Roadmap Series #68: Dr. Ayo Omole, Family Medicine
Nigerian-born family medicine physician Dr. Ayo Omole proves to us that having a distinct plan, learning from one's mistakes and being adaptable are the keys to success. Keep listening to learn more about how his unique medical journey started in the Ukraine and continues as he practices in California!
Admittedly never the "best" student, Dr. Ayo never gave up throughout his medical school journey with his goals clear in his mind. After growing up in Nigeria, he got accepted into medical school in the Ukraine after which he returned to Nigeria for a few years, before transitioning into the US Medical system.He stated what a lot of IMG's feel: the process seemed daunting and overwhelming at first glance, with so many organizations and exams and processes. Where could he begin? His response to these feelings were just to do as much research as he could, and to identify the first step and take the leap.From there, it was easier to identify what came next and what he should be doing at each step of the way. In the end, he remarked that the process is not as convoluted as it seems and once you make use of all the resources available to you, the mountain is not insurmountable.
When asked what he overcame as an IMG, after much reflection, Dr. Ayo noted the following:- Financial Difficulties - It took him two years of sacrifice, working diligently and saving in order to finance the process of becoming a physician in the US.
- Getting the right letters of recommendation - His number one piece of advice in this regard is to make use of any connections you may have. They may very well make the world of a difference.
- Finding support - At first, Dr. Ayo admits that it was hard to find a community of people that he shared a lot in common with. He advises that social media is an indispensable tool in networking and finding the right people to help you along your journey.
Some key inspirational nuggets that Dr. Ayo leaves us with are:
- The journey from being an IMG to a licensed US physician is a marathon and not a sprint. It is expensive and may take several years of your life, but the benefits are worth it.
- Understand the science of exams to get them right the first time. Try not to have multiple attempts if it can be avoided.
- In every interview, go in with a positive mindset and a strategy.
- Above all, stay positive and do not allow the world's negativity to consume you.
You can get in touch with Dr. Ayo on his Instagram @dhadoctor
Listen to the full podcast episode here:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-img-roadmap/id1490731292
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/45NNJ7ewtqynqyssbwm1xz
Google Podcasts:https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mOGMzY2EwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1490731292/the-img-roadmap-podcast
RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/the-img-roadmap-GE0MMg
38 min
About The IMG Roadmap Podcast
From the publisher's feed
The IMG Roadmap is the only podcast dedicated to guiding International Medical Graduates (IMGs) with success blueprints for this unique pathway.
This podcast offers practical tools and equips IMGs with applicable strategies to achieve their “US doctor goals”. I do so by bringing information from successful physicians with first hand experience to students who are still in the process of becoming resident physicians.