The IMG Roadmap Podcast

I remember being evicted from my first apartment in Lexington, Kentucky.

With no credit as a non-US IMG,

I subleased an apartment from a friend…

Sounded like a good idea at first, right?

Talk about shame ...

Well, money problems happen to all of us, but as IMG’s, finding funding for personal expenses is almost unheard of.

So today on the podcast I introduce to you a PHYSICIAN LOAN for physicians by physicians!

What does this mean?

Doctors understand the debt student doctors and residents need to furnish different parts of their lives outside of student loans.

This is why I invited Dr. Zwade Marshall a Harvard train anesthesiologist and pain management specialist with origins in the country of Guyana. He is the co-founder of Doc2Doc Lending.

Doc2Doc lending helps you access the capital you need through a stress free application designed for doctors by doctors.

It is a simple  application process which can be done online in under 4-5 mins.

Doc2Doc lending doesn’t only focus on your FICO score but also physician specific facts to determine your creditworthiness.

No cosigners needed, unique metrics, fixed interest rates and flexible terms makes it appealing for me to share with you!

Oh and did I mention, some visa (H1B, OPT) candidates are eligible as well!

Listen to today’s episode to learn more about this option for personal loans for IMG’s.

If you are interested in signing up, I am an affiliate with them and you can sign up using my referral link https://doc2doclending.com/drninalum/ as this episode is sponsored by them as well!

Oh and if you want to know what happened to me after I got evicted, it's a long story, but let’s just say motels became familiar home for at least 3 weeks of intern year.

Gosh, I have been through some stuff! Stay tuned for the rest of my story!

Do you ever feel like becoming a surgeon is impossible just because you went to a Caribbean medical school?

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Dr. Okoye mentioned using FREIDA to search through programs - here is the link to start your own search FREIDA™ ACGME Residency & Fellowship Programs Database<https://freida.ama-assn.org/>

On this episode of IMG Roadmap, Dr. Jessica shares with us her journey to becoming a neurology specialist.

Despite the common misconceptions, neurology is actually an IMG friendly specialty with a broad spectrum of fellowship opportunities available. For Jessica, her interest in neurology began before she ever made it to medical school. Through her graduate degree Jessica participated in research and clinicals as an observer in neuro. This allowed her to gain experience and see a bit into the field before she ever learned the anatomy of the brain.

Once it came time to apply for medical school, some advised Jessica to wait due to academic struggles, but others encouraged her to consider Caribbean schools. After getting in, school was still a difficult challenge along with her STEP exams. Despite these challenges, Jessica was persistent and kept moving forward and is now a neurology resident in Kansas City.

For IMGs looking into neurology, don't shy away from it!

This specialty is 100% accessible and attainable if you put forth the work and have the desire to do so.

Dr. Jessica struggled to get clinicals within the neurology specialty, but highly recommends taking electives and any other opportunities to open doors to network within your desired specialty. When apply for residency, be sure to plan ahead and keep up your networking relationships over the years. It is wise to have recommendations from your specialty, but also from a psych specialty and attendees that can attest to your character as well as what kind of physician you will be as a whole.

For those struggling through STEP and other exams, remember to PRACTICE and familiarize yourself with the types of questions.

And for every IMG, when you find yourself struggling or overwhelmed, remember:

Your journey is not over because of a low score or failure. It is only over when you quit.

Persistence will break resistance!

If you would like to connect with Dr. Jessica, you can do so on Instagram @procrastinationmd

In this episode, I interview Chase Di Marco an international medical graduate with a slightly different yet impressive path.

He is still in the process of seeking out the residency position for himself, but in the process he has created resources for others who have faced similar challenges like him.

Chase has a background in educational psychology and he used his challenges with taking the USMLE to develop resources to help others who are preparing for these anxiety laden tests!

In this episode you will learn:

- How to study learning and other advanced techniques that help with test taking

Listen to the entire episode for more.

Join me this week as we hear from Dr. Chinenye Onyemaechi. Dr. Chi is a board-certified psychiatrist. She earned her medical degree from the University of Sint Eustatius SOM in 2013 and completed training in both general and forensic psychiatry at the University of Maryland Medical Center/Sheppard Pratt Health System. She is an avid solo traveler and adventurer, who merges her career in medicine with her passion for travel (and good coffee!) in her work as a full-time locum tenens (travel) physician.

In this episode, you’ll learn the importance of being a well-rounded applicant with experience in multiple specialties as well as the significance of finding mentors and networking through professional organizations.

If you would like to connect with Dr. Chi, you can reach out on Instagram @andchisays

Head over to the blog to read the full post.

In this episode of the IMG Roadmap podcast, I speak with Dr. Joanna Schirtz, an IMG who specializes in Pediatric GI care. Dr. Schirtz shares with us her experience as a US IMG and the importance of building intentional relationships throughout every stage of her journey.

Regardless of experiences or the pathway of your journey, there are some valuable takeaways from my conversation with Joanna to keep in mind as you go through clerkships, residency, and fellowships.

If you would like to connect with Dr. Schirtz, follow her on Instagram @gastrodoc.md

This doctor matched with only one interview!

I know... interview season is upon us and many IMG's are worried about making a good impression.

Some are concerned about the chances of even getting invited.

Others are worried about how many programs to apply into?

What if you have a visa?

Today's episode, Dr. Nwaobi takes the time out to address some of these concerns.

He also shares:

- How he took all the USMLE's in 18 months

- How he matched as a visa applicant with only one interview

- As a visa applicant he explains how he leveraged his MPH experience during this process.

If you need any help preparing for your own interview check out my webinar where I teach you how to prepare for the residency interview by clicking here.

Listen to the full episode for more.

Samuel O. Nwaobi MD is a Non-US IMG and current Family Medicine Resident who took his USMLE boards while completing his MPH degree in the US.  He highlights how important having a flawless interview is to an IMGs chances,  especially with limited interview opportunities.

Is general surgery friendly to IMG’s?

Let us look at some data.

In 2020:

From India to China to Florida, today’s guest is a preliminary surgery resident who is now applying for a categorical position.

In this episode he tells us how and why he started off in a preliminary position. He also shares the difference between categorical vs. prelim programs as well as his clinical curriculum and plans. You will also learn about his study strategies for the USMLE.

Dr. Chauhan breaks down the process of applying into general surgery residency as an IMG. You can find him on instagram by clicking here .

 After getting a 19 on the MCAT... twice,  today's guest went through 2 rounds of rejections from US medical schools. 

In the one interview she did get from a US medical school, she was told there was no way she would  pass STEP 1 with her low MCAT score. She was also told that and no school would accept her because she wouldn’t match into residency. 

Despite the odds, in August 2016 she started school at St. George’s University in the Caribbean. In July 2018, she obtained a 246 on the USMLE STEP 1 exam (take that suckers haha). In June 2020, she graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada. 

Her story isn't over ...

In July 2020, she went on to start internal medicine residency at a university program in Philadelphia, PA. 

As an IMG you are going to hear so many unfounded opinions about the path you have taken.

You cannot allow that to define you. You are the most common valuable determinant of your outcome!

As Dr. Kaitlyn  McSurdy said "let your failures fuel your fire". 

Listen to the full episode for all her advice for IMGs and read the entire blogpost on https://www.drninalum.com/blog