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Previously on the blog, we’ve had a few conversations about the personal statement. In the personal statement planning post, we talked about the importance of brainstorming ideas for your personal statement. Last week, we delved further into personal statement drafting. To recap: when it comes time to draft your personal statement, there are some important things to keep in mind that can help you write an outstanding personal statement — like telling a story, being conscious of your audience, organizing it to optimize fluency, and keeping the statement succinct.

That advice can serve as a foundation for a successful personal statement, but as you write, you need to be careful to avoid certain pitfalls that can derail your personal statement and reduce your chances of getting matched. Here is a list of some things NOT to do on your personal statement:

 

• Do NOT simply rewrite your CV in paragraph form. On your residency application, you only have a certain amount of space available to demonstrate why you are an excellent candidate for a US medical residency program. If your personal statement only serves to repeat what is already on your CV, it won’t be adding anything to your application. You should choose a few particularly meaningful experiences from your CV and expand on them in greater depth, explaining how exactly they shaped your academic interests and career goals.

• Do NOT use your medical school application as a template. Many residency applicants make the mistake of simply tacking on a paragraph about a residency to the end of their medical school personal statement. However, residency application readers are more interested in why you chose a particular specialty area — not why you wanted to enter the field of medicine in the first place. They also want to know about your long-term career goals, which should be much more clear than they were when you first applied to medical school.

• Do NOT focus on political or religious issues. You never know who your reader will be, so you should be careful about discussing controversial topics. If a particular life experience related to politics or religion truly merits discussion — for instance, if you worked on a political campaign or volunteered for a religious charity — make sure to discuss it in a way that highlights how it shaped your experience and demonstrates your suitability for the residency program. Don’t spend time touting the political or religious message. The personal statement should be about you.

• Do NOT try to be funny. On a personal statement, humor tends to fall flat. While it might be okay to include a witty comment or two, remember that you are discussing a very serious topic: your future training as a physician. You do not want your application reader to think that you are taking the subject lightly. Also, as a foreign medical graduate, there are sometimes cultural barriers when it comes to humor. An obvious joke in your country may be confusing for an American application reader, so it’s usually better not to risk it.

• Do NOT use abbreviations, jargon, slang, or profanity. Remember that a residency application is essentially a job application, so you need to be professional with your language. You want to let your genuine voice shine through, but you don’t want to come off too casual. Also, abbreviations and jargon might be familiar to you, but they may confuse your application reader and distract from your message. If you need to use an abbreviation for an organization (like a medical society or volunteer group), make sure to spell it out first so your reader knows what you are talking about.

• Do NOT be too repetitive. Application readers will notice if you use the same words over and over or if you start all of your sentences the same way. Don’t worry about it too much when writing the first draft of your personal statement, but as you read it over, try to find ways to vary your sentence structure. A thesaurus can also come in handy when looking for synonyms.

• Do NOT try to make your writing too complex. While the last bullet point on avoiding repetitiveness is important, remember that your goal is to explain why you are an excellent candidate for a medical residency — not to impress your application reader by using lots of big words. Especially if English is your second language, stick to words and sentences that are simple, direct, and focused on your topic.

Your personal statement is one of the most important documents in your medical residency application, so it is essential to avoid common mistakes. That way, you can ensure that your reader will remember all of the reasons why you are a good candidate who is well-prepared to succeed in their program.

Need more help with residency placement? FMG Portal offers a wide range of helpful services for foreign medical graduates. Contact us today!

The ERAS application season has officially begun! Now that the opening date of June 6 has passed, prospective residents around the world are starting to work on their applications. Here is a guide to get your MyERAS account up and running so that you have all summer to make your application shine.

Setting up a MyERAS Account

Before anything else, you need to set up an account with MyERAS. This part of the process is relatively simple. You just need to go to the AAMC MyERAS landing page and click the “Log in or Register for MyERAS” button. If you already have an account, you can sign in, but if it’s your first time on the AAMC website, you need to register. The registration process is relatively simple — you just need to provide standard personal information like your name, email address, mailing address, and home country.

You’ll also need to choose a username and a password. As with any online account, make sure that they are easy for you to remember (since you’ll be working on your application all summer!), but hard for someone else to guess (since your application will contain very important residency application materials!). For extra security purposes, you will also need to choose three security questions. Again, make sure you choose questions with answers that you will remember.

The final step in the MyERAS Account setup process is the email confirmation. If your email account has an automatic spam filter, make sure to add [email protected] to your list of allowed senders. The confirmation email usually comes within minutes. In that email, you can click the confirmation link, which will allow you to verify your information and log into the website.

ERAS Token Request

When you sign in to your MyERAS account, the first thing you will see is a place to enter your ERAS Electronic Token. The ERAS token is a fourteen-digit alphanumeric code that is required for you to start the application process. In order to obtain a token for the ERAS season, you must pay a non-refundable fee of $115.00 (U.S. dollars, payable by credit card). To get your token, you need to go to the ERAS Token Request website. On that page, you can mark that you are a graduate of an international medical school, which will take you to a form for foreign medical graduates. In that form, you will need to put in your personal information, as well as your USMLE ID to prove your ECFMG Certification.

Once you have requested and paid for your token, the code will be sent to you by email. For this, you will need to make sure that your email account will accept messages from [email protected]. You should also print out the confirmation page for your records, since it functions as your receipt.

Although you can use the token to apply for residencies in an unlimited number of specialty areas, it is important to note that your ERAS token is only valid for one application season. If you have applied for a U.S. medical residency in the past, you still need to request a new token.

Once you have your token and type it into your MyERAS account, you’re all set! If you need help with any part of the U.S. medical residency application and admission process, FMG Portal is here to help. We provide a wide range of resources that can help you show U.S. medical residency programs that you are an excellent candidate. Contact us today for more information!

As a physician, you may choose between a wide range of medical specialties. If you are particularly interested in focusing on the health of the skin, hair, nails, and adjacent mucous membranes, you might want to think about becoming a dermatologists. Dermatologists provide treatment for a wide range of conditions, including benign skin disorders, malignant diseases, and cosmetic disorders. Read on to find out more about what it takes to become a dermatologist.

Prerequisites for a U.S. Medical Residency in Dermatology

As a medical school graduate, before you can enter a dermatology residency program in the United States, you need to complete a one-year ACGME-accredited internship opportunity in either the United States or Canada. That means that, if you are a foreign medical student, you need to plan ahead! There are over a hundred internship programs available, so you have lots of options. Often, future dermatologists start by completing the first year of a U.S. medical residency program in internal medicine, general surgery, or obstetrics & gynecology. However, there are also schools that accept transitional year programs and preliminary medicine internships, so you can explore the possibilities and choose the right one for you.

Dermatology Residency Programs

After completing your one-year internship, you can enroll in a three-year dermatology residency program. Over the course of the program, you will gain hands-on training in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and you will also participate in didactic activities like seminars and conferences. If you are interested in research, you may have the chance to study either basic science or clinical outcomes, depending on your area of interest.

You will likely spend the first year of your residency getting a general education in medical dermatology and surgery in an outpatient setting. You may also be exposed to the specialty area of dermatopathology, which typically involves reviewing biopsies for signs of benign skin conditions or malignant diseases.

In your second year of training, you will likely perform rotations that will expose you to other aspects of dermatology. Aside from general dermatology and dermatopathology, some of the areas in which residency programs typically provide clinical experience include:

• Pediatric dermatology
• Dermatologic surgery
• Dermatopharmacology
• Phototherapy
• Micrographic surgery
• Laser and cosmetic procedures

During your third year of study, you will be challenged to deal with the most complex patient cases. That way, when you finish, you will be well-prepared for the responsibilities of clinical practice in the field of dermatology.

After Your Dermatology Residency

Once you have finished your dermatology residency, you may immediately begin practicing, or you can complete a one-year fellowship in a particular subspecialty area of interest. Fellowship options vary by school, but some of the most common subspecialties include dermatopathology, pediatric dermatology, micrographic surgery, and dermatologic oncology. 

Many dermatology residency programs in the United States accept foreign medical graduates, but they can be competitive! FMG Portal offers a variety of services that can help you increase your likelihood of getting matched, including graduate externships that can provide valuable experience in the field of dermatology. Contact us today for more information!

May is National Mental Health Month, which provides an excellent opportunity for foreign medical students and graduates to consider a U.S. residency program in psychiatry If you are interested in working with patients who struggle with mental health conditions, a psychiatry residency can be a great option.

Becoming a Psychiatrist

As a psychiatrist, you would specialize the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychological problems and mental health disorders. For this, you would employ a wide range of treatment methods, depending on the patient’s individual needs. For example, you can practice psychoanalysis, utilize the techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy, prescribe medication, or use electroconvulsive therapy to help your patients manage and recover from mental health conditions.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, trained psychiatrists have the expertise to treat both the mental and physical aspects of a patient’s health, you might want to become a psychiatrist if you are passionate about both biology and psychology. Additionally, to be a successful psychiatrist, you must be a great listener and have excellent people skills, since so much of psychoanalysis involves listening to patients express their needs and analyzing their condition based on how they act.

Although psychiatry is not the most common residency specialty for foreign medical graduates to pursue in the United States, the growing diversity within the country had led to an increased demand for psychiatrists who are proficient in multiple languages and who are sensitive to the needs of patients from a wide range of cultures. Therefore, if your dream is to become a psychiatrist, now could be a great time to land a U.S. medical residency!

Psychiatry Residency Program Details

A medical residency in psychiatry lasts for four years.

• In the first year, you will solidify your medical knowledge and develop a strong foundation in the basics of psychiatry through a combination of clinical rotations and didactic seminars. Some of the topics covered include psychiatric interviewing, diagnosis using DSM-IV, introductory psychopharmacology, and crisis stabilization.
• In your second year, you will build on what you learned in the first year, gaining more knowledge in psychopharmacology, the diagnosis of more complex conditions, and consultation-liaison psychiatry. Additionally, you may have the opportunity to pursue electives in particular subspecialties of interest.
• Studies in the third year become even more advanced. In many programs, the third year is dedicated to developing outpatient treatment skills, so you will be exposed to therapeutic modalities such as group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and advanced pharmacotherapy. Additionally, if you are interested in scholarly research, you might have the opportunity to work on basic science, translational, or clinical studies.
• In the fourth year, you will have the chance to unify all of your knowledge and focus on your particular clinical or research areas of interest. You may be designated a chief resident, so you would hold a leadership position and gain experience working with the most complex patient cases.

After completing a psychiatry residency, you can begin practicing as a psychiatrist, or you can consider a one-year fellowship in a particular sub-specialty area, such as:

• Addiction psychiatry
• Child/adolescent psychiatry
• Geriatric psychiatry
• Forensic psychiatry
• Psychosomatic medicine

 

Whether you hope to pursue a residency in psychiatry or any other medical specialty, FMG Portal offers valuable resources for foreign medical graduates. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you get matched to the program of your dreams!

The ERAS application opens on June 6, which is less than two weeks away! Although you still have the whole summer to get your application components together, you need to start thinking about everything you will need to do over the next few months. That includes brainstorming ideas for your personal statement and updating your CV. It’s also important to start thinking about who you want to ask for letters of reference, since you will need to give them ample time to write their letters.

Medical Residency Application Letter Requirements

Letter requirements can vary between medical residency programs, but most ask for three letters of reference. Some may allow you to submit four. As you research different residency programs, you should check to see if they have any additional, more specific requirements for letters of reference. For instance, some residency programs ask for both professional and personal letters of reference. Others request that you provide letters from attending physicians working in your particular specialty area. As a foreign medical graduate, you may also be required to submit a letter from a physician within the United States.

Who to Ask for a Letter of Reference

Letters of reference are an important part of your application because they can provide information about your clinical skills, personal qualities, work ethic, and interpersonal relationships. Therefore, your professional letters should come from attending physicians who know you relatively well and with whom your rotation was a success. Also, if you completed a student elective or a clinical externship within the United States, it is a good idea to ask for a letter from one of the physicians with whom you worked, because they can vouch for your readiness to complete a residency within the American medical system. In addition, some residency programs prefer letters of reference from rotations you completed during your fourth year of medical school, but it’s also okay to ask for a letter from an attending physician from a third-year rotation.

Although it can be tempting to ask for letters from residents or fellows with whom you worked more closely than the attending physician, most residency programs want to see letters from the attending. However, you could still ask a resident or fellow if they would be willing to meet with the attending physician to talk about your day-to-day work.

If a residency program asks for personal letters of recommendation, you have a much wider latitude of contacts to choose from. While most residency programs discourage you from getting letters from family members, you can ask a friend, mentor, coach, or other community member who knows you well and can help explain why you will be an excellent medical resident.

 

If you need more help with the residency match process, FMG Portal offers a variety of helpful resources. Contact us today for more information about getting matched in U.S. medical residency program!

If you are a foreign medical student thinking about applying to residency programs in the United States, one of the questions that you may be considering is the relative amount of time you will spend in inpatient and outpatient care settings. For the three specializations most commonly pursued by foreign medical graduates — internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics — the amount of inpatient and outpatient care experience you get can vary greatly between residencies, depending on the program. The right type of program for you depends on your interests and career goals.

 

Defining Inpatient and Outpatient Care

The term “inpatient care” encompasses all medical treatments that occur directly in hospitals, performed on patients that have been formally admitted to a facility. As an inpatient provider, you would most commonly be working with patients who have serious conditions that require overnight hospital stays. However, it is important to note that there are a wide variety of treatments that fall under the umbrella of inpatient care, ranging from common diagnostic procedures, like CT scans, to emergency surgery following a traumatic injury. If you envision yourself working in a hospital setting, you will probably want to look for a residency program that dedicates more rotations to inpatient care.

In contrast, “outpatient care,” also known as ambulatory care, occurs in non-hospital settings, like the office of a family physician, an outpatient surgery center, or a specialty services clinic. As an outpatient care provider, you would generally work with patients on a longer-term basis. For instance, as an outpatient family doctor, you would provide regular checkups, rather than just treating patients in the hospital when they are seriously ill or injured. If you are an internist specializing in endocrinology, you might prescribe a pharmacological treatment for patients with hormone-related diseases and monitor their care over the period of months or years, altering the treatment as necessary to improve long-range health outcomes and quality of life.

 

Choosing Between Inpatient and Outpatient Care

You don’t have to choose between a career focusing on inpatient or outpatient care before you apply for your residency, since rotations in both settings are commonly included within residency programs, especially those within internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics. But it can help to have an idea of which you are more interested in, so that you can choose a program that emphasizes one over the other.

One way for foreign medical students to gain experience in both inpatient and outpatient care is to complete a student elective program. In a three-month elective program, you have the opportunity to perform three rotations within the same specialty area, and you may be able to work under physicians in both hospital and non-hospital settings. There are also three-month plans allowing you to complete rotations under the supervision of attending physicians in three separate specialty areas, which can also give you the chance to gain experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
If you are a foreign medical student looking for an elective program, FMG Portal offers programs with both inpatient and outpatient availabilities. Contact us today for more information about the resources we provide.

It’s almost May, which could mean one of two things: If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is right around the corner, and you can start looking forward to longer days and warmer temperatures. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you’re probably getting ready for the longer nights and cold weather of winter.

Foreign medical students may not have the chance to take time off for travel during the summer months, but if you’re looking for a change of scenery within the next few months — or if you want to skip winter in the Southern Hemisphere — you might want to think about enrolling in a three-month clinical experience in the United States.

Clinical Electives for Foreign Medical Students

If you are currently a full-time medical student at a foreign medical school, a three-month elective experience is a great way to gain valuable experience in a U.S. clinical environment, particularly if you plan to apply for a medical residency program in the United States in the future. The most common option is to choose a program in the medical subfield in which you eventually plan to pursue a residency. Within the program, you will spend one month each with three different attending physicians within that specialty area. At the end, you will have gained hands-on medical experience, a better understanding of the U.S. medical system, and the potential for three letters of recommendation when you apply for your residency.

If you have not yet chosen a specialty area of interest, that’s okay too! A clinical elective experience can actually be a great way for foreign medical students to explore their specialization options. Some three-month clinical elective experiences allow foreign medical students to spend one month each with three different attending physicians in three different subfields. That can help you decide whether you determine which one you want to dedicate your career to, and it can also give you a better idea of how each one works in the United States. That way, when you apply for a residency in the United States, you will know that you are making the best specialization decision for you.

Applying for a Clinical Elective Program

It is important to note that many clinical elective programs require you to apply at least four weeks in advance, so if you want to spend summer in the United States, there’s no time to lose! FMG Portal offers clinical electives for foreign medical students at locations throughout the United States in a wide range of specialty areas, whether you want to focus on just one or divide your time between three. Contact us today for more information!

According to the most recent data from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), the most common residency specialty for foreign medical graduates is internal medicine. In 2015, 2,763 foreign medical graduates were matched to an internal medicine residency program. That’s 43.9 percent of the total number of foreign medical graduates who were matched.

What’s more, the proportion of foreign medical graduates who choose internal medicine has only been growing over the past few years. In 2011, only 37.5 percent of matched foreign medical graduates were in internal medicine residency programs, so the proportion jumped 6.4 percent in only four years. If you are thinking about applying for medical residencies in the United States, internal medicine is an excellent specialty option to consider.

About Internal Medicine Residency Programs

Internal medicine residency programs last for three years, and they provide broad training in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of all organ systems. These programs typically consist of a combination of clinical practice, classroom-based seminars, and research opportunities. In addition to getting hands-on training working with patients with a wide range of internal conditions, residents are also educated in relevant topics like preventive medicine, medical ethics, cost controls, and even providing medical education. If you engage in research during your residency, you will likely be encouraged to publish your work and/or present at conferences, where you can network with others who have similar interests in the field.

Upon completion of an internal medicine program, you would be eligible to take the certification exam offered by the American Board of Internal Medicine. At this point, you could go on to become a general internist, or you could choose to pursue a fellowship in a particular subfield of interest.

Preparing for an Internal Medicine Residency Program

As a graduate of a foreign medical school, one way to increase the likelihood that you will matched to an internal medical residency program is to complete a clinical externship in internal medicine or a subspecialty area within the field. Not only does this demonstrate your interest in internal medicine, but it also indicates that you have what it takes to be successful in the U.S. medical system.

If you choose a clinical externship in a particular subspecialty area, it can serve as a signal of your commitment when it comes time to apply for fellowships.Some of the specialties in which you may find a clinical externship include:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Cardiology (General, Interventional or Metabolic)
• Gastroenterology
• Hematology
• Infectious Diseases
• Nephrology
• Oncology
• Otolaryngology
• Rheumatology

Overall, internal medicine can be a great residency option for foreign medical graduates. For help finding and getting matched to an internal medicine residency program, contact us today!

It’s the start of spring, which means it’s right around the time that fourth-year medical students and and trained doctors start to think about whether or not it makes sense to apply for a residency program for next year. If you’re a foreign medical student or graduate, and you are contemplating applying for a residency in the United States in 2018, your first order of business is to make sure that you are eligible and that you have a competitive application profile. That way, if there are any requirements that you still need to meet, you have ample time to fulfill them before the match process really gets underway in the fall.

Basic Requirements for ECFMG Certification

In order to apply for a residency program in the United States, you need to be certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), which is the organization that evaluates whether foreign medical graduates are sufficiently prepared for a U.S. medical residency program. The ECFMG sets forth some basic requirements that you need to meet before you can even consider applying for a residency

• Educational Requirements. As a foreign medical graduate, you need to have completed your degree at one of the medical schools that has been approved by the ECFMG. You can find information about your school in the World Directory of Medical Schools. In addition, you will need to provide documentation of your degree and transcripts before you can complete the ECFMG certification process.
• Examination Requirements. To get ECFMG certification, you will need to pass the first and second steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The first step tests your knowledge of medical science, while the second assesses your clinical skills.

• ECFMG Application. Of course, in order to be certified, you need to actually submit the application form to the ECFMG. You can begin the process as a fourth-year medical student by applying for a USMLE/ECFMG identification number, and you can take the examinations as soon as you meet the training requirements, but it is important to note that you won’t officially receive your ECFMG certification until you have actually finished your degree.

Visa Requirements

If you are not already a citizen or legal resident of the United States, you will need to get a visa. The two visa options for foreign medical graduates in residency programs are the H1-B (Temporary Worker) and J-1 (Exchange Visitor) visas. After being accepted to a residency program, your visa may be sponsored by your institution or by the ECFMG, but the United States has specific visa regulations for certain countries, so you may want to consult the U.S. embassy in your country in order to find out about possible visa restrictions.

Residency Program Requirements

Many residency programs also have specific requirements for foreign medical graduates. Depending on the school, they can include:

• Medical school graduation year
• Type of visa
• Number of attempts on the USMLE
• Previous clinical experience in the United States
• Letters of recommendation from U.S.-based providers

If you have concerns about any of these factors — for example, if graduated more than a few years ago — you may want to skim through the websites of some of the schools you are considering to make sure that your degree will still be considered valid.

If you don’t have previous clinical experience in the United States, now is a great time to set up a clinical externship or enroll in an elective program for foreign medical students, which can provide valuable hands-on training in the American medical system and allow you to build relationships with recommenders who can write letters of support for your application in the fall. Even if U.S. experience is not explicitly required for your top-choice residency program, these experiences can boost the competitiveness of your application and increase the likelihood that you will get matched.

Need more help with residency placement? Contact us today!