Residency Specialty Spotlight: Occupational and Environmental Medicine

If you want to focus your career on preventive medicine, a residency program in occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) could be right for you. This specialty area is unique because it is highly interdisciplinary. As a physician specializing in OEM, you will be trained to diagnose and treat work-related injuries and illnesses, so your education will include experience in both traditional medical care and public health.

Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Programs

Residency programs that train specialists in occupational and environmental medicine typically last for two years. They are designed specifically to train physicians in the competencies laid out by the ACGME for Residency Training in Preventive Medicine (Occupational Medicine specialty), as well as those defined by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Specifically, OEM residency programs typically involve studies in:

Clinical practice of OEM
OEM-related laws and regulations
Environmental health
Disability management
Toxicology
Hazard identification, assessment, and management
Disaster management
Public health and disease prevention
Management and administration

Many programs also provide opportunities for academic research in OEM, and some programs even give residents the chance to earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) or Master of Occupational Health (MOH) degree in the first year. As a result, when you finish, you will not only have the skills needed to work in a clinic or hospital, but you will also be prepared to get a job in a corporate setting, work for a government agency, or serve as part of a legal or regulatory body.

Applying for an OEM Program as a Foreign Medical School Graduate

Because OEM combines studies in medicine and U.S. law, it is one of the less common choices for foreign medical graduates. However, if you are passionate about making a difference in the field of OEM, don’t hesitate to apply!

The most important thing to do on your residency application is to show that you are committed to a career in OEM. For instance, you can discuss previous work experiences or research that you have conducted in the field. It can be especially helpful to have completed a clinical externship in the occupational medicine, because it can demonstrate to your application reader that you have the knowledge and skills that are required for a U.S. residency in OEM. A clinical externship is also a great way to boost the quality of your CV, and you may be able to get a letter of reference from an attending physician in the United States, which is required for some programs.

FMG Portal offers clinical externships in many different specialty areas, including occupational medicine. Contact us today to get help with residency placement!

Drafting a Personal Statement for a Medical Residency Program

Earlier on the blog, we discussed the importance of brainstorming and planning out your personal statement. If you’re going to apply to a U.S. medical residency program in the fall, now is a great time to start writing your statement. From the first draft to the final copy, your personal statement will likely go through lots of revisions, so it is best to get started as soon as you can.

To recap the personal statement planning post, the content of your personal statement should highlight key aspects of your CV, explain why you have chosen your particular medical specialty area, outline your career goals, and demonstrate the personal qualities that make you a great candidate for a U.S. medical residency program. However, putting that down on paper in a convincing way can be a major challenge. Here are some tips to consider as you work on your draft:

Tell a story. Often, you can capture your reader’s attention by opening with a personal story or detailing a particularly meaningful experience that shaped your medical interests and career goals. Your personal statement can discuss experiences as recent as medical school courses and graduate externships, or it can reach as far back as your childhood — as long as your story is genuine and relevant to your decision to pursue a medical residency.

Think about your audience. The person reading your personal statement will also be reading hundreds of other applications, so you want to let your own voice shine through. That way, you can stand out from the rest. At the same time, you have to remember that the reader might not be familiar with some of the things you take for granted. Especially as a foreign medical graduate, you should make sure to explain anything that might be confusing — like differences in school systems — in order to clarify for your reader.

Pay attention to flow. On a similar note, you should make sure to organize your paper in a way that makes it easy for your reader to follow. You might organize it chronologically, or you could choose a cause-and-effect structure in which you show how various experiences directed you toward your goal of a U.S. medical residency. It all depends on the story you are trying to tell, but no matter what, your writing should flow easily from one idea to the next.

Keep it succinct. Many U.S. medical residency programs do not set out a word limit for your personal statement, but it’s usually best to keep it to 700 words or less. Remember that all of your academic and work experiences are already on your CV, so you only need to pick out the most important ones to talk about in your personal statement. That way, you can emphasize the most powerful information and avoid boring your reader.

Even if your first draft doesn’t come out perfectly, don’t worry! You still have lots of time to re-draft, revise, and edit until you have a personal statement that can truly impress the U.S. medical residency program of your dreams!

If you need help with the residency placement process, FMG Portal is here to help. Contact us today for more information!

Residency Specialty Spotlight: Pediatrics

If you want to dedicate your medical career to working with kids, a residency program in pediatrics may be the right option for you. According to 2015 data from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), pediatrics was the third-most popular residency specialty area for foreign medical graduates, behind only internal medicine and family medicine.

As a pediatrician, you could work with infants, children, and adolescents, ranging in age from birth to 21 years. Pediatricians are trained to provide preventive care and treat a wide range of conditions, including hereditary diseases, infectious illnesses, and traumatic injuries. You may choose to work in a primary care setting as a general pediatrician, or you may specialize your practice on a certain area of the field. It all starts with a pediatrics residency.

Pediatrics Residency Programs in the United States

US medical residency programs in pediatrics last for three years and provide general training in the wellness of infants, children, and adolescents. However, because pediatrics is such a broad specialty area, the programs can vary widely between schools. That means that when you are searching for residency programs, you should pay careful attention to what makes each one unique.

For example, programs may differ in the relative amount of time dedicated to clinical work in ambulatory and primary care settings. The location of a school often plays a role in this, since some schools are located in large cities where you may end up working at multiple hospitals and outpatient centers, while programs in rural areas allow you to gain extensive experience working at one or two locations. There are also programs that allow you to focus your studies by pursuing a certificate in an area of interest, such as global health, community health, medical education, or academic research.

In general, though, you’ll usually spend the first year of a pediatrics residency building a broad base of knowledge and developing basic skills in pediatric care, through a combination of clinical and didactic work. In the second year, you will have the chance to take on greater responsibility in clinical decision-making. You’ll probably also have the chance to pursue particular areas of interest through electives. Finally, the third year of a residency program will give you the chance to step into a leadership role in the clinic and prepare for your future as a pediatrician, whether you choose to focus on a specific subspecialty or practice as a generalist in the field.

Post-Residency Fellowship Options

Once you finish your residency in pediatrics, you can start your career as a general pediatrician or you can apply to a fellowship program. Almost all pediatrics fellowships in the US require an additional two or three years of study, although there are a few one-year fellowships available as well. Although this is not a comprehensive list, here are some of the options you could consider:

Adolescent medicine (3 years)
Allergy and immunology (2 years)
Pediatric cardiology (3 years)
Pediatric endocrinology (3 years)
Neonatal medicine (3 years)
Pediatric infectious disease (3 years)
Pediatric emergency medicine (2 years)
Pediatric sports medicine (1 year)

Getting Matched to a US Program

If you are interested in a US medical residency program in pediatrics, you might want to complete a graduate externship or student elective in the field. Not only can these experiences help you decide if pediatrics is the right specialty area for you, but they also look great on your CV. Many residency programs also require foreign applicants to submit a letter of reference from a US physician, and an externship program is a great way to make connections in the States.

FMG Portal offers student electives and graduate externships in many different specialty areas, including pediatrics. Contact us today for more information!

Starting the ERAS Application Process

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!

Residency Specialty Spotlight: Dermatology

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!

Asking for Letters of Reference for a U.S. Medical Residency Program

Last week on the blog, we talked about who you might want to ask for letters of reference for a U.S. medical residency program. With the start of the ERAS application process less than a week away, you probably want to start asking some of the people on your list. If you are a foreign medical graduate planning to apply for a residency this summer, here are some tips to follow when asking for a letter of reference:

Ask early. This is probably most important thing you can do when asking for a letter of reference. That way, your writer has ample time to write you an outstanding letter. Even though the letter is not due until September, you have to remember that the attending physician may be approached by multiple students for a letter, and they may also have work and family obligations to fulfill over the summer. By asking early, you can ensure that your letter finds a place on the physician’s “to do” list for the next few months.

Phrase your request wisely. When asking for a letter of reference, you should do so in a way that ensures that the writer will be able to provide the kind of letter you want — a positive reference that speaks to your clinical skills, academic knowledge, and personal attributes. Therefore, you might want to use a phrase like, “Would you be able to write a strong letter of support for my residency application?”

Don’t take rejection personally. If you get turned down by a potential letter-writer, don’t be discouraged! As long as you have asked early, there’s still lots of time to find someone else who can provide an excellent reference. Plus, if the writer did not feel comfortable providing you with a positive letter of support, you would not have wanted them to contribute to your application anyway!

Asking over email is okay, but offer an in-person meeting or long-distance call. Unless you see the attending physician on a regular basis, it’s usually okay to send your reference request by email. However, sending a form letter can seem impersonal, so you may want to comment on how much you enjoyed working with them and include a mention of something unique about your experience. Also, you should follow up the request by indicating your willingness to meet in person to discuss the letter further. Of course, if you are a foreign medical graduate requesting a letter from an attending physician in the United States who you worked with during an externship or student elective, an in-person meeting may not be possible. Instead, you can suggest a telephone call or a video chat.

Be ready to offer additional information. Although you should not send your CV or transcripts with your initial letter of request, you should be ready to provide your letter-writer with information about yourself and the residency programs to which you are applying. They may also ask for a list of things you want them to highlight in the letter. Again, by asking for a letter well in advance, you can ensure that you have time to put together any additional materials they request.

Applying for and landing a U.S. medical residency can be a long and challenging process, but FMG Portal can help you get into the medical residency program of your dreams! Contact us today for more information!

Residency Specialty Spotlight: Psychiatry

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!

Deciding Who to Ask for Letters of Reference

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!

Developing and Updating Your CV: A Guide for Foreign Medical Students

The words “curriculum vitae” are Latin for “course of life,” and that translation certainly rings true for medical students. Over the course of your medical career, you will need to constantly update your CV as your professional career evolves. That way, you will always have it ready to go when you need it.

The Basics of the Curriculum Vitae (CV)

When you enter your first year of medical school, your CV will replace your undergraduate resume. You should start compiling it right away, since it can be helpful as you apply for grants and special programs while you are a medical student. The first version of your CV will contain a lot of the same elements as your undergraduate resume, but on the CV, you have the chance to go into more detail about your educational and professional experiences. You will also build on the CV as you gain experience as a medical student. Here are some things to include on your CV:

All previous education, starting with your undergraduate degree and including school information and GPA. If you had your secondary school information on your undergraduate resume, it should not be included on your medical school CV. If you earned a graduate degree before starting medical school, make sure to include it as well.
Any work experience that you have had since starting your undergraduate degree. In particular, if you took time off to work between undergraduate and medical school, make sure to account for the time gaps in your education.
Any volunteer experience that you have had since starting your undergraduate degree. This can include volunteer work that you did while you were in undergraduate or medical school, as well as time spent away from school to volunteer full-time.
Supplementary educational opportunities, like student electives in the United States or outside lab research, can add depth to your CV.
Academic honors and awards, whether they are school-wide, regional, or national.
Extracurricular activities, like sports, student organizations, and religious groups.

Formatting and Updating Your CV

When you start working on your CV as a first-year medical student, you should choose a format that is well-organized and flexible, since you’ll constantly be adding to it and altering it for the remainder of your professional life. Also, note that when you add activities, awards, and experiences, they should be listed in reverse chronological order.

Stylistically, there are no set standards for the CV, but you’ll want to make sure that your CV is visually appealing and easy for any reader to follow. There are lots of examples online, and your school might also provide some examples from previous students. You can draw different elements from the examples you find to develop a unique format that works well for you.

Going through medical school, many students get caught up in the whirlwind of academics and clinicals, not to mention family and social life. You might end up forgetting to update your CV or continually putting it off until you need it for an application, at which point the amount of information that needs to be added can be overwhelming. A good idea is to add a monthly note to your calendar, planner, or phone organizer, reminding you to set aside an hour or so to add information to your CV. That way, when it comes time to apply for your residency, you will have a clean, comprehensive CV, all ready for submission to your programs of interest.

If you’re a foreign medical student thinking about applying to residency programs in the United States after you finish, FMG Portal offers a variety of programs to help you get matched, including student electives, which look great on your CV. Contact us today for more information!

Planning Out Your Personal Statement: The First Step of the Writing Process

As the start date for the 2018 ERAS application process draws near — mark your calendar for June 6! — it is important to start thinking about the application components you will need to start putting together. Earlier on the blog, we talked about starting the ECFMG certification process, which is essential for foreign medical graduates who want to get matched to residency programs in the United States. Another critical aspect of your residency application is the personal statement.

The personal statement is the most open-ended part of your residency application. In this document, you have the chance to tell your story — to show the application reader who you really are. Your personal statement is the place where your character and your commitment to your career as a physician can truly shine through. With so much freedom, you have a great opportunity to catch your reader’s attention, but you can also risk your chances of getting matched if you fail to highlight the qualities that make you a great residency candidate. Therefore, it is essential that you start the writing process early. That way, come September, you will have a polished final product to submit to programs.

Brainstorming Content for Your Personal Statement

There’s a lot on the line when it comes to the personal statement, so before you get down to writing, you need to spend a significant amount of time on the first step of the writing process: brainstorming. There are no page limits on your personal statement, but you can only hold your reader’s attention for so long, so you will need to be discerning about what to include. Here are some questions and ideas that you might want to start thinking about as you plan out what you want to say:

Which aspects of your CV warrant further explanation? Did you complete a student elective or clinical externship in the United States? Figure out which experiences have truly shaped your personal character and career goals.
What draws you to the medical specialty you have chosen? Do you have particular personal attributes that make you an ideal candidate for a family medicine or an anesthesiology program?
What are your long-term career goals? Do you hope to continue working in the United States, return to your home country, or pursue a position in an entirely different nation?
Do you have any unique personal interests that make you stand out as a candidate? Maybe you ran a marathon during medical school, despite having to get up before dawn to do the training. Maybe you have traveled extensively and been exposed to a wide variety of cultures. Think about ways to show how these experiences will make you an excellent medical resident.

With lots of time left before your ERAS application is due at the end of the summer, you can spend time in May and June ruminating about what you want to include in your personal statement. Don’t be afraid to let your mind wander! You can think about it while you’re doing laundry, cooking, driving, or brushing your teeth — just remember to jot down notes! That way, when you get down to drafting later in the summer, you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips.

Need more help with the residency matching process? FMG Portal offers lots of great resources for foreign medical students and graduates. Contact us today for more information!

Author: fmgadmin