Pediatric board preparation

Senior recommendations and advice
The predicted breakup for the board questions:

• Between 60-70% MCQs are from concepts asked in the previous years 
• Between 20-25% MCQs are questions asking a more difficult concept but from the same topics from previous years
• About 5-20% of the questions are newer topics/very difficult or impossible questions

Therefore, its almost impossible to pass without doing the previous years questions!!

Application procedure

• Opens in January or somewhere over there and it is administered over 3 day period in mid-October
• Prior to sitting and writing it you will NEED a PERMANENT license to take the boards. My sincere advice is to start applying for it early. However, it also depends on where you are practicing/doing the fellowship. Since some states like MA, do not allow a permanent license for IMG's unless you have completed a residency (3 years of training in the States)
• Do note- You can register for exam w/o license but need proof of it prior to writing the boards
• Once registered for the exam they will send you an email maybe 2-3 weeks later telling you can schedule your exam. I took my test on Day 2. 

Documents needed for above
By early July

• Copy of your medical school diploma + English translation, if necessary
• Copy of ECFMG Certificate or documentation of successful completion of the MCCEE or Fifth Pathway/FMGEMS

By October 1st of the year you are writing

• Copy of your valid (current), unrestricted medical license 
• The copy of the lice must include the expiration date and must be issued before October 1st 
• Please note that temporary or training licenses are NOT acceptable 

The exam itself

• Approximately 335 questions divided across 4 sections, with each section having roughly equivalent content, difficulty, and length
• 4 sections, 84 questions per section, 1 hour 45 minutes/section
• Most of us finished at least 2 sections with about a half 20-30 min to spare
• 3 Breaks: OPTIONAL
• 15 min, 60 min, 15 min
• Passing score: weighted score of 180, ~75% questions correct.
• Each exam is different, and some exams are “harder” than others, but are weighted accordingly to give you a scaled score from 0-300

Things that I used for the preparation are as follows

My first year ITE was pretty good. I attribute that to my Step 3 knowledge. However, my 2nd year ITE was not great. Started reading from the Medstudy books system wise and doing questions, system-wise (the video shows how to do it). I even bought the medstudy flash cards. My 3rd year ITE was good and I just kept at what I was doing till then. Towards the end of 3rd year, kept glancing through 'Laughing your way through the Boards'. Recommended by my seniors and attending. Loved it

PediaLink

The following video has tips that I used for studying.

Medstudy
The following video has tips that I used for studying from Medstudy

OneNote

Best of luck.

P.s.- I passed the boards! Yay. I am now a Board Certified Pediatrician.

Applying for Canadian Visa from the US

Decided to write on this given felt that it was one of the most confusing visa's I have applied for.

The following website is a good place to read up on the prelim stuff.
https://www.desi-compile.com/applying-canadian-visitor-visa-step-step-guide/
I, unfortunately, had issues with my browser (Chrome- given it was translating pages and kept redirecting me a million times)

Online application

1. Go to the following page and determine your need for the visa/travel https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/come-canada-tool.html
2. Once done, they will give you a reference code and a document checklist to keep handy and will help you to fill the visa document.  I had the misfortune where my browser kept giving me the following error  



ERROR Message that I kept getting

3. Realized after surfing a million pages and after installing adobe a number of times that it was just a glitch on the system and once you download the PDF (IMM5257E)  it will be sorted out. This means you will get a fillable application.
4. Once you are done downloading the application and filled it in create a MyCIC login via this link
5. Most likely you will have to register for a GCkey (if you have never applied for a visa prior to this)
6. Once logged in choose ‘Visitor visa, study and/or work permit’ service to continue. You will be asked to enter the personal reference code you received in the step above. (P.s.- I kept getting redirected at this point- I finally used internet explorer and then things went smoothly thereafter)
7. Follow instructions thereafter and it should be smooth sailing. You will have to upload documents (travel history and family history etc), pay stubs, employer letter and what not. At the end of this, you will pay for the application and then finally submit it.
8. You will then receive an email stating that they have got your application.
9. Within next 1-2 business weeks (please check processing times online- it depends on the place where you have applied from), you will receive an email from CIC asking you to submit your passport to VAC (Visa Application Center). This indicates that your application was approved and now CIC needs your passport to stamp the visa. (This step is the most confusing part of the process as the email from CIC is not descriptive enough and causes confusion among applicants).

Sending the passport

1. Follow the link in the letter sent by CIC above- https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/account/where-submit-passport.html
2. Find the center based on geographic location. In the USA it is either LA or New York.
3. Find the VAC website which should be mentioned below the options available.

This is the most confusing part of the application.

1. You will have to submit the following in the mail (by UPS)
1. Cashiers check/Money order- Get it from nearby local businesses which might charge 1 dollar to do the same. A bank may charge you 7 dollars which is half the cost of the money you are sending. ($19.90). The fees are listed here. I guess when I submitted my application this place just opened up and hence there was no UPS return fee available, which I expect will change with time.
2. Letter from the embassy
3. TTS services consent form
4. Passport
5. Return shipping label by UPS (go to the nearest UPS store who will help you out with this)

Got my passport back in 2-3 weeks (again no updates from the VAC center regarding the reciept of my passport or no. Thankfully I had UPS on my side and I knew they had definitely received it but still it was nerve wracking waiting for an answer)

Hopefully, this helps a bit. Best of luck!