Sending/receiving money from your loved ones

So should your family want to send you money from your home country (for me it is India/INR) to the place you are currently living (for me it is the USA/USD/$) how would they have to go about it? The general norm/websites that I could find always go the opposite (from the USA (USD/$) to India(INR/₹), but should you need to do India to the USA this post should help you.

I personally use Transferwise to do the transaction. The minimum/maximum amount that one can transfer will be based on which country you are sending the money from. The money generally gets transferred in 3-4 business days and you can get the best rate possible, which means more money to you. The setup process is simple but you will need some sort of identification (driver license/passport), to make sure you are a legit person and not a computer bot. So one can create an account for his/her family and himself/herself and get money with not a lot of hassle.

The entire process (from the person sending money) in short is as follows. 

1. You need to open an account with Transferwise. You can use my referral link here and get up to 600USD for free with no transaction fees.
2. You have to confirm that you are a human being and they ask you for either driver's license/passport for identity verification purposes
3. How much money you want to send. You will get to know at this step HOW much the receiving person will get along with the transaction fees that they will charge 
4. Who do you want to send the money to- You will need information on the receiving person (their bank account details like account number and routing number)
5. How would you like to pay: They give options for bank transfer/card transfer (depends on the country you are sending the money from)

Now should you choose bank transfer in the above step, the way that I understand it is that you have to make a transfer to THEIR (transferwise) bank in your home country and then they transfer the money to THEIR (transferwise) bank in the recipient country and then to YOUR bank account finally. In all, this is the reason for the lag period of 3-4 days, given the multiple middle players. OR you can watch this video where he explains the process. 

The other reason I like transferwise is that they will give you a debit card, in which you can open an account in any country in the world and it will function as a traveling card! So instead of getting a cashier's check for my trip to Europe or use my credit card with no transaction fee, I can just open an account in the local currency, and then I can transfer my money to that account. The exact details can be read about over here or watch the video here

What are the ways you transfer money to or from your home country? Let me know in your comments and I can update the post should it be useful.

Guide to Global Entry by an Indian citizen

I used to always feel jealous when I saw the TSA-precheck customers zip through the TSA line and I have always wanted to do that. As I am an Indian citizen, I do not qualify for TSA as only American citizens and LPRs qualify for the same. However, there is something that is called Global entry which includes the TSA precheck which I applied and got approved for. This post is regarding the same.

First off a brief overview of what is Global Entry: 

Global Entry allows expedited processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers when they arrive in the US at select airports. Instead of standing in line, program members proceed to Global Entry kiosks, present their machine-readable passport or U.S. permanent resident card, place their fingerprints on the scanner for fingerprint verification and complete a customs declaration. The kiosk issues a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit. Aside from avoiding processing lines and paperwork, another benefit of the program is TSA Precheck eligibility.

People who can apply for Global Entry: U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and citizens of Colombia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Panama, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, and Mexico. (Depending on the country, visas may be required.) Canadian citizens and residents are also eligible for Global Entry benefits through membership in the NEXUS partnership (the agreement that allows members expedited processing when entering the United States and Canada).

 My application process is as follows. 

1. Create a trusted traveler profile here. https://ttp.cbp.dhs.gov/ 
2. Select Global entry and then create an account and then fill in the details as asked. One will be asked to pay a $100 non0refundable application fee (many credit cards will refund the same) In addition to personal information—name, email address, gender, eye color, height, language preference—it requires you to fill in your employment, travel, and address history over the past five years. It also asks if you've violated any customs or immigration laws or been convicted of a crime. Fill out the application and submit a $100 fee, which covers your five-year membership if approved, but is non-refundable if your application is rejected. You can pay by credit card or electronic bank transfer.
3. Once you have submitted the application, within 1-2 hours you should get an email from passport.admin@passportindia.gov.in with instructions on how to set up an appointment in India vs USA (the USA part is new and has just started in the last couple of months. The earlier rule was to make an appointment when going/planning to go to India). You will have to pay ₹500 in the Passport Seva Portal,  for their background check in India. Once the payment is made and appt is confirmed, the page will tell you the things to take to the appointment (E.g. Proof of address (Passport, aadhar card), application confirmation page or SMS confirming the appointment). During the interview, your fingerprints and photo will be captured and there will be some other formalities
4. Once this interview is done, one has to wait for the police clearance which can take anywhere from 1 day to a week. My dad and I went to our nearest police station to ask if this could be expedited and they obliged. They will need 2 neighbor Aadhar card photocopies with signatures to attest that you live at the home address that you have in your Aadhar card.
5. After this, it is all sitting back and wait for the conditional approval to be granted. (takes anywhere from 6months to a year). A good place to look for is FlyerTalk, where one can see what is the current status.
6. Once you are conditionally approved, you have to go to a nearby airport/GE location to attend an interview where they will ask why you want GE, show your documents. Do take your visa documents in addition to passport and driver's license.  Please note that scheduling an interview is painful as there are no dates for most cities. However, keep checking the list and you might pounce on a date should someone cancel 

My personal experience

• Passport appt 04/29/2019
• Police verification 04/30/2019
• Conditional approval 12/19/2019
• Interview 1/12/2020

A few sites that I found useful

• https://indianewengland.com/2019/10/indian-citizens-are-now-eligible-for-global-entry-program-in-the-us-here-is-how-to-apply/
• https://passport.in.ckgs.us/gep
• Application centers in the USA https://passport.in.ckgs.us/application-centers
• https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/international-arrangements/global-entry-indian-citizens

Quick getaway with Spirit Airlines

One of my good friends from residency sent a Facebook group message to the rest of us who are in the field of Critical Care saying, "Hey we are having a party at the Lakehouse, do come!'. Given it has been a year since we have seen or spoken to each other I decided that I will head 'home' i.e. Cleveland for sure *hoping my chief gives me off that weekend*

So with the goal in mind made plans. I scoured the internet for flight deals and found the cheapest flight on 'Spirit Airlines'. I had been warned through ads colleagues and even Trevor Noah (talk show host who sneaks in quick punches on the airlines) that the experience will be horrible and there will be flight delays and I will be left stranded. Anyhow, cheap as I was I decided to take my chances. So this is my post on travel with Spirit Airlines. I have in no way been compensated by the airlines and this is my OWN thoughts on the trip.

Prior to packing I googled and checked what are the dimensions of the luggage that I can carry. To be frank any regular bag pack should be okay but I have just put the dimensions for those who like numbers. 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). Anything bigger than this will have to be checked or billed, which is EXPENSIVE. So please pack wisely for the trip. Please note that they do not have weight restrictions on the bag.

I packed my bag with essentials for a 2 day getaway. The check in process was painless, which I did 24hrs in advance. I got my boarding pass on the Spirit airlines app in Android and breezed through security. The boarding process itself was a bit confusing. I was on Zone 3 but I think the lady at the gate really did not care in which order we boarded so once Zone 1 was done we all just stood in a big line with a mix of Zone 2-4 in no particular order. Next came to stowing luggage either under the seat or in the overhead bins. Given I am tall I quickly put my bag in the over head bin and had all the room in the world to stretch my legs which was a blessing. The seats do NOT recline which is no a big bother to me but some people do complaint about the same online. Given I was post call I slept the entire duration of the flight. There was beverages that were served during the flight but all for a fee. So I would recommend shopping for drinks/food BEFORE getting on the flight. Once we landed it was the same process as any other flight, with disembarking in chaotic order. But disembarking nonetheless.

On the way back, same ordeal but the man at the gate announced that we had to board in Zones which was good to hear. I was again in Zone 3 and arrived at the gate when my time was ready. We boarded the flight in a safe and orderly manner and arrived at Boston on time and in one piece.

So in all, Spirit is great for a short trip/getaway and if you have very minimal stuff to carry. It is NOT great for long destination and if you have a lot of luggage. I would recommend any other airline as it will be cheaper in the long run.

H1B stamping by an Indian in Canada

Prior to applying one has to apply for a Canadian visa- Most go for a visitor visa. Please ignore this if you are a citizen/permanent resident in Canada. For details on getting a Canadian visa please refer to my earlier post here

Personal credentials
Last H1 visa expired 2015 but had my i797s so was legal till now. Further had changed employer in between.

Applying for an H1B (USA) visa in Canada

• Fill DS-160 with the hopeful consulate location. These are a few locations in Canada- Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Quebec City, Montreal. Generally, there is a HUGE wait time for Toronto and Vancouver (around 3-4 months) given they are top places
• Then go to the following site. Create an account and fill in the details and then schedule an appointment.

Documents that I took

• Valid unexpired passport – Passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond the expiration date of your intended status.
• Older passport containing the visa category stamp. If you are renewing H1B then take the passport that has the H1B stamp
• DS-160 confirmation page ONLY
• Visa application fees receipt. One can get it from this. (Top right-hand side click continue and the last option- View payment receipt)
• Visa instructions- refer to the picture below
• Original Non-immigrant Visa Petition Approval Notice (Form I-797) (or something similar).
• Original degrees
• Recent Paystubs from your company
• SSN
• Valid driver's license
• Credit card
• Photograph (within the last 6 months)

Personal experience
Scheduling

• I started my DS 160 towards the end of October.
• Took an appointment towards the end of January since that was the only available date at that time
• Asked for an expedited visa, please refer to the picture below. Phrase it as to why should they expedite your visa

Appointment

• My interview was scheduled for 8 am, reached there around 720am, given was super anxious and thought why not go and get the lay of the land prior to the interview. However, the elevator was not working and they were delayed. At around 815 the started letting people in beginning with 715 730 and so forth. I finally entered approx 9ish (did not have a watch/phone so not sure of the exact time).
• Once the prelim guard clears you, you enter inside, go to the left and climb 1 floor and then go through security (TSA style)
• From here go to Window 1- Someone checks your documents and photographs. [If you are renewing please take the passport that had the last stamped visa]. Also, my photograph was not reading for some weird reason, so I took another snap there (C$10 for 6). Frankly, the new one looked weirder than my previous one but I did not argue and they let me continue. Also, as I mentioned earlier, my chosen consulate was Toronto but I got Vancouver in the end. So they had to transfer the same to Vancouver (took about ~15-20 mins for that- I am not sure given no watch)
• From there you are sent to window 2- This is where they 10 print (take your fingerprints). Left 4 followed by right 4 followed by thumbprints and they give you a number here
• From here you are then taken to the 20th floor (around 5-6 ppl at a time)
• One is made to stand in line again and then wait for a VO to open up.

Questions asked

• Where are you working?
• What are you working as?
• Where did you graduate from?
• Can you show me your previous passport which had the H1B stamp?
• Here are your rights, the visa is approved.
• Collect in 3-5 business days. Gave a green sheet with instructions.

A couple of visas were rejected prior to me for not having enough ties/not proper visa class. I did not pay attention to more details.

Best of luck.

Please Note

• You can take your cell phone for the Vancouver embassy. I did not take mine, as I was staying close by. (Airbnb)
• The consulate is close to a Starbucks and it is in a side location, easy to miss. Use google maps and key in the address. Also, there will be a huge crowd of people looking clueless which should tip you in the right direction.
• One can request for an expedited appointment ONLY once you have scheduled an appt. I was lucky in the sense my request got approved though in another consulate (Vancouver)
• The VO will take your 797 and you will get it when you collect your passport.
• The picture that explains couple of the above stuff is this

Post interview
- For some weird reason when I click on my check DS 160 state after the interview the page keeps crashing. But when you open the same in internet explorer does not crash as often.

Few websites that I found helpful

• https://www.desi-compile.com/guide-filing-h1b-visa-stamp-canada/
• https://www.immihelp.com/experience/view-22-visa_stamping_canada_mexico.html

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!

Indian passport renewal in the USA

Most residency and fellowship programs give only 1-2 weeks of vacation at a time. This makes it difficult to renew one's passport back home in India. Hence, it is easier to do the renewal in the States while you are working and don't really have a pressing need for the same.

I would recommend/it is recommended to renew your passport in the States at least 1-2 months prior to the expiration of your current passport. Generally would be recommended to do at 2- 3 months prior to future travel plans and the visa renewal, but would talk to the attorney processing your legal paperwork (like H1B or J1 renewals)

To be frank, the renewal process is pretty straightforward. Go to this website and follow instructions as is https://passport.in.ckgs.us/howtoapply. But just in case, I found a really helpful link to someone's personal experience on renewing their own passport. https://www.am22tech.com/renew-indian-passport-usa/

My personal timeline with the renewal process

• Sept 18th- Submitted my passport application
• Sept 19th- Under process with the consulate 
• October 3rd- Returned from the consulate
• October 4th- Shipped back to me
• October 5th- Received my new passport

A couple of tips 

• There is generally a notary at the place where you work who will notarize your documents for free
• Passport size photos are 2*2 in the States. The cheapest spot I found was in Costco, but people have used Walgreens Walmart CVS etc. They are pricey just FYI
• Renewals can be done on the basis of a petition. One does not need an approval to apply for the passport

Moving tips for residents

Now that I am moving given a job change just a couple of tips for those who will be doing the same next year. Broken it down into phases

Looking for a new place
Apps that kind of help you scope out the places and average rent. Generally, 1-2 months is ideal timing since old tenants move out and you would be moving in.

• Trulia- https://www.trulia.com/-  It gives you a sense of security, given you know the crimes that have taken place in the area and the average rent in the same region. Please note there might be a LOT of brokers in this place so you may have to pay a broker fee, WHICH IS A LOT! 
• Apartments.com- https://www.apartments.com/ - This was a lifesaver for me in my hunt, since I was expected to shell out a LOT for an apartment. And the ones I saw were pretty expensive compared to the size. In my head, apartment complexes were nonexistent in the place I was moving to. However, on this site, you can see the different complexes and the average rent that it might be, which was super helpful and extremely relieving. 
• Apartment List- https://www.apartmentlist.com/- This site helps you in shortlisting apartments based on your preferences of distance and budget.

Utilities/Mail
- Do note that you will have to end your electric/water accounts at your old place and start one's at your new place
- USPS has an amazing service whereby you can change your current address to your new one at this place and not worry about losing mail
- This is a website which helps in managing your electric utility bill. You get $25 off your electric bill via this referral link. The big reason I like it is that you can use your credit card when paying bills which helps in earning points. Review on Arcadia can be found here.

Bank accounts
- I would check whether your current banks have good coverage in the place you are going to move to. Eg- Chase is great in Ohio, but BoA is better on the East coast. Similarly, KeyBank is a major player in Ohio, not so much on the East coast.
- So either close or keep your current accounts depending on what suits your requirements.
- Update your mailing address with the accounts so as to not have issues when you make transactions.

Credit Cards
- This would be a good time to open a new credit card had you not already done so last year. Link to my credit card recommendations is here and flying tips with Amex referral is here. This is the link with all my current credit cards

Selling your old things
Apps like LetGo and OfferUp work well, or you can sell your furniture to your juniors/colleagues if you do not like to transact with unknown people.

If you have more tips please post below, or send me an email with your comments and I will update the same.

Step 3 preparation by Puneet Baweja

Hi all the following post is by Puneet in regards to preparation for Step 3.

Preparation Materials: Master The Boards Step 3, Step 2 CK UWorld notes, Uworld qbank and CCS. 

Preparation: Go through MTB properly once before starting qbank. I added in ccs portion about halfway through the qbank. I had about nine days between the two parts, therefore, the week before each exam I concentrated only on the relevant material. 

Day 1 - Foundations of Independent Practice (FIP): This is basically CK along with basic science correlations. Concentrate on your uworld CK notes and all the basic science in MTB. As for Biostats, go over all the cases in uworld once a couple of days before and create your cheat sheet for the equations. In the real exam, Biostats use up a lot of time therefore if it seems like it could take a while just click something and move on… come back to it if you get time at the end of the block. 

Day 2 - Advanced Clinical Medicine (ACM): This is all about managing comorbidities, risk and prognostic factors. Go over your step 3 uworld notes for this. So make sure you know which risk factor matters more in each patient and know where to pick treatment over investigations. Don’t even bother looking at biostats or basics anymore. Your notes for CCS will help here as well since it’s all management, therefore, don’t wait too long to start CCS. 

CCS: This again requires work if you’re not a resident. Familiarize yourself with the software, it’s all about practice. Approach this like CS- Have a plan of what to do and which differential diagnosis to suspect depending on patient history. Know how to order each investigation in the most convenient way, as in type in oxy to select oxygen therapy as well as pulse ox at the same time. Also, the week before day 2, as I went through MTB, go over all the diseases a general physician should be able to treat in CCS manner. This way you won’t forget the specific investigation and treatment in the real exam. Also, don’t forget to go over the ccs software on USMLE's website since it’s a bit different than uworld.

Best of luck!

Puneet
drpbaweja@gmail.com

A million moving parts

The following post is by one of my colleagues at work. An amazingly inspiring story to keep persisting when all the odds are against us!

"It is a gamble. There are a million moving parts to matching to Residency and despite everything we do, there are powers beyond us that determine how those million parts fall together. But fall they will, and you will have an answer on the 15th of March. That is the best thing about this whole journey. Closure. I was lucky. Very lucky. I had a lot going against me. I applied for residency at the age of 28, 4 years after I'd graduated from an obscure medical school in China. I had lower end scores, no step 3 and I needed a visa. I matched in my first attempt.

 Here is my story.

It was 2014 and my boyfriend of 5 years and I would spend hours discussing ways of avoiding the inevitable course our futures held, had we stayed in India with our social limitations on just being us. I wanted out. Soon after graduating, I worked with the organization of my dreams-Doctors without borders. 3  years with them allowed me the privilege to serve in the poorest and most dysfunctional parts of India. South Chattisgarh, Eastern Nagaland by the border with Myanmar, Mumbai. I did my time and worked hard. In my last project in Mumbai just as I joined the project, I had 2 colleagues leaving to begin their Residency. This serendipitous moment planted the seed in me to think of the USMLE's. I had never really thought about it prior to that.

30 days later, I quit my job, convinced my parents and boyfriend that this our future and started the journey. I had no idea the rollercoaster ride I had just thrown myself into.  This was the biggest risk I had ever taken. I started off by deciding on a timeline to get things done. My biggest struggle was getting Clinical experience opportunities. Every hospital that offered observerships required step scores or personal recommendations. I got lucky early when I applied to observe under an ID doctor at a  hospital in Florida that accepted me simply based on my personal statement and my past ID experience with MSF.  A lesson for all of you is try to tie your past life experiences into your application. It really helps. My ID observership was a huge success. I was diligent during the month, came in earlier than the residents, left after, attended lectures, helped out the team, reached out to other faculty and got myself on board 6 publications that help me to this day! Another tip for all of you is to try to network with other faculties in the hospital you are doing an observership in. You won't believe the doors that will open  with a simple email to a professor in the hospital(I introduced myself as an observer in the hospital which I was--gave my email a lot more relevance)

My second observership was a disaster. I made a cardinal mistake of doing my observership in a specialty I had no interest in.  I struggled with showing interest in contrast to my previous observership. Lesson number 3- Might be obvious but please do electives in subjects you are interested in - Your passions drive a lot of your juju and people can easily spot when you don't have your heart in it. It's funny because I was in cardiology.  My third observership was at a community hospital in Cleveland that was fortuitous in that it put me on a path that would eventually lead me to Residency. I again used my rule number 1  which is getting in touch with other physicians while I was on this rotation, except that this time I started emailing attendings and contacts outside the hospital. I noticed I had a colleague from my MSF years doing his residency in Cleveland and reached out to him and he connected me to a physician at the Family Medicine clinic of the program I eventually matched into.

This opened a lot of doors. I was able to learn more about the program in an area of medicine I was passionate about and it showed. At the end of the rotation, I got a stellar recommendation and the program very likely factored that in when they ranked me. I interviewed at a couple of other places but my heart had already been set on this program. On March the journey came full circle when I opened the email. I had matched!

In hindsight, I would give the following advice

-Networking matters! Help is found in the most unlikeliest of places. Reach out to other doctors at the hospital to possibly extend rotations

-Do observerships/rotations in a field of medicine you are interested in

-Figure out what your life story is and if you feel it is not extraordinary --make it! There are a million NGO's looking for volunteers, it will give you a nice context to weave your narrative

I wish you all the best and ask you to be hopeful! I matched in the face of a million odds. It is possible. The other side is beautiful.

What if you don't match

-try again a second time. Do rotations that are in programs with residencies

-Think about alternate medical careers-Not the best option if you want to do clinical but Clinical Informatics is a great option-there is an increasing demand for FMG's with a medical background to get involved. Another option is the pharmacy industry. There are always options available if you look closely. You will probably have to do a few months of unpaid work before you get your foot in the system.

Rahul Shenoy

rshenoy@metrohealth.org"