SON 101

Statement of Need [SON]

1. What is the SON?

This is a document issued by the Ministry of Health[MOH] which states that they are lacking physicians in the required specialty and thus need more trained physicians. It also mentions that the concerned person signed a bond with the government that the person will return to his/her country after the required training within 2 months and will stay for at least 2 years or pay 5lakh rupees.

2. Who should apply for it?

Everyone applying for J1 -exchange visitor visa for residency must apply. People requiring H1b need not. It is also not required for J1-research scholar visa.

3. Where can I get the application form for SON?

You can get it from the ministry of health website here http://www.cgisf.org/page/display/292/236

4. What should all be included with the application form?

             a)Completed application form [ANNEX A, C, and D]

             b)Surety Bond [ANNEX I].

             c)Contract or offer letter.

             d)Copy of your passport.

             e)Copy of Visa if living out of the country.

5. How do I make the surety bond?

Surety bond should be made on a 100rs nonjudicial stamp paper. The format is in the application form. You can fill it out in the word format and print it out. Only the first page should be the stamp paper, Rest can be A4 sheets or judicial yellow pages without a stamp. It doesn’t matter how many pages it comes until you have everything in the bond. All the pages must be notarized and also be signed by you and your sureties.

6. How do I send it?

Via speed post or courier. Anyway, should be fine. Send it through something with a tracking number so that you know when it reaches. The following is the address:

Under Secretary (IC)

International Cooperation SectionMinistry of Health and Family Welfare(Department of Health & Family Welfare)Room No. 514, 'A' WingNirman Bhavan, New Delhi 110 011, India
x

7. I applied, what do I do now?

Call them after 2 working days from the time your application reaches @ Phone: (011-91-11) 2306-3068/2306-1945 or email @ soic-mohfw@nic.in and ask for your application number. They are pretty responsive to both but more to the calls. Also, ask them for the time frame of when it will be signed. The applications are numbered in the sequence they receive and are processed in the same sequence.

8. Should I personally go to submit or collect the form?

You can personally go in if you stay near Delhi. For submitting if you go, you save a couple of days which might not make much of a difference. Once the SONs are issued they are sent out in bulk and you will not have a tracking number. So, while collecting, when you collect it by hand you can send it to ECFMG from there itself you can save a week at least.

Do not forget to inform them if you are collecting by hand so that they keep your SON aside rather than posting it.

When you go to MOH, go to the gate 5 Nirman Bhawan, get a pass made[don’t forget your ID and tell them you are there for SON] and go and collect from ‘A’wing - Room No:514.

9. How do I send it to ECFMG?

MOH gives your SON in a sealed envelope which should be sent unopened to ECFMG. They also provide you with a copy and a letter stating that they gave your SON.

If you received it by post, you can open the main envelope inside which will be a smaller envelope with seal.

ECFMG address: EVSP/ECFMG, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA19104 USA.

You can send it through any courier service. DHL at some locations gives a student discount for this and charges around 1500rs. [Especially the one nearest to MOH]. Again, have a tracking number.

10. When does my J1 process start?

As soon as the ECFMG receives your SON they upload it into your documents on OASIS by title Ministry of Health letter within a week. If all the documents are perfect, you will receive a welcome letter within 1 week from then. It usually takes much lesser time than that. Once the welcome letter arrives you can fill in DS 160, pay the SEVIS fee and take an interview date.

TIPS:

   1. Apply for SON ASAP after you get your contract letter. The sooner you apply sooner is the whole process to get the visa.

   2. Read each and every line of application form multiple times and be careful while filling it out.

   3. Don’t forget to put your ECFMG ID in the application form.

   4. Call MOH or ECFMG when in doubt. They are pretty responsive. 

   5. Be patient. This process is time taking. Patience is much needed.

This whole information is through personal experience and from WhatsApp groups. Hope this compilation helps. Feel free to contribute or ask questions. 😊

Give as you live <3

Much love <3

-Hyndavi

Tips to get interviews in top-tier residency programs

Who didn’t dream about starting his residency in a great famous program? What is your dream program? Is it Harvard? Yale? John Hopkins? Stanford?......and the list goes on..

It is hard but it is not impossible. Besides having nice USMLE scores, here are some points that make your application stands out:

1- Research
Doing a research in big institutes may help in getting a call from these places. While doing your research, you will be able to meet new people, some of them may know a person who is related to the residency selection process. At the same time, you are showing your commitment, social skills and your willingness to be a part of the team.
Another point to consider is having publications in international journals with a high impact factor. This includes but is not limited to JAMA, The Lancet, Nature, Cell. Whether you worked in institutes in the US to have these publications or you were involved in an international research that was eventually published in these journals, having such accomplishments is a great addition to your application.

2- MPH and/or PhD
Having a Masters degree - especially if done in the US - can be a big plus for some university programs. You may do masters in biostatistics,epidemiology and many others. It may be costly and lengthy (a year or two) but it's worth it.

3- Preliminary (transitional) year
Doing a preliminary year in some high-tier residency programs may be your winning ticket to enter that program. You may match in the same program or apply to and get interviewed by another amazing program since you will now have a 1 year of fully accredited USCE (United States Clinical Experience) in addition to the experience and knowledge that you gain.

4- Contacts
It is amazing how social life shapes us as humans. The importance of having contacts or making new ones during your research, MPH or preliminary year can’t be overemphasized. Programs prefer a person who they already know and whom they are sure they can work with.
Consider attending conferences in your field too, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine...etc.

5- Exceptional Academic Record
Famous institutes like applicants who are bright, smart and committed. An “excellent “academic record helps to prove this.

6- LUCK
Believe it or not, occasionally, luck plays a role here. Be outgoing and interact nicely with as many people as you can. Being in the right time at the right place is what you need sometimes!

Finally, for all AMGs and IMGs, always remember that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Start now and chase your dreams :)

-Murad

Query on Step 2 CS deadline & match timeline

I read this link and I'm confused, it says:

To participate in the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) Main Residency Match®, international medical students/graduates must have passed all exams required for ECFMG Certification. If you plan to participate in the 2019 Match (in March 2019) and still need to pass Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), you should register now to take the examination.

To help ensure that your result will be available in time to participate in the 2019 Match, you must take Step 2 CS by December 31, 2018. If you do not register now and schedule soon, it is possible that you will not be able to obtain a test date in 2018. At the time of this writing, the earliest available test date at any test center is in August 2018.

Link: April 2018 https://www.ecfmg.org/news/2018/04/09/imgs-participating-in-2019-match-should-apply-for-step-2-cs-now/

I plan to apply for matching in 2019, do I need to take the exam in December 2018?

- Sent through email

Hello,

Let me clear terminologies before I start explaining.

Match 2018 means: Application in September 2017, results in March 2018, Residency starts in July 2018.

You said apply for matching in 2019, which means apply in September 2019 for the March 2020 match, yes?

Let's talk about the 2019 match mentioned in the link you sent. It says currently, there will be no availability of testing centres for this year's match (September 2018 application, March 2019 Match, Residency starts in July 2019). The ECFMG website is able to predict the number of applications that they are going to receive. This year, they predict there will be no testing centers available, which is why I am guessing they are asking you to register in April (register now).

Your confusion arises because of two reasons:
You don't know the match terminologies with respect to the year.
You don't know the timeline for the match.

When they mean apply right now and give the exam before December, they are talking as a general mandatory requirement. IT IS A ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE.

To be a competitive candidate, IMGs tend to give the exam in such a way that the results are out before September so that we have all the exam results before the application cycle of the match. IT IS OPTIONAL BUT PREFERRED.

So really, the virtual deadline to give the exam for us is July. We also prefer to graduate before September to get ECFMG certified, however, it's not mandatory.

It is quite vigilant of you to keep an eye out for these notices on the ECFMG website.

Since the dates are not easily available, when you plan to go for an elective, try to register in advance.

If you go to the ECFMG website, there is a site called a step 2 CS scheduling and you can view the dates available at various centres. So register as soon as possible if you want to get your desired dates. Here's the link https://csess2.ecfmg.org/calendar.aspx

PS: The step 2 CS permit is available for one year and it does not expire quickly (compared to other exam permits that expire in 3 months) which is a huge advantage.

So to summarize, July is the ideal deadline for Step 2 CS to get results before September (Application submission). December is the mandatory deadline to get result before February (ROL submission, to be eligible for the match).

Google the step 2 CS reporting schedule to help plan for your match.
https://www.ecfmg.org/news/2018/04/18/results-reporting-schedule-for-step-2-cs/

Hope that helps!

-IkaN

Being street-smart during interviews: Flights!

During the hectic interview season and when you wanna travel from the east coast to the west coast, you will need flights for sure :D

Below are some tips about tickets and flights:

1- buying tickets:

> It is almost always cheaper to buy tickets online, check: Expedia, Kayak, Google flights and Cheapoair websites and compare the prices.

> Check Southwest (recommended) website too, its flights won’t show in the websites mentioned above.
What is special about Southwest is that it allows you to have 2 checked bags (up to 23 kgs each) for free! Also, you can change your flight one-time without paying anything or pay the difference between the 2nd ticket but without losing the original one.
Southwest has some nice offers too and tickets sometimes go as low as 49$ :O

> There is an app called “Hopper” on smartphones, it gives you the prices of different flights and notify you if the prices go up or drop. It also shows you which days are more expensive and which are cheap.
It sometimes shows you a bit more expensive price than the websites mentioned above so you can use it to have a general idea about cheaper days then buy the ticket from the internet.

2- When to buy the ticket?

> In general, the earlier you buy the ticket, the cheaper it will be. Be careful, sometimes this doesn’t happen and you suddenly find that the price of a certain flight has dropped so keep looking.

> Some airlines may have some offers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday so stick to your laptop these 2 days and save some money :D

> Avoid buying tickets during the Christmas season. Prices become crazy skyhigh!

3- Which airlines to choose?

I will talk about the ones I tried only:
American Airlines and United: pretty much the same (at least in my experience), the price of any checked bag is not included in the ticket so you need to pay for it (25$ or 35$). They also charge you 100$ if you have an overweight bag ( >23 kgs / 50 pounds ).

They have a rule that you have to check your “checked bag” 30 and sometimes 45 minutes before your flight, so even if you arrive 30 minutes before your flight and you have a bag to check, you will miss the flight and automatically rescheduled to the next one.

Spirit: Although some people had bad experiences with it, it still has one of the cheapest ticket prices, but put in mind that you ll pay for everything in your flight including the water you drink. (Interestingly, my experience with them was so smooth though)

Other airlines include but are not limited to: Delta and Frontier.

Some important tips:

> If you travelling to a small city, don't fly there directly. Instead, book your flights to the city with a bigger airport (mostly the capital of each state) then take a bus from their to your desired destination. This can also be done to states that are near each other (Fly to a state near to your final destination then take a bus from that state). This may help in saving a lot of money but will need more time.

> Don't forget to check the weather forecast, snow storms result in many cancellations.

> For international travelers to US, if your airport doesn't allow you to board the plane except if you have a return ticket, you can simply buy a return ticket within 24 hrs of your departure flight and cancel it after your check in. This is better than buying a round-trip ticket or paying a fee to change the date of the return flight especially if you are not sure of this date.

===
Update: 6/2/2018...Thanks to Hyndavi:
copied:

I used Delta airlines for most of the part.
1. They allow you a free carry-on bag which is good for carrying interview stuff. Compare prices with other airlines adding the baggage cost and make a purchase.

2. In December and January, there might be a lot of delays and flight cancellations. Make sure you call them after your trip and ask for compensation. They usually credit in miles which you can use at later stage. There are incidences where I claimed even after a month. Email or lodge a complaint.They are pretty responsive. American airlines is good too.

3. Whenever there is a delay or cancellation request them for an immediate rescheduling. For interviews during December and January, try to take the earliest flights possible to avoid missing an interview.

4.Try to carry a snack whenever possible as food in the airports repeatedly can cause unwanted expenditure.

5. Never check-in a carryon bag because a luggage missing or any delay can affect your interview. Sometimes, they just collect if before boarding and give it back after landing, which is ok.

6. Regarding Southwest, if you cancel a ticket, you get a credit into your Southwest account which you can use at a later stage. .
========
Comment below for any other tips you feel may be helpful :D Happy flying everyone :)

-Murad

Spanish learning tips for USMLErs

Speaking Spanish is a nice addition to your CV if you are planning to specialize in the US. Spanish is the 2nd most commonly spoken language in the US and some states especially southern ones like Texas and Florida have a huge Spanish-speaking population. Moreover, learning Spanish is fun :D

Here are some tips/methods that can help with that:

1- Language learning apps:

Memrise
www.memrise.com
One of the best apps out there, it works on any device. Just make a free account and practice a bit every day to find out that you learned several thousand words without knowing.
In addition to the main “deck” offered by the smartphone app, you can study many other decks just by going to the website on a laptop and search for the language you want. The only pitfall is that the main deck doesn’t teach you grammar so you have to find other decks or sources.

Duolingo
Another great app which is similar to Memrise. I haven’t used it but I have heard great reviews about it.

Spanish Verbs Lite
A nice smartphone app that has a selective set of verbs with their conjugation in all tenses.
===
2- Social apps for languages:

Tandem and Hellotalk

Consider these apps like a Facebook/Tinder but for languages.
You enter your language and choose the language you wanna learn. These apps will match you with people who speak the language you wanna learn and you will be speaking the language that they wanna learn. Nice platforms to make “language learning friends” especially that you write about your interests so you can befriend others who have the same ones.
===
3- Youtube channels:

Butterfly Spanish
https://www.youtube.com/user/ButterflySpanishola
ِA very useful channel to boost your Spanish. I ll leave you with what Anna wrote about her channel:
“Learn Spanish for free with Spanish lessons that cover grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, tips & tricks, and cultural aspects. My Spanish lessons are for all Spanish levels and are based on my passion for Spanish culture, language, and teaching.

123dialogues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFINwW5qL1w&list=PLzRf-4Z5tJuQvis4oLgmkfG83Lrkjj_DA
A great channel which has many dialogues in both Spanish and English.

You can always search Youtube to find more stuff. This is one of the playlists when I searched for Medical Spanish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyzgZbZnUik&list=PL5o-4-kgVLgivtGLZy6iTV-x6EqPSUDUI
===
4- Immersion:

Immerse yourself in Spanish. Use your Facebook in Spanish and maybe your smartphone too. You will automatically memorize words without even trying. You ll know that “me gusta, comentar and compartir” are the Spanish words for “like, comment and share”. After a while, you ll be amazed that you are picking more and more passively.
==
5- songs

Songs can stick in our minds in a magical way. Look for Spanish songs and read both the Spanish and English lyrics.
==
6- Friends

No matter how many progs and apps we use, nothing is like having a real conversation with a human being. The MATCH journey will let you meet people from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and many many others Spanish speaking countries. Practice with your friends and ask them to correct you.
==
7-Podcasts:

A treasure to learn languages. Many podcasts are there, among the best is: coffee break Spanish.
https://radiolingua.com/coffeebreakspanish/
Listen to the audio file, learn the accent, repeat. They also provide transcripts for the audio file in PDF form.
Coffee break podcasts are available for other languages including Italian and French.
==
8- Time Time Time

Specify a fixed period of your day to learn/talk in Spanish. This may be as short as 5 minutes up to a few hours. It may be when you wake up or before you sleep. Just develop a habit of learning new words and practicing your Spanish daily.



=>Updates<=
Some suggestions from the readers:

> Meetup
https://www.meetup.com/
As the name suggests, this is a website through which you can meet people.
Create a free account, then choose your interests and discover groups of people who share your interests and hang out with them. Language learning is among the things you can choose and especially in the US, you ll meet many people who wanna learn Spanish.

>" Spouse - induced"learning
Some friends stated that having a spouse is one of the biggest motives to learn a new language :D

Comment below if you know any more tips/programs/apps/books that can help in mastering Español  :)

-Murad

Being street-smart during interviews: Banks!

Although many of the non-US IMG MATCH applicants will have a bank account during their rotations ahead of the MATCH, let’s talk about banks and IMGs in general!

The post may be updated if more banks join the list :D

below are some banks in which IMGs can open an account without having a Green Card:

Bank of America:

Pros:
1- Available nearly everywhere
2- It gives you a temporary card that you can use for 30 days until your permanent card arrives
3- It has a nice mobile app (better than other banks in my opinion) that can basically do anything, easier than calling them or going to the bank.

Cons:
1- To avoid the monthly fee of 12 dollars, you have to maintain your balance above 1500$ at any point during the month or you have to deposit 250$ per month.
2- For IMGs, they require 2 forms of identification (compared to one in most of the other banks). These 2 can be your passport and international driving license.
3- If you wanna travel outside the US, it is preferable to activate the “travel notice” feature (via visiting the bank or the app or calling them) because they may temporarily block your debit card if you are using it from a different country.

Don’t forget to go paperless (either using your mobile app or by asking them in the bank) to avoid having infinite unnecessary papers mailed to you especially if you are staying temporarily at a friend’s place!

====

Citizens Bank:

Pros:
1- They require 1 form of identification.
2- To avoid their monthly fee of 10$, you can either deposit or let any friend deposit in your account each month even if a dollar OR simply you can open another account for free and auto-circulate a dollar monthly between the 2 accounts and voila, no fees at all.

Cons:
1- They are less available in some states like Ohio and NY where you will find ATMs only and hardly any branches.
2- They don’t give you a temporary card when you open your account, so you should leave some cash with you till the debit card arrives.
3- YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM YOU WANNA GO PAPERLESS, or else they ll charge you 2 dollars monthly for bank statements that are mailed to your physical mailing address.

When you call Citizens Bank and it asks you for a Social Security Number (SSN) to let you talk to an employee, just wait and say nothing. You ll be asked about the SSN 3 times then you ll be auto-transferred to a human employee.

Good banking everyone :D and don’t forget to comment if you know more "IMG-friendly banks"

And that’s it
===
Update 4/8/2018

Some friends mentioned: CHASE and Wells Fargo so you may try them too
(Wells Fargo pros and cons are very similar to Bank of America)

-Murad

Being street-smart during interviews: Buses!

Match season is a a really unique life-time experience. You will travel for interviews, meet new friends, visit states you have never visited before and of course, spend some money.

Although flights in general are the fastest most-convenient way to travel, you may try “bus inter-state travelling” which is much cheaper than taking a flight.

I will briefly write about some bus companies that are there and their pros and cons:

Greyhound:

Pros:
> It covers most of the states in the US.
> they have stations where you can sit and wait in (which is very important especially during Winter when it is freezing and snow is everywhere!).
> Starting from late 2017, you can use an E-ticket (emailed to you) instead of a printed ticket.
> They have nice discounts up to 50% sometimes, be sure to sign in and check their website for promo codes especially on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, New Year’s Eve.
(If you are planning to travel in January, don’t rush and buy the ticket early)

Cons:
> in general, their prices are more expensive than other bus companies.
> slow wifi (sometimes non-existent :D).
> Be careful around the stations especially at night, stay indoors!
> If you buy the ticket using a visa card with a different card-holder name than your’s, they will charge you an extra 18 dollars :( .
> Some passengers may be really weird.

If you miss your trip, you will be charged 20$ to issue a new ticket and catch the next one.

Megabus:

Pros:
> Cheaper and can be as cheap as 1 dollar! Check their website regularly.
> E-tickets are available too.
> Buses are newer and more comfortable.
> Passengers are “less weird”.

Cons:
> less state coverage than Greyhound.
> No stations, you have to wait in the street which can be very bard especially if it is raining heavily or snowing.

You can change your trip (if more than 3 hours left till departure) after paying a fee of 20 dollars. This is good to avoid losing your money if you had to cancel your scheduled trip for any reason.


Bustogo:
Less state coverage but they have a nice feature which is using the ticket within a year of purchasing it.

This is based on a personal experience, so you are welcome to try anything you want and put in mind that delays may occur here or there especially with bad weather.


Before you travel to any state, check this website: http://www.smartmedtravel.com/
It will show you names of buses and trains that are available in that state in addition to airports and car rental options.

Wishing y’all a successful Match/interview season and safe travels :D

-Murad

What if I don't Match?

The 12th of March has arrived and what you didn't see coming has unfortunately happened. You checked your email to find an email from NRMP saying: "You did not match". Life suddenly became unbearable and an infinite tornado of thoughts and questions has started! The main one though is: "What to do now?"

Below are some suggestions that may help in answering this question:

 1- Give yourself some time

 > Give yourself the time needed to sink the truth in, yes, not matching is harsh, depressing and soul-crushing. Vent to your friends and cry your lungs out if you feel this will make you feel better.

 > Not matching is hard, but be completely sure, this is not the end of the world, look back at what you achieved till now, you finished medschool, sat for USMLEs, traveled for interviews. You achieved what may be impossible for many others!

 > Check NRMP stats that are released after the Match day, you are not alone, consider this a temporary stop in your life and a chance to build your CV and know more people. Consider it also a test and a challenge that will push your forward to overcome it! The ranking process itself is complicated and is affected by a myriad number of factors so don’t blame yourself and when you feel you are ready, start developing your plan!

2- Polish your CV

 > Sit with a senior/friend/attending and ask him/her how to make your CV better.
Are there any awards or honors that you haven’t mentioned? Any volunteering work that you didn’t add? Can you describe what you did in your previous work experiences in a better way? Are you a member of any international medical organization and you forgot to mention that?

 > You can also review the chapter about writing CVs in “The Successful Match” book which gives many hints about improving your CV. For example, it is advised to use “the action verbs” like “managed” instead of “helped”. The book is available on Amazon, Ebay and many other websites.

 3- Revise/Review your whole application

 In addition to polishing/revising your CV, be sure to check every single component of your application:

 > Did you apply late? Apply earlier this year
> Was one of your letter of recommendations (LoRs) generic or weak? Try to get a new stronger one by asking more people or doing more rotations.
> Did you apply to enough programs? Think of applying to more programs
> Do u qualify for the programs you applied to? Above their cut-offs..etc? Double-check that

 Don’t hesitate to ask seniors or any experienced person who may help.

 4- Taking USMLE Step 3 (if not taken yet)

 > There are many merits of taking USMLE step 3 including the possibility of being ranked higher, an opportunity to have an H1B visa (if you are a non-US International Medical Graduate) and more focus on your residency.

 > A good score in Step 3 also helps if you have any red flag in your application like an exam attempt. It may also decrease the impact of low scores in the USMLE exams and of course it is something nice to add to your CV and show that your are progressing.

 5- Research

 > Research can strengthen your CV and open the doors for more interviews especially from University programs. It can also let you meet new people who may be your contacts in the next match. Some people matched in famous hospitals after doing research there for “a period of time (as short as few months up to few years).

 > Look for research positions either by asking friends/seniors or by emailing institutions like MGH, Mayoclinic...etc. Another way is via websites like indeed.com, some research opportunities are publicized via Linkedin, so it is advisable to have a neat account there and follow the accounts of major institutions. Linkedin may suggest jobs based on your geographic location too.

> When you apply for research,  check the mentor’s/PI’s name on Pubmed. It is better to join people who are more active and publish faster. A good time to start looking for a research position is about a month or a bit more before the match results. Many researchers who are doing their post-doc fellowships leave their positions after they match so if you know anyone who is doing his/her post-doc fellowship, be sure to contact him/her.

 6- More United States Clinical Experience? (USCE)

>Consider doing more rotations whether observerships or externships. This may allow you to apply to more programs that require a certain number of US clinical training months to be eligible.

 >Through rotations, you may get stronger recommendation letters, make new contacts or may even impress and match in the same program in which you are rotating!

 7- Contacts

 > A contact is any human being who can help you! A contact can be a friend, an intern, a chief resident, an attending, a research fellow and even the PD himself/herself...simply anyone!

 > This is one of the most important things that you have to work on before your next match cycle. Whether you are in a rotation or in a research lab, approach politely and ask for help, people out there are good and are willing to help.

 8- Motivation

 > Develop a habit of being motivated, surround yourself with positive people who always encourage you.Watch motivational videos - Eric Thomas has nice ones, check them - on youtube.

 > Talk to residents who didn’t match the first time they applied and see how successful they became now. This happened because of one thing: they worked hard and never gave up!


 Finally, I wish you all the best of luck and I remind you with what Steve Jobs once said: "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future"

 -Murad

Writing a personal statement for residency

Your personal statement (PS) should be your experiences, what make you who you are.

Think of it this way - if you were to sum up your life in one page, how would you do it?

How do you let a person "meet" you without actually meeting you?

How do you put things that are not in your CV on your application?

That's your personal statement my friend.

Now there are many tips on the internet on how to write a personal statement - these are mine and what I found helpful.

How to leave a good impression during your clinical rotations?

Many of us are looking for observerships/electives in the US to gain some clinical experience, have recommendation letters and become more familiar with the medical system in USA.

In this post, I will shine the light on some points that will help in getting the maximum benefit from your rotations.

So, Let’s go:

1- Always come early and show commitment
If the working day starts at 7:30 am, be there at 7:20 am.

2- Dress properly
>Many hospitals have a dress-code, this is usually mentioned in the paperwork that you have to read/fill.
Eg: Business casual; shirts, ties and no jeans for men.
>Take care of your personal hygiene, use deodorants....etc

3- Write down notes
Have a small notebook and a pen. Write new cases that you see or any interesting syndrome. When you go back home, read more about these cases and check if there are any new scientific papers about them.

4- Be proactive
Don’t just sit and do nothing. Ask questions and check if you can present a case / give a talk or a presentation. Especially if you are doing an observership, the outcome at the end can really vary depending on how you use your time and how you reflect yourself as a doctor.

5- Know when to ask questions
It is nice to know more and to show interest but avoid the times when residents/fellows are busy, these include but are not limited to: pre-rounding, immediately after rounds when orders will be entered.

6- Don’t be “Mr. Know-it-all”
Although answering questions is important and can give a very good idea about you. Acting snobby and answering everything including questions that are directed to the residents may have an opposite effect.
Be patient and don’t interrupt. Answer when the question is directed to you or when it is open to everyone to answer.

7- Identify important "players"
Get to know who is the program director, the associate program director, attendings who are known to write good recommendation letters and those who are not. You will find a resident/senior/fellow who will provide this piece of info.
After all, you need to be remembered and to have a good recommendation letter when you apply for the match so do your best go get one! A strong recommendation letter from a chairman has much more weight than an average one from a newly appointed attending!

8- Be social
Respect everyone, smile, shake hands and introduce yourself to people who you meet for the 1st time. It is also cool to have nice conversations outside the field of medicine. For example, movies, books and sports. This will give an idea that you are well-rounded and more approachable rather than just an outsider who is there to do a job.

9- Discover the place
Try to be familiar with the hospital, its departments, the floors and the outpatient clinics. This will lessen the moments - especially during the first week of the rotation - when you will suddenly stop, conclude that you are lost and start blankly looking around :D

10- Remember that the first impression is vital and very hard to change, so be sure that the first impression that is made about you is positive.

In short, just be yourself and give it your best shot :)

Good luck everyone!

PS: this post is subjective to updates whenever I remember any new point that will help :)

-Murad

How to write ERAS CV for the USMLE match and FAQs about the application

Writing ERAS CV

The ERAS CV is a very important part of your application. After filtering applications, your CV is given points based on special activities (international volunteering, unique  skills, exceptional research) and if your CV points reach the threshold set by the program, you're invited for an interview (I was told this by a faculty in an interview!) 

Take. This. Seriously.

The ERAS CV is very different from the usual CV because you have to fill in a pre-made format. It's confusing. You don't know what to do. This post is based on what I know about what's preferred. There's no right or wrong.

I'm writing this post is a question and answer format so it's easier to refer to. 

These are just preferences - see if it suits you! I tried to give credit to the friends that gave these tips along the way. Most of them are American Medical Graduates (AMGs) and my input is IMG lol (International Medical Graduate). 

How to start:

List all your accomplishments. Then, ask your parents when you finish jotting down everything - You may forget your achievements but your parents will remember every random award you won. (Thanks MB for the tip!) 

PARAGRAPHS OR BULLETS?

Bullets. Easier to read when you are reading 100 applications on the other side of the table.

WRITING DESCRIPTIONS:

What type of wording should I use in the description section? 

Example one: "Worked as a volunteer, duties included..."

Example two: "I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Smith as a volunteer..."

IkaN tip: Both are equally good but prefer one as it is short and sweet! 

Here's what the Dean of an AMG emailed (thanks for sharing HM!): No need to use complete sentences with activities. Use active verbs like a resume. It is NOT wrong to use full sentences if you prefer that approach, but it not expected. Example: “Delivered lectures to first-year medical students on cardiac physiology.”

How long should my descriptions be? 

IkaN tip: Keep it short. Write tweet-sized descriptions.

HM's Dean on how much to write: Think about how important the activity is and how many of these applications your readers are reading. If you have a critical role you may want to write more. A mere participant should not belabor the point too much.

REASON FOR LEAVING:

What do I write for "Reason for leaving"?  

IkaN tip: Be elaborate. The reader should know in a glance why you left. I read an AMGs CV and he was very clear even with respect to non-medical jobs. He wrote, "I had to leave because of change in location or because of better opportunities but I was never fired from any of these jobs." or "I left the leadership role but I continued as a volunteer..." (Thanks for sharing this MS!)

The downside of not being specific is that curious faculty may call you to know your reasons. This is what my IMG friend was asked by the PD on a phone call: "Why did you leave your XYZ training after 3 months? Why did you leave the lab after working for a year? I see no publications out of it!"

She had definite reasons and she explained to them elegantly on the phone and was granted an interview. But had she been elaborate on the CV, she probably wouldn't have received the anxiety-provoking phone call! 

HM's Dean on how much to write: Okay to say “activity concluded” or “graduated” or “internship ended.”

IkaN used: End of bonded service, End of internship, End of rotation (Because I didn't know this before!)

DATES AND HOURS:

Because of the period and hours, you worked in is important!

If I am currently working and do not intend to stop working during the interview season, can I put the "to" date in the future, say March 20XX, depending on my hire agreement? Or do I leave it blank? (PS: "Present" option isn't available in the ERAS CV.) 

It's okay to use future dates.

Since residency starts in July, your Program Director (PD) would want to know how will you manage to work for them and working for the other work, side by side. Keep answers ready :) 

What if I work 3 hours every month for a volunteering organization? How do I put it in weeks on the ERAS CV?

PDs are aware of the inflexibility of the ERAS CV when it comes to editing certain parts. You can mention the minimum number of hours in the hours/week box. Then describe the hours and frequency of your work clearly in the description.

NAME OF ORGANIZATION: 

Usually, it is the name of the Hospital or Medical School you rotated in.

If there is no organization and you worked voluntarily to do something - can you put the organization "Self"?

Yes.

Self-doubt: Is it work experience? Or does it go into extracurriculars?

I was confused while mentioning the blog (Medicowesome) and the book I wrote. 

A fellow I know replied this:

I would include the website/book in the extracurriculars section (not sure if there is a section like that but whatever is closest to that) unless it was an organization that was being run with a formal job post. I was a part of a youth organization in medical school and had held several posts but included those in the extracurricular section because it is not formal work experience. You could ask some other people for advice on this as well but I think work experience is not the most accurate.

I was leaning towards extracurricular since I was not really working for an organization. Not sure if being an entrepreneur counts as work experience! Also, I think ERAS says that if you are paid for it, you put it in work. If not, it's a volunteer experience. Since I wasn't getting paid, I doubted putting it under work experience.

What did I do? I listened to my gut and put it under Work Experience. Best decision I made :)

Artwork – especially if the artwork is displayed at a gallery or show

Music – make special note of shows or places you have performed at

Many people make the mistake of putting significant artistic skills in the ‘Hobby’ section.  This does not give yourself enough credit if you have done legitimately IMPRESSIVE artistic accomplishments.  You have to realize that faculty members are glazed over by all the research projects from candidates.

Think about this, wouldn’t you rather talk to someone about their artwork than their summer research project on colon cancer screening?  Me too.  I’d rather hear about something unique and new.  So if you have done some significant artistic, musical, or talent PUT it in the WORK SECTION. 

Source: https://www.residencyinterviewquestions.com/2015/09/08/strengthen-electronic-residency-application-service-eras-application/

LOCATION: 

What if I worked from home for an organization based in the US? How do I put it in?

Use the location of the organization, however, while writing the description use the words, "I worked remotely for..."

I needed this advice while figuring out how to mention Editor of First Aid, the company is based in Kentucky, not India (from where I usually worked)

I hope this gives a good general idea. I will be updating more points soon! Lemme know your questions in the comments below or email medicowesome@gmail.com

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Where do we put electives in my ERAS CV?

Work experience.

Who is the supervisor for electives?

The attendings you rotated under. Limit to two or three names. If you had multiple attendings, choose your favorite two. You can write 4-6 names but it is too much to read.

Can you include non-medical volunteer experience in your ERAS CV?

Here are a few things I am confused about:

Organized a medical conference

Was an editor for the college magazine

Can you write non-medical accomplishments in medical school awards?

Won a prize in a poster making competition (art, not research poster)

TOEFL score?

Accomplishments before medical school?

YES. Add whatever makes you look good and like a well-rounded person. It will help you during your interviews. 

Which hobbies should be included?

Only list hobbies that show initiative, perseverance, or skill (ie. sports, cooking, language fluency)

Do not list hobbies that would show a Program Director that you may be distracted (ie. social media, fantasy football, trying out different bars, playing video games)

List hobbies with achievements first - Like if you like to dance write about dance courses, etc. (Thanks AS for the tip!)

What can you edit once the CV is submitted?

I called ECFMG and found out - "personal information" section can be edited throughout the application season.

Will the program see the "view print CV" or "view print application" version of the CV?

Both.

How is the CV sorted? 

The CV is sorted in chronological order (dates) with your most recent accomplishments first, so don't worry about what to enter first.

Do we leave AOA and GHHS blank "select" or choose "No chapter at my school"?

No chapter at my school if there is no chapter.

Are you Board Certified? What does this mean? Is this the same as ECFMG certification?

No, it is not the same as ECFMG certification. Board-certified means having taken an American board exam.

RESEARCH RELATED:

Can we write about any of the articles that are submitted for publication? But bot published yet?

Yes.

If you've done a research project but also presented it as a poster, do we include that in our research experience or only as a poster presentation?

You can include it in research experience and as a poster.

What about Oral / PowerPoint presentations?

You can include it somewhere - I gave a presentation during electives so I wrote it in the work experience section.

There's another section under publications for oral presentation - Can you put elective presentations in that?

No. I had read long ago that only grand rounds are worth mentioning. ("Presentations" refer to presentations that have been FORMALLY accepted or invited at regional or national academic meetings. Presentations that you do in the context of your education, for instance on rounds or in clerkship conferences, etc. are NOT academic presentations and should not be listed on your CV.)

 

Do you add conferences you attended in work experience?

I don't know, I did not mention it in my CV- feel free to answer them if you know for sure.

What counts as a book chapter? Do textbooks such as First Aid count?

Yes, as long as you played a major role in writing a book chapter.

I have done my residency in India already. Do I add that to previous experience or previous training or in medical education as there is an option of master's training?

Previous training.

How do I write about a project that I worked on in research experience that has not been published?

I worked on the XYZ project at ABC hospital.

Responsibilities included:

- Collecting data of inpatient post-op patients for 18 months.

- Doing a statistical analysis of the data.

- Doing the literature review.

Questions from Indian medical students:

What about the column on Membership in Honorary/Professional Societies - How much importance does it have in a CV?  Which kind of societies can we put in? Do we have to describe them?

Some students have put:

- Student member, Rotaract Club of Caduceus (20XX-20XY)

- Member of Maharashtra Medical Council, Mumbai (Sr. No.: MMC/XIII/0515253; Reg. No.: 2140M137)

Can we include volunteer organizations such as Rotaract? Isn't MMC a council, not a society?

No need to mention. My seniors advised me against it. 

Writing about INDIAN INTERNSHIP in your CV:

How should we write an internship in work experience? Month wise for every rotation or one year experience as a whole?

One year experience.

Why? Month wise will make the CV redundant and long. It may be too boring to read. The reader might not focus on your other accomplishments based on longevity.

Was your medical education being extended? There was an extension in the internship - it's okay to check "No" if it was for electives (you extended it for training). If you had other reasons, go for "Yes".

Who is the supervisor for the internship? The dean or the head of the PSM department?

Anything is fine - You may also leave it blank or say, "Multiple supervisors".

Can we put an internship as a post-graduate training experience instead of work experience?

No. It is not post-grad because you are required to do it for a med school degree.

The internship is equivalent to the Americans intern year (which is PG training for them). They are supervised when they rotate through various departments and get paid for it. (That's what we do as well!) - So, good question!!!

That's all!

*phew* that was a lot! 

I hope this gives a good general idea. I will be updating more points soon! Lemme know your questions in the comments below or email medicowesome@gmail.com

Hoping to match this year,

IkaN (Pray for me, pray for the match in March!)

Advice for interview season: Being street smart

Akshay Vacchani wrote these tips and tricks for interview season. He told me, "I didn't know all of this, it's what experiences taught me."

I think it's helpful to read it after you've submitted your application.

After 15th September, download mymail application:

I found this app fastest one to download ERAS email and notify you with earliest possible time with distinct notification sound.
(Gmail wasn't refreshing new emails that quickly, I think least time duration was 15 minutes and I didn't like Gmail app.)

Be ready to respond quickly to the programs as in some date may fill out quickly, so fast notification and quick response to program, along with keeping google calendar open either in your tablet or phone will help you easily choose date and organize them based on their locations.

Once you get an interview....

Organize dates of program wisely.

Use Google calendar and use some special color for program's interview day. Use different color code for different works like flights or airbnb check in time, etc.

Use Google reminders to respond to any email or phone call important for these all procedures.

Use google map and save all program locations and your hotel or Airbnb rooms, give them stars or label them as you like. This will definitely help you to plan all stuffs and may help you to save money with better planning.

Before the interview:

Make a different folders for each program in your google drive, copy and paste all ERAS info, any program related info, place where you are leaving, flight info into different docs.
Why? So that you can have access to all from one place, especially, in case of emergency. (No network or device lost or something.)

Day before the interview...

Check weather info in advance.
Sometimes you may not have access to Internet because of bad connection. Make a shortcut of Google maps (travelling to hospital from your place).
If you are going to book a cab, you can also book Lyft or Uber in one day advanced for particular time in the morning, I would definitely suggest that.

Bus recommendation:
Use Greyhound instead of megabus because of wonderful facility of waiting station with restrooms even in mid size city. I had to wait in 0 F° outside for Megabus, and the bus was delayed, which may not go well for you sometime.

For Greyhound, I would suggest you to book a flexible ticket especially using discount coupons on festivals if you sure about your departing and arriving city. You can always change date, have priority boarding or full refund.

Flight recommendation: Southwest
For flight, I would definitely suggest to book Southwest, even if you don't have luggage.

Booking in advanced, you can get it for cheaper price, always use refund money for other flight, always modify or cancel.

And best thing, you can get change flight time with no extra money even at last minute.

You call them, tell your flight is delayed and there is any slight chance of change in estimated time of departure, (if there is more than 1 hour, then for sure), you can ask for early flight whatever time you want, and no any extra fees.

AAMC ERAS: How to assign LoRs quickly to 100+ programs

Since the bulk assign option isn't available before 15th September: