cardiovascular tech before residency?

[frijoles16]

Hello, I am looking for some advice from anyone familiar with IM residency selection.

I am a FMG from Mexico. I've finished medical school (in my country it's a bachelor's degree that consists of 5 years pre-clinical and clinical, 1 year hospital internship, and 1 year primary care service), and I am just awaiting my final OSCE exam in January to receive my diploma. My SO is from the U.S. and will be starting medical school next fall at a U.S. MD school. I would like to work and live in the U.S. long term, so I am hoping to do IM residency in the U.S., and eventually try for a cards fellowship. I've started studying for step 1, but I am a few years out of pre-clinicals, and I decided very late that I wanted to go to the U.S., so I have a lot of studying to do, at least a year before I will be ready to take step 1. After that I will need to do both parts of step 2 and some U.S. clinical rotations before I can apply for residency. Since my SO will not be able to contribute much financially as a med student, and since U.S. clinical jobs seem to be essentially non-existent with just a foreign med school diploma, I was thinking of working as a cardiovascular tech in the mean time to help pay for all the exams and clinical rotations. From what I can tell online my med school courses should be able to cover the first year of the associates degree, leaving me with just 1 year of schooling while I study for step 1 before I can start working. This would let me earn some money to help pay for all the residency requirements and applications, while also letting me stay in a clinical setting, albeit not as a physician. It would also give me a backup career in case I don't match.

Anyway, my question is, if I were to pursue the cardiovascular tech and get let's say a year or 2 work experience before I finally get to applying to residency, how will this be viewed on my residency app? Will the clinical experience be a positive or just ignored since it's at the tech level? Would working as a tech in a hospital with an IM program potentially help me make connections to match into that program?

Thanks for any advice in advance!

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[timpview]

1. Wouldn’t matter/help
2. I guess potentially you could make some connections.

I wouldn’t do it for any purpose to further your career but if it’s choosing between that and some other random job or delivering pizzas than sure... though like u mentioned if it’s a possible back up career path than it doesn’t hurt to get into it..

 

[IMGASMD]

It’s really up to you. I personally wouldn’t want to go back for more schooling. You already done the schooling for a medical degree, why would you go back for a degree that is technician level job, unless you need the money to survive. If you have any other skill sets, I’d utilize that before I spend more time and money to train for another job.

Teach medical Spanish? Be a medical Spanish tutor. Get certified as a Spanish translator. Volunteer as translator at local hospital. Translate peoples medical records.

Not saying all of these are good ideas or feasible, but I think they’re will give you more flexibility and not committed to more schooling for something you’re overqualified for.

That’s if your ultimate goal is getting into a residency. Applying sooner is always better than later.

Good luck.

 

[frijoles16]

It’s really up to you. I personally wouldn’t want to go back for more schooling. You already done the schooling for a medical degree, why would you go back for a degree that is technician level job, unless you need the money to survive. If you have any other skill sets, I’d utilize that before I spend more time and money to train for another job.

Teach medical Spanish? Be a medical Spanish tutor. Get certified as a Spanish translator. Volunteer as translator at local hospital. Translate peoples medical records.

Not saying all of these are good ideas or feasible, but I think they’re will give you more flexibility and not committed to more schooling for something you’re overqualified for.

That’s if your ultimate goal is getting into a residency. Applying sooner is always better than later.

Good luck.

This is a good idea thank you. I will definitely look into it. At this point from what I've read online about the difficulties for FMG's to get into residency I'm just pretty discouraged. It seems like such a long shot that I do want to have a backup career, and CV tech is in my field of interest at least and seems to have a bright future (decent pay with good projected growth and demand). But I suppose it makes more sense to just do what I can to hold myself over financially and apply for match ASAP, and worry about going back to school later once residency is out of the picture. No reason to rush back to school right now if I can get a job elsewhere and potentially get into residency.

 

[IMGASMD]

This is a good idea thank you. I will definitely look into it. At this point from what I've read online about the difficulties for FMG's to get into residency I'm just pretty discouraged. It seems like such a long shot that I do want to have a backup career, and CV tech is in my field of interest at least and seems to have a bright future (decent pay with good projected growth and demand). But I suppose it makes more sense to just do what I can to hold myself over financially and apply for match ASAP, and worry about going back to school later once residency is out of the picture. No reason to rush back to school right now if I can get a job elsewhere and potentially get into residency.

Your YOG will matter more and more as time goes on. If you and your GF get married eventually, with a green card/citizenship may be easier.

Further away you’re from school and clinical, the harder it will be for you to get into a residency.

You also have to evaluate what you give up in the process.

Good luck.

 

[IMGASMD]

There are two FMGs who I’ve encountered throughout my career so far who choose to do a technician job.

One become a phlebotomist, one became a surgical tech.

One eventually got back to residency after 10 years, one stayed as a technician.

Both have family to support.

So it’s never impossible, but if you are young and want to be an US physician. Your consideration maybe different than theirs. Also really think about getting married, if your GF is the one. It will make your journey much easier. I personally wouldn’t really move across the state let alone the country just for fun.

Also consider your GF needs four years of med school and 3 years of residency. That’s 7 years of YOUR life that’s in limbo.

 

[frijoles16]

There are two FMGs who I’ve encountered throughout my career so far who choose to do a technician job.

One become a phlebotomist, one became a surgical tech.

One eventually got back to residency after 10 years, one stayed as a technician.

Wow that's really surprising that they were able to get into residency so long after graduation. I kinda figured it would have to be within 2 or 3 years or already I would be done for. Do you know if they were doing research or anything else to boost their app during that time or literally just working as a tech?

 

[IMGASMD]

Wow that's really surprising that they were able to get into residency so long after graduation. I kinda figured it would have to be within 2 or 3 years or already I would be done for. Do you know if they were doing research or anything else to boost their app during that time or literally just working as a tech?

There is a residency in house, they kept very good relationship with the residency leadership. I think he was an attending in their home country. Immigrated here with their family. So maybe looked upon very differently than a 20-something year old without any “real” clinical experience.

Just saying if there is a will there is a way, but just much harder than going with the path of the least resistance. One of my good friend always says, “work smart not hard..... “

Even though I didn’t follow his advice, but I will leave you with those words.