<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by gower:
Sara, what made you assume that kimberlicox is both Mr and not Dr, male and not female?•
Yeah?! Well, gower does have the advantage, having communicated with me in the past. But he is right - I am female, always have been and am now "officially" Dr. I have been bemused by the number of people who can't figure out my "real" name from the screen name - I thought it was fairly obvious. I tried changing it once (to Kimberli Cox) but wasn't allowed.
But that's neither here nor there and feel free to call me Kimberli.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Thanx a lot for your reply Mr.Kimberlicox,well, i cant change my visa status very soon which is H-4 right now. anyways, about the clinical experience that you mentioned, is it O.K to work in a primary care clinic with some M.D or I need to go to university affiliated hospital and search for an ACCGME program ? bcz the clinic work that they are offering is more patient interactive, kind of externship while the hospital people dont let anything more than an observership.what do u suggest?
thanx and wishes
First Choice: University Program with ACGME/AOA approved residency in your field of choice, working in a CLINICAL capacity
Second Choice: Working in a CLINICAL capacity
Third Choice: Research
These are obviously my biases. However, I have seen programs which *require* clinical contact for several months before applying for residency. And I have heard several IMGs say they spend years working in the lab at some big-wig medical center and then don't get into residency programs there. Doesn't seem all that productive, but could just be my experience with it. I don't much about Observerships except that they "don't count" in the eyes of residency programs that require you to have clinical contact. I dunno - maybe some are better than others but I just don't like the sound of "observership". Too much like first year medical school all over again!
If your primary care practice will allow you clinical contact with patients, IMHO that's the way to go. It would behoove you to see if any of the supervising physicians there have clinical appointments at the near-by university, often they do. And if not, often they know people who do, and can refer you and surely write you a good letter of recommendation.
I still suggest that you contact some residency programs in which you might be interested and see if 1) they sponsor FMGs for visas; 2) if they have a clinical contact requirement; 3) if they have a year of graduation requirement (ie, some programs specify that you cannot have graduated from medical school more than x number of years prior); and 4)if they have any advice on buffing your application. Be honest with your supervisor at the clinic as well; tell him that you are eager to work and learn as much as possible, but that you also would like to be considered for a good letter of recommendation come time for residency application (should he/she feel you deserve it) and any help in obtaining contacts in your field of choice.
Hope this helps...
