The IMG Roadmap Podcast

This episode is based on a webinar which was held to help intentional, hard-working, self-starting IMGs to write personal statements that yield results. Keep listening to find out how to use your personal statement to make your ERAS application stand out! Here are a few of the most important tips worth using when drafting your personal statement: Identify and understand your audience. Look out for...

How can you as an IMG overcome your inevitable challenges and land residency in a specialty as competitive as internal medicine? Pakistani-born Dr. Fareeha Nasir approached the residency application process with determination and confidence, which ultimately led to her gaining success. Keep listening to find out her advice to help you do the same! Dr. Nasir graduated from the Islamabad medical and...

Are you curious as to how you can combine your Family Medicine residency with your other passions? Family Medicine attending Dr. Esther Nkem Ufot who also specializes in Obesity and Lifestyle Medicine is here to show you that it is possible! Currently serving in Atlanta, Dr. Ufot attended medical school at the University of Benin, Nigeria, where she graduated in 2011, before migrating to the US th...

Calling in from Las Vegas, Nevada, Dr. Chase DiMarco joins us today to talk about his new platform called FindARotation . As an IMG himself, Dr. DiMarco experienced the struggle that many students face when trying to find clinical rotations in the United States. He knows first hand the hassle of contacting physicians personally, reaching out to program coordinators and even going through rotation...

Can an IMG have a competitive enough application to land a surgery-based residency? The short answer is yes - but not without hard work and determination! Coming to share his story of persistence, grit and consistent effort, PGY2 general surgery resident Dr. Brett Johnson joins us on this episode hoping to inspire IMGs all over the world. These are some of the highlights of Dr. Johnson's journey p...

Can IMGs without any connections or clinical experience in the United States still land the residency position of their dreams? Dr. Sherley Chhibber joins us today to show how she achieved the impossible and cemented her opportunity as an incoming PGY-1 in Internal Medicine at the Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia.  Dr. Chhibber, while completing the final years of her medical edu...

Have you been convinced that anesthesiology is too competitive for IMGs to get into? Incoming anesthesiology resident Dr. Cynthia Tan joins us on this episode to share her amazing story of overcoming self-doubt and pursuing her dreams, despite the many challenges she faced. Keep listening to find out how you can do the same! Malaysian-born Dr. Tan, who migrated to Australia at an early age, comple...

At one point or another we all experience unforeseen circumstances which may lead to delays or changes throughout our journeys; but what matters is how we overcome these obstacles and use them to propel us. In this episode, soon to be Internal Medicine Resident Dr. Mishaal Zia shows us how she used her delays and challenges to her advantage and successfully landed her residency position! As an eth...

What can non-traditional IMGs do to turn the aspects that make their journey unique into their biggest assets when trying to match into residency? Newly matched Psychiatry resident Dr. Maureen Karina is here to answer your burning questions and inspire you to persist despite the odds you face! Dr. Karina enrolled into the American University of Antigua, College of Medicine in 2013, took a break in...

Has self-doubt ever caused you to procrastinate when trying to achieve your dream? In this episode, Internal Medicine Resident Dr. Ariela Baur shares her inspiring story of ambition, resilience and discipline as she silenced her self-doubt in order to attain success.  German-born Dr. Baur attended medical school at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary & Hamburg, Germany. After gradu...

In our world of today, many marginalized communities face systemic injustices when seeking medical care, which leads to disproportionate rates of chronic illness and even death. OBGYN resident Dr. Nina Snowden, after having felt the brunt of these disparities herself, has dedicated her life to making a difference no matter how small. Keep listening to find out more about this IMG's story of determ...

Have your challenges and bad experiences ever made you feel like giving up? Dr. Foluwakemi Olufehinti's story will give you all of the inspiration you need to persist in the face of adversity until you achieve your goals! Nigerian-born Non-US IMG Dr. Olufehinti completed her medical education at Ross University, which was then situated on the Caribbean island of Dominica. As a student, she had to...

Is emergency medicine your passion but you are scared that as an IMG your chances of matching are significantly lower? In our ever-changing world, outstanding IMGs like Dr. Ololade Akinfemiwa keep breaking the barriers, challenging the status quo and living their dreams as physicians in the United States. Keep listening to find out more about this Emergency Medicine resident's inspiring journey! N...

Did you attend a Caribbean Medical school and you are interested in matching into a residency in Family Medicine in the US? Keep listening to find out how US-IMG Dr. Jessica Udeogu navigated this process and came out successful despite the COVID-19 pandemic! Dr. Jessica Udeogu was born in Texas, but went to St. James School of Medicine in the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent. Though she had always...

Is the field of obstetrics and gynecology too competitive for IMGs? Absolutely not! Dr. Ranae Hedman proves that with the right approach towards your residency application, and life in general, nothing is off limits. Keep listening to find out more about her fascinating story especially when it comes to preliminary vs categorical residency positions!  A first generation American born to Jamai...

Are you interested in matching into Neurology but you're not sure what you should do to optimize your journey? Keep listening to find out about Dr. Darshana Vijaywargiya who defied the odds and landed a Neurology residency position at her first choice of program at SUNY Upstate Medical center! Indian born Dr. Darshana graduated from medical school in India in 2018, and while she had never intended...

What is the IMG Roadmap? You can find your answer here ...

How are IMGs navigating through the residency application process during COVID-19? Despite the constraints that this global phenomenon has presented, is there a possibility for you to use it to your advantage? Slated to start her Emergency Medicine Residency in June of 2021 at the University of California Davis Medical Center, Slovenian doctor Lara Zekar's success is proof of her mantra, "Impossib...

In this episode, I am joined by a group of IMGs from the MD FEME podcast. These established physicians share the innate challenges of being an IMG as well as personal challenges and how they overcome them. You will learn valuable tips on how to overcome your struggles both in the classroom and in the field. You will hear the stories of women who have been right where you are as they offer you enco...

In this episode, I interview Dr. Priyana Tweet, a newly minted doctor and graduate from Ross University in Dominica. After her first residency interview,  she found out about her failure on one of the USMLE examinations. She fought internally about how to handle this. She asked for help, worked hard, leveraged integrity and re-took the examination while still on the interview trail. Today, sh...

Very recently a popular scrub apparel company posted an image of a female doctor of osteopathic medicine. This is not unusual but what was highlighted in the image is that the book was from the "For Dummies" series which breakdowns concepts for the simplest of readers. The book in question was upside down and was titled "Medical Terminology for Dummies".  This reminded me of the misconception...

This IMG matched into Ophthalmology but she wants you to know she is not special! As a graduate of a Caribbean medical school, she knew what the blogs say about her odds of matching into a competitive surgical specialty. But … she accepted the challenge, and took action to build a success story for herself. In the process she gained a mentor without knowing it and in this episode you will learn ho...

In this episode educator and USMLE guru Dr. Adeleke Adesina invites you to learn about how to combat the mistakes that IMGs make when it comes to test preparation. He also delves into his E.A.S.E study format which over the last 10 years has resulted in a 97% pass rate on USMLE for his students. You can find out more about his USMLE prep program by clicking here .  EASE is an acronym he...

Have you ever wondered if you can take all the USMLE required tests within one year? If you think this is impossible, think again! Because … this IMG did just that! She is a non-US IMG from Nigeria who just completed internal medicine residency in the North Eastern United States. Besides taking all her exams in a "timely manner", she still did not match on her first attempt while on an F-1 visa. &...

Do you have questions about what exactly is a pre-match and how to land one when applying for residency? Are you anxious about your move to the US after you've completed your international medical education? Managing the hectic life of a pediatric gastroenterologist while being a full-time wife and mother, IMG Dr. Ayesha Baig shows us that with enough determination, focus and sacrifice, we all hav...