Medicine in America megathread

Original post by MonteCristo

I won't attempt to answer most of these questions as I've not prepared for the USMLEs myself. I just returned from a research year in the US where all of my colleagues were IMGs going through the matching process.

I guess the obvious time to sit Steps 2CK and CS would be around the time of medical school finals as they aim to test clinical knowledge and skills.

It might be worth pitching USMLE-specific questions at www.usmle-forums.com.

Apologies for coming in rather late but i was wondering how you went about gaining a research year in the US?

I know that there are things like Fulbright and Kennedy scholarships but have also seen that some places advertise year long research placements for students (eg hospital for special surgery with their year long Ortho trauma research fellowship). Did you undertake a specific programme or simply approach a department? Do you think having Step 1 is of benefit in gaining a place on these programmes?

Additionally, if it isn't too intrusive, could you tell us what your year was like (where you went, how it compared to doing a research year in the UK, what was expected of you, how you matched up against the US students, what your CV was like before/after the year)?

Apologies for all the questions, it's just something i am quite interested in trying to do post F2.

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Original post by plrodham1

I know that there are things like Fulbright and Kennedy scholarships but have also seen that some places advertise year long research placements for students (eg hospital for special surgery with their year long Ortho trauma research fellowship). Did you undertake a specific programme or simply approach a department? Do you think having Step 1 is of benefit in gaining a place on these programmes? Additionally, if it isn't too intrusive, could you tell us what your year was like (where you went, how it compared to doing a research year in the UK, what was expected of you, how you matched up against the US students, what your CV was like before/after the year)?

I was a Fulbrighter but certainly met Knox/Kennedy scholars as well. US research departments need junior researchers and will sometimes advertise funded research fellowships as well. These often attract non-US doctors (e.g. from the Indian sub-continent) who are looking to elbow their way into a residency programme. Just like departments in the UK, some research groups will be sufficiently well-funded to support someone they like even if they hadn't advertised a specific post. I personally would put out feelers well in advance, explain that you are exploring your own funding options, and ask whether there are internal scholarships you could apply for in case these applications aren't successful. Something will come off if you are persistent.

In terms of competition, you will need a CV that makes someone want to put in the effort to work through visa/funding hurdles with you.*Step 1 probably won't help that much if you're applying for a research year. It might even be better to come across as someone who's generally interested in the research programme rather than just wanting a leg up into US residency. Obviously, if residency is your goal, getting these exams underway soon is a very good idea.

Fulbright/Kennedy/Knox scholars have usually been quite successful up until that point but most are final year (non-medicine) undergraduates and so you may already have an advantage as a doctor who has had many more years in which to do things. My personal background probably doesn't matter much (we aren't in competition!) but most funding programmes provide scholar profiles on their websites.
**
The only potential catches are that Fulbright/Kennedy/Knox explicitly prohibit clinical work - I presume clinical observing is okay but I wouldn't make them nervous by asking about this directly!

The scholarships also might not completely cover all your costs, depending on your circumstances (e.g. family...) and usual standard of living. Cities such as New York and Boston are particularly expensive. If you are registering for an MPH or something similar then you will gain a lot (as they usually cover course fees) but you are likely to be reduced to student living again...*Friends tell me that it's perfectly possible to complete a Harvard (or something similar) MPH while being involved in an active research programme as well.

Reply 25

Original post by MonteCristo

I was a Fulbrighter but certainly met Knox/Kennedy scholars as well. US research departments need junior researchers and will sometimes advertise funded research fellowships as well. These often attract non-US doctors (e.g. from the Indian sub-continent) who are looking to elbow their way into a residency programme. Just like departments in the UK, some research groups will be sufficiently well-funded to support someone they like even if they hadn't advertised a specific post. I personally would put out feelers well in advance, explain that you are exploring your own funding options, and ask whether there are internal scholarships you could apply for in case these applications aren't successful. Something will come off if you are persistent.

In terms of competition, you will need a CV that makes someone want to put in the effort to work through visa/funding hurdles with you.*Step 1 probably won't help that much if you're applying for a research year. It might even be better to come across as someone who's generally interested in the research programme rather than just wanting a leg up into US residency. Obviously, if residency is your goal, getting these exams underway soon is a very good idea.

Fulbright/Kennedy/Knox scholars have usually been quite successful up until that point but most are final year (non-medicine) undergraduates and so you may already have an advantage as a doctor who has had many more years in which to do things. My personal background probably doesn't matter much (we aren't in competition!) but most funding programmes provide scholar profiles on their websites.
**
The only potential catches are that Fulbright/Kennedy/Knox explicitly prohibit clinical work - I presume clinical observing is okay but I wouldn't make them nervous by asking about this directly!

The scholarships also might not completely cover all your costs, depending on your circumstances (e.g. family...) and usual standard of living. Cities such as New York and Boston are particularly expensive. If you are registering for an MPH or something similar then you will gain a lot (as they usually cover course fees) but you are likely to be reduced to student living again...*Friends tell me that it's perfectly possible to complete a Harvard (or something similar) MPH while being involved in an active research programme as well.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I will definitely be looking at the fulbright/kennedy scholarships but don't believe i'm a terribly strong candidate for these. Academically i think i am sound but the extra-curriculars that some of these people have is insane!

I'm definitely not wanting to undertake residency in the US, i'd like to simply undertake a research year and return to hopefully an ACF here. I'll definitely begin to put out some feelers, would you just e-mail the heads of labs or do the US institutions all tend to have research coordinators?

I'd also taken a look at the Harvard MPH however by reading through their site it seems to be completely module based? Did your friends have to arrange their own research outside of the course?

Reply 26

Original post by plrodham1

Academically i think i am sound but the extra-curriculars that some of these people have is insane! Would you just e-mail the heads of labs or do the US institutions all tend to have research coordinators? Did your friends have to arrange their own research outside of the course?

Still worth keeping Kennedy/Fulbright/etc in mind. They are looking for people that will (a) be good ambassadors between the UK and the US and (b) are likely to go on to be leaders in their fields in the future.

It would help if you had some idea what you wanted to do (in terms of specialty and research) then read to find out who's doing what and which groups are most prolific. I would definitely favour emailing academics themselves (brief email and short CV) and then following up with their admin teams if/when you don't get a prompt response. Their support will help move along the admin. If you do this far in advance, you can afford to contact one person at a time and leave them some time to respond.

The Harvard MPH is almost fully taught but fairly light touch. You might spend 2 days in classes and 1/2 day on assignments, which leaves the rest of the week for research.*Harvard is full of research centres and I suspect any of them would provide you with a desk, colleagues, and mentorship if you were undertaking the MPH and interested in their research agenda.

Reply 27

Original post by MonteCristo

Still worth keeping Kennedy/Fulbright/etc in mind. They are looking for people that will (a) be good ambassadors between the UK and the US and (b) are likely to go on to be leaders in their fields in the future.

It would help if you had some idea what you wanted to do (in terms of specialty and research) then read to find out who's doing what and which groups are most prolific. I would definitely favour emailing academics themselves (brief email and short CV) and then following up with their admin teams if/when you don't get a prompt response. Their support will help move along the admin. If you do this far in advance, you can afford to contact one person at a time and leave them some time to respond.

The Harvard MPH is almost fully taught but fairly light touch. You might spend 2 days in classes and 1/2 day on assignments, which leaves the rest of the week for research.*Harvard is full of research centres and I suspect any of them would provide you with a desk, colleagues, and mentorship if you were undertaking the MPH and interested in their research agenda.

I think i'll definitely look further into the mph. The Harvard Orthopaedic Trauma research division was actually one of those i was looking at attempting to e-mail as they do a lot of research looking at outcomes following pelvic fractures and bone healing which are the two areas that i am most interested in. In addition they also appear to take international research fellows as a separate position which would be a good way to try and get in should i be unsuccessful (as it has funding).

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to reply to my questions, it's been very useful!

Reply 28

Original post by plrodham1

I think i'll definitely look further into the mph. The Harvard Orthopaedic Trauma research division was actually one of those i was looking at attempting to e-mail as they do a lot of research looking at outcomes following pelvic fractures and bone healing which are the two areas that i am most interested in.

The Chief of Ortho Trauma at Brigham & Women's Hospital is a nice guy and his equivalent at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) trained in the UK and was an NHS consultant in Leeds before moving to Boston. It's worth sounding one (or both of them in sequence) out early to see if they're in the market for a research fellow. I don't know but suspect that the ortho research scene is a little bigger at MGH, although the ortho trauma guys at the Brigham are very supportive.

There will also be Professors of Orthopaedic Trauma at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Children's Hospital.*The advantage of MGH/Brigham are that they are part of the same partnership and so you might be able to sniff around both sites if you were pushy.

Reply 29

Original post by MonteCristo

The Chief of Ortho Trauma at Brigham & Women's Hospital is a nice guy and his equivalent at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) trained in the UK and was an NHS consultant in Leeds before moving to Boston. It's worth sounding one (or both of them in sequence) out early to see if they're in the market for a research fellow. I don't know but suspect that the ortho research scene is a little bigger at MGH, although the ortho trauma guys at the Brigham are very supportive.

There will also be Professors of Orthopaedic Trauma at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Children's Hospital.*The advantage of MGH/Brigham are that they are part of the same partnership and so you might be able to sniff around both sites if you were pushy.

I'm very interested in the stuff they do at Mass Gen and would love to try and go there. I also currently work with the prof who succeeded Raymond Smith at Leeds so hopefully could try and gain an introduction, it seems that in the American system your letters of recommendation play a huge role!

The Brigham would also be awesome, particularly if their a friendly unit. Did you simply e-mail those you wanted to work with prior to going out?

Reply 30

Original post by plrodham1

I'm very interested in the stuff they do at Mass Gen and would love to try and go there. I also currently work with the prof who succeeded Raymond Smith at Leeds so hopefully could try and gain an introduction, it seems that in the American system your letters of recommendation play a huge role! The Brigham would also be awesome, particularly if their a friendly unit. Did you simply e-mail those you wanted to work with prior to going out?

I emailed directly - perhaps copy in the ortho trauma research administrator/coordinator/manager so that you have someone to harass if you don't get a reply in the first instance?

You could ask your supervisor to write on your behalf but I suspect "I am a junior doctor interested in orthopaedic trauma and working with Professor G. at Leeds. I hope to spend some time in Boston in XXXX and I am currently exploring options, including the Harvard MPH as well as a standalone one year research fellowship..." would work just as well. Letters of recommendation are important for formal applications in the US but I don't think anyone would object to being contacted directly. It's always possible that the bosses don't get along of course !!*

You could plan to go anyway if they are keen and (worst case scenario) funding falls apart. There's no reason why you couldn't visit as an observer and then collaborate from the UK.*

Reply 31