electives in USA

[dr_no3man]

Sorry guys I was really busy the previous period. But alhamdulellah now is better. Actually I was stress out as it took forever till my exam score came out and alhamdulellah I made it so all thanks is due to Allah honestly.
Well regarding your question(3amr) I don't know from where those brought this nonsense but anyway I will answer it comperhensivly. You in order to practice medicine in Egypt you have to do this one year "internship" it's not part of your residency, right? So it's different than here. On the other hand, saying that they ignore it is kind of impossible as actually now they evaluate you by scores and clinical experience as well as year of graduation. And by the way, I got to know a resident here in the US from Egypt. He stated in his application to the match that his year of graduation is te year he finished his internship in not the year he started his 6th year exam in. And nobody told him nothing and he doing his job as a resident in university now. In my opinion it's stupidity to call me graduate of certain year and dont give me my certificate till 2 years later and still call me graduate of two years ago. This is my aswer and I hope it helps.

Salam

[3AMR]

thanks a lot, i really apprectiate your concern..and congratulations

[SMirza]

Assalamu-alaikum Brothers and Sisters. Alhamdulillaah I am done with CS and Step1 (99/261), and Inshaallah will be taking Step2CK soon. I am looking for a good observership/research position in Int.Med or Oncology, preferably in the NY area. If any of you have any info that might help me, please let me know..and If I can help any of you with CS or Step1 prep, please let me know.
Your sister-in-Islam.

[3AMR]

wa alikom al salam,
we previously mentioned this link
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you can find something that suits u.
Of course we want you to share your preparation for the exams....I hope you can start with the cs exam . studying? time? exam experience? and any thing you can share...
                                                                                Amr

[3AMR]

dear doctor no3man,
assalamo 3alikom, i hope you could tell us about your visa experience soon.
Besides the university of louisville , do you recommend any other university?
can we have electives in two different departments in the same university??
and we want to know your actual experience while being there ? any preparations?
read something in advance? spend some time in the department in which we gonna take the elective? and anything you might see to be of help.
and lastly, Is there any department that we will never be accepted in or we have equal chances in all ? i just want to increase the probability of being accepted smoothly in the elective without wasting time in changing the desired departments or in mailing non-img friendly universities. 
                                                                       Amr,

[dr_no3man]

@SMirza: If you will be able to come to Chicago area I may can help you finding what you are looking for.

@3amr:
- I've my visa excperience in arabic I will post it independently I don't think that those who are not speaking arabic are interested to know it as it was in US cairo embassy.
- well I think you can use the links I posted to see more schools but this one is what I did my experience with so I can't recommend anything else except SUNY downstate but I don't recommend it if you don't have a visa already as they don't sponser visa so you will apply for B1/B2. I helped a friend to me till he was accepted there but his visa application was denies twice. So you know what to do then.
- Sure you can have rotations in different departments I made my rotations in 5 different departments.
-Some departments in Louisville doesn't accept international students such as Ophthalmology.
- Studying Kaplan will help you atleast it will give you what they wanna you to know.

Salam

[dr_no3man]

[/size]السلام عليكم ورحمة الله
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم,,,,,,
حبيت أكتب تجربتي مع السفارة الامريكية في التقديم على الفيزا قبل ما انسى, طبعا هشرح بالتفصيل الممل علشان اللي مرحش قبل كده أكيد هيلاقي معلومات مهمة ومريحة ليه بحيث انه يبقى عارف الخطوات اللي هيمر بيها لحد لما يوصل للخطوة الأخيرة في هذى اليوم وهوه المقابلة مع القنصل.
بدأت يومي بعد صلاة الفجر رجعت البيت لبست الهدوم اللي هروح بيها السفارة, خد بالك مش لازم تلبس بدلة, أقصد ان لبسك للبدلة مش هيزود احتماليات حصولك على الفيزا, انا شفت ناس لابسين بدلة أخدو ريجيكت سريع سريع وناس تانية لابسه عادي وورقها خلص وحصلو على الفيزا بفضل الله.
طبعا معلومة جانبية كده للي ميعرفش عنوان السفارة: شوف يا سيدي انت دلوأتي واقف في ميدان التحرير شايف الجامعة الامريكية؟ امشي في الشارع اللي بين مجمع التحريرو الجامعة الامريكية افضل ماشي في الشارع" مش كتير متقلقش" لحد لما هتلاقي على اليمين بنزينة التعاون وجنبها برج مكتوب عليه التعاون بردو, خد الشارع اللي جنب البنزينة وافضل ماشي معاه هتوصل للسفارة ان شاء الله.
هتوصل السفارة طبعا يستحسن توصل بدري انا عن نفسي وصلت الساعة 8 الا عشرة معادي كان الساعة 8 انا دايما كده بوصل متأخر!!! متأخر؟ ده انا واصل قبل المعاد ب 10 دقايق!؟ هقولك يا سيدي عارف اللي واصل قبل المعاد ب 10 دقايق ده؟ كان رقمة في الاربعينات يعني كان عليه انه يستنى حاجه واربعين واحد يخلصو اجراءاتهم لحد لما يجي دوره. يعني الخلاصة تكون قدام السفارة الساعة 7 أحسن حاجه.
هتوصل السفارة هتلاقي قدامها طابور وفي واحد واقف بيسألك عن اسمك ويشوف اسمك في الاسماء اللي حاجزة المعاد النهاردة وبعد ما يلاقيههيسألك عن وصل الCIB بتاع دفع فلوس الفيزا و هيشيك على الابليكيشنز اللي معاك اللي هما (DS-156 , 157 & 158) لو لقاهم مطبوعين كويس هيقولك الصور لو سمحت؟ هما عايزين صورة واحدة. على فكرة ساعة لما وريتله صورتي لقيته بيقولي ايه الصورة دي شكلها قديمة فا رديت علية بعفوية سريعة جدا وقلتله " دي لسة طازة"  مبقلهاش كام يوم طالعة قام قايلي طيب اوكي تقدر تتفضل وقام معلم على وصل ال CIB. انت دلوأتي دخلت من باب السفارة الأمريكية. هتدخل غرفة كده ياخدو منك الموبايل ويدوك ورقة برقم علشان لما تخلص ترجع تاخده وبعدين تعدي من جهاز كده بيكشف لو في أي حاجه معدنية معاك. كان معاية اتنين جنية فضة من الجديد ده شلتهم حطيتهم على جنب وكله بقى تمام بعدها.عديناالغرفة دي بقى بتمشي في طرقة كده وبعدين بتنزل سلم وتاخد يمينك هتلاقي باب تدخل هتلاقي فرق ال DHL اللي جوه السفارة.  تاخد شمالك هتلاقي باب تاني تدخله. انت كده وصلت للمقر الاخير اللي مش هتخرج منه غير على برة السفارة على طول. أول ما هتدخل هتلاقي اتنين واقفين بياخدو منك الورق اللي هما عايزينه ( اللي هوه ايصال الدفع و السيفيس و الابليكيشنز اللي فوق و ال DS-2019 ) دي الاوراق المطلوبة لفيزا الطالب (J1 )  طبعا بتختلف في أنواع الفيزا التانية.  دبس أوراق في الجواز و الاوراق اللي أخدها حطها جوه الباسبور. واداهولي وقالي اتفضل اقعد انتظر رقمك يتنده عليه. قعدت يا دوب 10 دقايق واتنده علية.
نصيحة جانبية لوجه الله: انشغل في وقت الانتظار في الاستغفار صدقني والله ذكر ربنا في وقت زي ده بيديك ثقة في النفس عجيبة طبعا انتو حافظين قول الله عز وجل على لسان نوح " فقلت استغفروا ربكم انه كان غفارا يرسل السماء عليكم مدرارا ويمددكم بأموال وبنين ويجعل لكم جنات ويجعل لكم أنهارا" و خدو الذكر العجيب ده اللي سبحان الله ما ذكرت الله به قبل أي حاجه الا وكان التيسير من نصيبي بفضل الله ومنه " حسبي الله لا إله الا هو عليه توكلت وهو رب العرش العظيم" دول بس كلمتين كده بالنسبة للانتظار من أخ محب ليكم.
معلومة هامة: انت هتقابل تلات موظفين أمريكان بعد ما تدخل قاعة الانتظار. المهم انا استنيت 10 دقايق واتنده على رقمي لأول موظف كان شباك رقم 6. الموظف ده يا دوب وظيفته ياخد منك الورق اللي طلبه منك الموظف اللي على الباب والباسبور فقط. الموظفة مفحتش بؤها معاية يا دوب شاورتلي هات الورق أخدته ورتبته تاني وحطته على جنب وشاورتلي بمعنى تقدر تتفضل. رجعت قاعة الانتظار علشان استنى دوري في الموظف التاني.
استنيت حوالي ساعة ونص لحد ما اتنده عليه. الموظف التاني وظيفته انه ياخد بصماتك بس ما تقلقش مفيش حبر وكلام من ده ده حاجه كده الكترونية. ده كان على شباك رقم 8 بتروح تقف قدام الشباك الموظفة تتأكد انك انت اللي في الصورة وبعدين تديك الاوامر اللي تعملها علشان تاخد بصماتك. عملية سهله وبسيطة خالص. بتقولك صوابع ايدك الشمال الاربعة وبعدين اليمين وبعدين الابهامين. مع انها عملية سهله الا اني شفت ناس فضلو يعيدوا فيها كزا مرة وطولو مش عارف ليه. بعد ما بتاخد بصماتك بترجع تاني الى قاعة الانتظار علشان تستنى اللحظة الحاسمة ألا وهي مقابلة القنصل.
انا استنين حوالي ربع ساعة ولقيت دوري جه. طبعا وانت رايح استغفر وقول الذكر الجميل "حسبي الله ...." هتدخل عليه وانت مبستم كده وهيدور بينكم حوار كان معاية كالآتي, هتضطر أكتبه بالانجلش علشان الدقة مش أكتر.

Me: Hi.
Consul: Hello, you must be …..(My name)
Me: yes I'm.
Consul: Why are you going to the U.S?
Me: for a clinical rotation at University of….(name of university)
Consul: Where did you find this university?
Me: at ………
Consul: who is going to pay for your trip?
Me: My father.
Consul: What do your father do?
Me: …………….
Consul: Can I have a letter sent to you by the university?
Me: yes, that's it.
Consul: Are you going to come back to Egypt after finishing?
Me: off course I'm still a student.
Consul: can you say your name for me please?
Me: ………(My name)
Consul: your visa is ok but we wil need two weeks to issue it. Take this paper and the website to chick your status after 2 weeks and you will find "clear" that means to send your passport and this paper to the embassy by DHL. Thank you & bye bye.
Me: Thanks.
ده كل اللي  حصل معاية في السفارة الامريكية وخرجت من السفارة حوالي الساعة 10 بالزبط. حاولت أبقى دقيق على أد ما اقدر وحاولت أقول كل المعلومات اللي عرفتها في المشوار ده علشان الكل يستفيد وطبعا أخيرا انا ليه طلب صغير خالص منكو وهوه انكو تدعولي بالتوفيق والسداد في الدنيا والآخرة, و آسف على الإطالة.
One week later exactly I found on the website that my visa is approved and I need to send my passport to them through the DHL.
One week later I received my Passport with the visa on it.
Good luck for everybody,, and may Allah make the good easy.

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[SMirza]

@brother No3man, Assalamu-alaikum. Can u let me know a little bit more about the Chicago opportunity? I am looking for some USCE starting from July after i take CK. If you would kindly let me know what it's about, I could maybe start working towards it. JazakAllahu khair.

[Ahmad AbuTaka]

Dear dr. No3man..

Ma sha' Allah, great work here, i didn't get the opportunity to comment till now, yet I applied to University of Louisville and they send me Denial Alhamdollelah.. I'm to take my elective in the period from Aug 20th to Oct 23rd 2010 in sha' Allah.. I applied also to Texas Heart Institute for 1 month cardiothorasic surgery and they didn't reply back yet..

I'm still searching ! anyone has any idea.,.!?

Jazak Allah Khairan bro

[SMirza]

for those who are still in med school in 4th year or earlier, you can apply to Harvard. A month's elective is 3500$, but ofcourse Harvard is Harvard! I was dumb enough not to know that before i got my degree

[3AMR]

@ dr.no3man , Thanks for your reply.....God bless you.
@ dr.ahmad , may allah help you in your elective and i hope you could achieve the utmost benefit..why don't you apply for more universities? as case western , albany ,ucla ....long list?

[Ahmad AbuTaka]

Thanx dr. SMirza.. Actually I'm considering paid universities as a last choice, yet i heard that getting a recommendation from such universities is a little bit harder!

Dr. 3amer, Thanx. I'll do in sha' Allah once they issue their calenders...

God bless you all

[3AMR]

@ dr.no3man , how did you make your rotations in five different departments? Was it arranged before going there ? or you can simply wonder in different departments? what were these departments?
so many questions sorry for that....:$

[3AMR]

@ dr.ahmad , Can you tell us your application steps? any tips you wanna say...

[Ahmad AbuTaka]

sure... firstly i looked up the universities that accept IMGs.. I filtered the ones which don't require a USMLE step 1.. I printed the applications and to my dean's office to get them officially stamped!

I got many copies of my transcript issued, the same thing for the Dean's letter of good standing and the faculty members' recommendations... I made a health insurance and got copies from it.. of course the immunization certificates and lab slips of titers...

now, I contacted the universities that requires also a TOFEL exam (which I didn't do) and inquired about the chance to apply if I submit a letter of English proficiency by our deanship, and some (like Loiusville) said it is OK...

My big advice is to contact the university you wish to apply for before applying, as what happened with me; I was to apply to UT southwestern last week, they want an application fees of 150 $ but they didn't indicate to whom i should make it payable to. and actually i had prepared all the application but the check so I called them, she asked me what is the department you're applying for? i said surgery. so she diverted me to Surgery department, I explained that i'm an IMG and i will send my application this week, and here she said: sorry, but the department of surgery don't accept IMGs!! I told her that it's not indicated in the website, and it's like the only department that accepts us..! she replied that it should be!!

and so I save myself a lot of time and money by a .5 JD phone call...!

Dr. 3amer, are you still a student?