Kindly help me -

[ArchivalUser]

Siva

Dear Friends,

Thanks a lot for all your messages. I am really enjoying this forum.

Here is my story.I graduated in India in 1994 and studied for 2 years and got MS ENT in the meantime I finished my PLAB.

I came to UK and did my FRCS(ENT) in a year since I had all the requirements.They told me I am very good candidate and will get into registrar program easily so I concentrated in doing reserch during my working hours. Finally I managed to publish 6 papers and even presented twice in American Academy of Otolaryngological society.

I was shortlisted 8 times and went for the interview if a local candidate is there the job goes to him because interview is totally subjective and they manipulate and give the job to him.The feedback they gave me was the other guy is excepational.

Finally I decided UK is not a land for foreigners and decided to take USMLE.

I was totally depressed by the things which happened to me here.

Here are the questions
1)Kindly let me know how difficult is ENT in US has anybody got it?

2) IS it worth changing the speciality since it is difficult to get a ENT residency in states?

3) IS it worth moving out of UK?

4) I got a fellowship in Rhinology in University of Georgia and it is for 2 years and they are offering me J1 Visa should I take that will it be a problem to stay in US after doing it?

5) I am 33 now is age a problem?

Kindly do not mistake me if any graduate from UK is in the forum.

Thanks in advance

[ArchivalUser]

Tarun

Hai Shiva,
I am one of the post PLAB Doctors in UK ,waiting for a job for 8 months.I also fell that UK is not a Favourite Ground for Doctors anymore.Planning to take USMLE .Need your advice ....
Cheers.

[ArchivalUser]

Emmy

United States is the land of immigrants. You are most welcome here. Regarding your post fellowship status your best bet is to consult qualified immigration attorneys in the US who are in a better position to advise you as per current laws. Immigration laws in the US has changed drastically following September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on US.

If you pass all the steps of the USMLE you will most likely get a place especially with your UK clinical exposures. You need high scores to get into surgical residencies of any kind but your prior UK postgraduate/research training would be an advantage here. Age is not a factor. My advice is to do the USMLE steps and come over to the US. Your chances of getting ahead in medicine is greater in this country than any other place in the world.

Goodluck doctor.

[ArchivalUser]

Emmy

Direct anwers to your questions:

1. IMGs are regularly accepted into surgical residencies (ENT inclusive) depending on availability of positions and other factors. It is not an impossible dream.

2. You can change specialty if you wish but if ENT is your dream go for it and be hopeful; you might just be lucky and get a place. I will not switch specailty simply because of perceived competition. I will do everything in my power to make myself competetitive for the position by aiming for high scores in the USMLE steps.

3. Yes, you need to leave UK immediateley beacuse your chances of succeding is greater in America.

4. Accept the offer without futher delay and in the meantime retain a qualified immigration attorney who can advise you regarding possible adjustment of status along the way.
5. Age is not a problem; more over you are still relatively young. So doctor come on to the free world and live your dream.

[ArchivalUser]

kiddyfriend

One thing you should be aware of though. With J1 visa you will have to return for at least 24 months after you're done with training!!!
You should get more info about that because I only remember that little piece of info. Go to the us immigration website and try to find out there. Do not only rely on what people tell, they might remember wrong (like I might remember wrong). If necessary call the US embassy. Immigration and US visas nowadays are so tricky and filled with traps, you really have to be on top of that.

[ArchivalUser]

Siva

Dear friends,

Thanks a lot for your advice and I am feeling better.I have started studying for Step 1, planning to take it in the last week of Oct 2004

[ArchivalUser]

ani

Like you I am a FMG and have experience of both UK and US. You have to accept that you are in a very competitive specailty which is so both in US and UK. It is simply not true that everyone who works hard gets what they want in USA; most do not, and for many it remains a dream. There is competition everywhere and you must fight to be the best. The 'manipulation' you refer to that favours local candidates also exists in USA (and I suspect in your country too - you would not expect to apply to your med school and not get a job). I know of at least 20 disheartened surgeons in UK who like you went over to US in frustration and only one of these got into surgery, the rest are mainly in FP or IM. ENT is lucrative and has a good quality of life so is highly desired. Indeed I think ENT is one of those specialites that openly acknowledges that a high step 1 score is essential to gain entry (please check this though).

I think you have to ask yourself what you are seeking and that will determine what you do

-If you want to be an ENT attending in UK/US then be aware that coming to USA will not necessarily achieve that - indeed on balance of probability you will not achieve this in US.
- If you just want to settle in US regardless of speciality then you should take USMLE and accept that you may end up in a less desired specialty and be prepared to accept it
- If just want to settle in a western country, and you are willing to change speciality in order to gain this, then consider UK options too. Being a FP doctor in a less desired inner city or rural area may provide you with no better life compared to being a GP or A nd E consultant in England. Be aware that although america is more open to immigrants, and that you are more likely to excel and have your merit rewarded, there is far more racial awareness and segregation in US compared to UK. USA may not necessarily offer you a better quality of life.
-If your goal is to return to you country then the 2 year fellowship is an attractive option as you will obtain the training you need.
-If you go to US on J1 you WILL have to return to your hope country after your residency unless you have a chairman willing to retain you or you manage to get round immigration laws. I have a colleague from india who like you went to US and did 3 yr fellowship then had to return to India for 2 years before coming back to start an accredited residency program.

Regardless of your reasons, I think you must realise that grass always looks greener on the other side. I have American colleagues here who envy my UK surgical training and ask how they can go and spend a year in the UK. I know 3 people who like you left UK and came to US but returned back to UK (two to take staff grade positions) because going to USA had not fufilled their dreams. Similarly I have american colleagues who envy my UK surgical training and ask how they can go out and spend a year in the UK. Remember surgeon residents in most programs never do an operation without the attending present.

Nothing comes easy. You are in a competitve speciality - remember even local candidates have left ENT because they too cannot get jobs. You just have to keep striving to be better; if you are the best you have to fight to convince people to accept you. The fact that you have had 8 shortlists in UK means that you ARE a very strong candidate; I suspect that if you keep trying, and more importantly work to excel on your interview technique then you will get an SpR job. I myself was in a similar position to you some years ago and got a job. You really have to fight (as you have been doing) to achieve success in a very competitive field - you have to assume that you will be that one who will succeed. At the stage you are now it may be that chancies of succeeding (in ENT) may be higher if you stayed in the UK.

[ArchivalUser]

medico04

hi shiva, its nice to know that you have done a fellowship in rhinology and doing a great job there. i did my graduation in 2000 and did D.L.O in india[MMC] during that time i did plab1. and i came to US thinking this would be a better place than U. now i taking step1 in oct end as you are doing. and ia m interested in surgical field which is tough to get in. onething is that whereever it is, it is only perseverance and hard work which pays on a long run.i now realise that it would take years to settle down here. i think you hve a great future here , but be optimistic when you might have to go through a lot of hurdles before you reach your goal.. all the best for mle 1.keep in touch. now i have started to forget ent without any clinical touch.

[ArchivalUser]

thanks

Thanks for yr above comprehensive information .
I have one q .
I have 2 legal passports(ie I am a citizen of two countries ) . If I have already had US visa in one passport,can I change to another passport ? Will it be cancelled if I change to another passport.I am now in trouble. I don't know what shd I do . The reason that I change to another passport is that I will discard the previous one,coz I have to pay a lot of money yearly . Thanks for yr help .