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Has anyone used Chicago clerkships for usce??? - defeatthebeast
#11
I used them for 1 month (peds). It was 90% outpatient, which is fine because (from my perspective) in the clinic I was able to examine/evaluate patients and after 1 week even make prescriptions (under doctor's acc). It will never happen in hospital (I think so). I did it because I needed visa sponsorship and has not had any people I know in US (those doctor's I e-mailed didn't respond). So as it was mentioned above - if you have somebody to shadow it's probably better (because it's free), but here you can have some kind of "hand'on" experience. Another thing I liked is that they help with CV and PS (I worked out around 4-5 editions of each and it took around 2 months after rotation). I believe that it's of big importance for IMGs who simply cannot write everything right without help (again if you have someone who not only proficient in language but also knows specifics of residency application you can save money).

Bottomline I ended up with "some weird hand on experience" + edited CV and PS for 2200 + letter for b1/b2 visa application + live classes for ERAS application.

I know nothing about other companies however, so my opinion could be biased.
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#12
Talking from personal experience here. I’ll try to be as objective as I can.

You need to be really careful with this people. They try to compensate competitiveness with niceness. The day before starting my rotation I had a meeting with the woman (not a lady by my standards) in charge of this company. She turned really nervous when I asked about malpractice coverage. She told me that I had it, but she didn't give me a copy of such or even showed me any certification. It was a little weird and I started doubting about the credentials of this company. I was lucky no medical negligence happened during my time over there. If you’re planning to give it a go with them, ASK for a copy of such coverage even before paying, or you might end up screwed for the rest of your career in this country.

After I paid the deposit they sent me some sort of a brochure where it showed the details of the rotation. It said R*** University Medical Center… with "sporadic" call. I was really excited about attending such prestigious institution. The reality was much different as they sent me to a "site" where one of the physicians that work in that medical center runs an outpatient office clinic, supposedly affiliated to the university. So they really know how to bend the features of what they technically offer you originally in a very misleading way. I never even once in my entire rotation took a step into that medical center. I swear I don’t know how it looks from the outside. Huge disappointment. Again, ASK them a detailed and signed curriculum of the everyday activities and places in which you'll be rotating if you decide to hire their services.

After I returned home I tried to contact the doctor's office through email probably 15 times, and no reply. Incredibly unprofessional. I had to call the woman that manages the company to have my LOR uploaded. So if you’re gonna take your chances with this people, get as many emails and phone numbers as you can before leaving. You're gonna need them.

Is it worth it? See for yourself. One year later after Chicago, I participated in a FREE observership in a real medical center in Ohio. I mean, it had residents and stuff. I had a wonderful experience and learned a lot, not to mention I got my name listed in a publication and obtained a couple of LORs. Then again, I was lucky to know an attending that sponsored me to get that rotation.

Also, consider the legislation that emerged regarding what somebody without a license can and can’t do during externships. Don’t break the law.

Would I do it again and pay those people for that experience? No. Better and trustworthier options out there for sure.

Good luck.
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#13
Theses "services" are all outpatient.

Very rare for inpatient services because that usually requires more money from the "services" part.
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#14
I know someone who paid $2000 for an "externship" to be arranged with a US physician, and later an LOR. When he arrived he was informed he cannot touch the patients due to insurance issues and it was more of an observership. Still he can put that on his resume although he still waiting to get the actual LOR from the physician.

People are desperate to get any sort of USCE and some doctors/entrepreneurs have gotten together to make it a business.
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#15
You can find information about AMIQT and our clinical rotations for International Medical Students at https://amiqt.wordpress.com/.

President of AMIQT, Dr. Peter Bernad http://www.neuro-doc.com/, is board certified in neurology and welcomes students to participate in month-long rotations and observerships with him and highly qualified colleagues. If students are interested in multiple specialties, we can accommodate them.

For further information, please contact me directly:
2112 F St. NW Suite 303
Washington, DC 20037
202-728-0099
rubyamiqt
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