board requirement chart

AK,
CT,
not both

usmle step3 reg

From the Federation of State Medical Boards "USMLE [United States Medical
Licensing Examination] Step 3 FAQs [Frequently Asked Questions]" web page.
http://www.fsmb.org/stp3faq.htm

"Is postgraduate training required to sit Step 3?

Most states require that an individual have completed a portion of their
postgraduate training prior to sitting for Step 3. However, the following
states do not require postgraduate training to sit for Step 3:

Arkansas
California
Connecticut
Florida
Louisiana***
Maryland***
Nebraska*
Nevada
New York
North Carolina**
South Dakota
Texas
Utah*
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming**

*valid, indefinite ECFMG certificate required for international medical
graduates
**applies only to domestic medical graduates
***Training required at fourth attempt
..."

There are some caveats to the states listed above and other states as
well, so you should read the referenced page for the details, such as
the following.

"Will I be required to apply for a medical license when I apply to take
Step 3?

The following licensing authorities require that you apply for licensure
at the same time you are applying to take Step 3: Alabama, District of
Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New
York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin."

I have found nothing that suggests that if you have completed the USMLE
Step 3 examination you would be prohibited from a residency program in
the states not listed above.

It appears to be more a situation wherein the medical licensing authority
for which you are sitting the exam determines if they require that you have
postgraduate training prior to sitting for Step 3, rather than the other
way around.

This makes sense in that if you start your residency in Arkansas, that
allows you to take your USMLE Step 3 before you started, and then you
wanted to complete your residency in Colorado, they are not going to
stop you because you have "pretested" for the USMLE Step 3.

Back From Interviews

Back from interview
Thursday, January 12, 2006

Finally, I am done with interviews.

The places are pleasant and attractive to me. Interestingly, the prospectives from different faculty members regarding the same residency program are quite different. Some are even contrary.

BMC has large volume of surg path, almost 45k per year for total 4 interns (last year 3). Busy schedule, such as 7-8pm with occasionally 10-11pm. They had wonderful faculty members, but no research projects are really carried out, except some small translational ones with abstracts in USCAP. Location wise, it's a good choice, however, it may not be that preferable for New Yorker.

N program has strong research, but apparently fewer clinical experts. Case vollume is reasonable in my view. The advantage is the research opportunities and maybe lighter schedule. Very friendly to IMGs. I guess AMG are not interested in such a program that produces good academic pathologist. They want to practice. Board exams performance was wonderful, partially due to their low work load.

M program has busy schedule and large volume. Supporsely, it gave one of the best residency training in clinical pathology. Research was minimal but still exists. Board performance sucks the year before, however, they were aware of the problem and last-year residents did pretty well.

Both M and N have good career outcome such as pretigious fellowship.

Called PDs

Today, I called several programs for status of their process for interview.

-W: Done with all interviews, and the rank list was set. Am I on it? Dont know.
-K: They're just done with interviews the day before. The committee will review tomorrow or the day after. BTW, their interviews are all hold on Mon.
-M: Not done with interviews till Jan 30. Have to wait...
-MS: Not done with interview till late Jan. Wait...
-N: Done with and had a good talk with PD. We'll both rank high. Also almost arrange an obervership, that'll enhance my experience.
-B: Good talk with PD. Nice person. Unfortunately, they did not have the pre-match available for me. Coz she took the offer. BTW, I met her at our interview with N.

Good Luck to all of our fellow residency candidates.

Interview Tips [adapted]

bbb
IM Program Coordinator

One of my favorite topics!! The scores are a guideline for the program directors to know that you can pass the exams, and ultimately become board certified in any of the specialties of medicine. Remember that the time that you are in the interview is the time that you have to make your sale - YOU.

"Eighty percent of success is showing up" Woody Allen

Here is a subject that hopefully will help a number of you present yourself in an extremely positive light.

The first four items are your homework - things to prepare on prior to the interview. You need to know your answers before you are sitting in the hot seat, in front of the program director that you want to work with.

The last four work with your behaviour during an interview. Again, you need to them answers and behaviours to seem like they were born
inside you and not learned.

Self: Who are you, what are your ideas about life? What do you want, where are you going. This is about you NOW.

History: This is your personal history. Think about how you came to be where you are in life up to now. What made you become who you are.

Originality: What makes you different from the other candidates that the program director will be interviewing - what can you pull from
your history that was importante and makes you unique?

Philosophy of Life: How do you describe what you feel about life? (Please don't bring up that you want to serve the poor and indigent because that isn't different from the other candidates...).

The above is your homework before the interview - you need to have the answers right there - no thinking, no "eers" and "ummmms" in the conversation please!!

Now - when in the interview, you will be asked questions, sit tall in your chair. Gentlemen, undo the button of your jacket. Ladies, cross your legs at the ankles and place your purse or bag on the floor. The chair is your world. Don't share it. Own it.

Tell: Answer the questions to the best of your ability!

Illustrate: Use gestures, speak eye to eye (don't try and look in both eyes as you will be looking between the two of them. One of my residents told me that he looks for about 10 seconds at the left eye, then 10-20 seconds at the right - and switches back and forth. Makes it look like you are really interested). If you use hand gestures, keep them consistent through the whole interview.

Manage: Match your enthusiasm level to the same level as the interviewer, but somehow show your interest. You don't want to be the low person on this one. (We still refer to one applicant as the "starer" because he didn't blink, show any enthusiasm and in our post interview meeting, the PD wanted to know if a code should have run on the applicant because of his lack of response).

Engage: Offer contact (eye contact and physical). Shake hands at the beginning of the interview and the end. Don't have a wimpy or weak handshake. Don't have a wet handshake (yes, a weak wet handshake might get the comment "fishy handshake") on your interview score sheet. Firm, but don't break bones. One shake is plenty.

Ladies, the same goes for you. Not a polite tea party handshake, please. I know that certain religions prohibit contact between males and females who are not married or related and I don't want to offend anyone, but a PD who puts his hand out to shake with you, and if you pull back (don't pull back, be matter of fact) and say that you can't because of religious reasons; the PD is going to wonder how you will be able to work in this country and not touch a male patient (because, although the PD wants the best people that he can hire, he still has to think about how you will relate to the patient population). Will you shake hands with a male patient who comes to see you professionally? (If this is your case, your best defense might be to explain that although you can't touch a man in the social area, but that won't reflect on your abilities as a doctor because the rules are different.)

Conclude the interview with a quick overview of why you want to work in this city and program. Make it strong. Remember, that while you are interviewing you are on sale - and you are the best salesperson that you could have.

More is added

Added in more links, including text, atlas, and journal.

I will add in more links to general medical journals.

First note

This is the very first note.

The blog is dedicated to my coming pathology career.