How to get US Clinical Experience for IMGs | USCE Vlog at Mayo Clinic

Hey everyone! 😁
Come join me as I finish up my second week as I rotate in the department of gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic. I also give a brief guide towards how you could obtain US Clinical Electives. Feel free to comment and engage in discussion if you have any questions about electives.
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📝 Outline:
00:00 Intro
02:20 Importance of US Electives
03:13 How many should I apply to?
03:58 How can I find electives?
04:57 What are the Requirements?
06:13 Wrapping up my Second Week
07:07 Outro
📝 Links mentioned in the video:
- VSAS: students-residents.aamc.org/visiting-student-learning-opportunities/visiting-student-learning-opportunities-1
- AAMC Immunization form: www.aamc.org/media/23441/download
- IMG Charting Outcomes for the 2020 Match (statistics shown): www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Charting-Outcomes-in-the-Match-2020_IMG_final.pdf
🙋🏻‍♂️ Who am I?
I'm Khaled, a final-year medical student, and I make videos on quite a few different topics within the scope of medicine such as reacting and breaking down medical shows, studying for exams, discussing important health issues, etc... I hope that my videos help you in any way, shape, or form and that you enjoy them regardless of your background.
Medicine is quite the challenging topic, but I don't see why we can't enjoy it together!
🎵 Music:
Intro music: Lukrembo - Biscuit
Disclaimer: The information and education material contained herein is meant to promote the general understanding of medical topics by healthcare professionals and related parties. Such information is not meant or intended to serve as a substitute for a healthcare professional's clinical training, experience, or judgment. For patient’s care or regarding your own health please consult your doctor or refer to the most recent evidence based practice.

[@asz6965]

I miss you so much Khalid and the rest of the guys. Hope to meet you soon.

[@wadhahalabdi9098]

proud of you

[@subhi7945]

So informative ... thanks for sharing 🙏🏼

[@Khalemedic]

You're most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@imranbhatti3174]

How to apply for Mayo rotations as non US IMG.?

[@adnankaka540]

JazakaAllah bro for informative video, I am also final year medical student Done with step1 and now aiming to do electives in US but I don't have any links in US nor my university is in the list so please help me how I can apply for electives....thanks in advance 😊

[@adaildsouza]

Hey, have a quick question. I've been reading in a couple of places about the Dress policy of Mayo Clinic. I will be rotating at Thoracic Oncology, Rochester and wanted to know if there's any rules regarding wearing scrubs/ colors or is it mandatory to wear Formals only. Thank you!

[@Khalemedic]

Hey, so I am not familiar about the specific dress policy. It would be best to ask the respective department and rotation coordinators. Best of luck!

[@mahmoudahmed-hf6mb]

would it help if I made those electives in clinic or small hospital cuz I got a relative in California but where he lives there no That much hospitals ?

[@Khalemedic]

It’s really hard to say. I think that’s a decision you have to come to yourself or getting more second opinions. I don’t really know.

[@assyledKING]

Hello doc, great to see you literally run towards your dream! :'D Just a quick question .. Can OET be a substitute for TOEFL?

[@Khalemedic]

Thank you! If your question relates to electives, I would recommend you email the program coordinator to ask. Different places have different policies. Sometimes, you can even substitute the test for a letter of English study.

[@yumnahatem2198]

I have my mind set on applying for IM residency then a cardiology fellowship afterwards. Right now I am organizing at least 1 elective rotation, Would you recommend for it to be in cardiology or internal medicine?or both?

[@nameeraahmad]

How do we get electives if our school Isn’t on the VSLO list??

[@Khalemedic]

I mentioned alternatives to VSLO in the video.

[@romagoklani1388]

can you tell what are links or emails so i can get observership opportunity in mayo clinic rochester. i do not know how to apply for observership in mayo clinic rochester

[@Khalemedic]

The link to VSAS is in the description. That’s what I used to apply to different electives. Your medical school needs to purchase a subscription to allow students to use it.

[@shaikwahidasulthana2458]

Great video, If I want to do elective in 2024 . When should I have to start the whole process of applying for elective?

[@Khalemedic]

Typically for international medical students, try to plan ahead by at least 3-6 months for your elective. This is not a strict rule and may vary from program to program.

[@shaikwahidasulthana2458]

@@Khalemedic thank you for the reply

[@anamasif3553]

CAN U TELL HOW CAN ONE GET INSURANCE/HIPPA/OSHA?

[@Khalemedic]

Search on google “HIPAA and OSHA Courses” and you should find some courses giving out certificates provided you pay a fee and take an exam. For medical malpractice insurance, just search “medical malpractice insurance for medical students” and you should find a lot of different prices available.

[@mohamddaoud4402]

i am a 6 grade medical student in ukraine there is any another way i can get an elective regardless of my university because i cant reach them right now

[@Khalemedic]

Hmm, I don't really have the best answer to give to be honest. Try reaching out to any of your seniors who may have pursued a similar pathway. I wish I had a better answer to give! Best of luck!

[@mohammadmansour4482]

What about doing electives in specialtiy outside the specialtiy you are applying to, i was able to secure 2 months of electives in an excellent uni program; one of them in specialtiy i am applying to after graduation and another in a different specialty. What do you recommend? Should i do 1 month in specialtiy i am applying to or 2 months; one of them outside the specialtiy am applying to.

[@Khalemedic]

In my opinion, I think it's better than not doing anything during that month if you have the financial capability. My reasoning is mainly around the idea that although it may not be in the specialty you're interested in applying to, you are still attaining US clinical experience. For an IMG, this is still beneficial. Bear in mind that this is my opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt.

[@anna26970]

Hello! I've a question please, am I eligible to apply for electives as an american citizen studying at an international medical school?

[@Khalemedic]

Yes, you should be able to. It also depends on the policies of your medical school.

[@abcd-fw2fd]

We as stydents going for rotations in us...and if suppose my knowledge is not at par with whats required...i will be dismissed?just a query

[@Khalemedic]

You are a student. You are there to learn. Of course, there are things you could do to prepare for the rotation like reading and understanding the management of the cases you're likely to see on the rotation. I recommend you don't spend time thinking about being dismissed and rather approaching the rotation with an open mind and eager desire to learn.

[@abcd-fw2fd]

@@Khalemedic thanks Glad to hear as my college hasnt still started clinics and i wanna do electives now before it gets busy

[@user-wt9ut2fn2u]

Sir, is it possible to submit step2 score for applying to clerkship?

[@Khalemedic]

It depends from program to program. Some programs request it while others may be indifferent.

[@yahyayoyo146]

Are my grades in medicine school important for matching?

[@Khalemedic]

Transcripts remain a difficult part for programs to use in order to judge part of an applicant’s application. There’s no standard and IMGs may suffer the most in this regard if they come from lesser known medical schools (if known at all). There are no statistics about the importance of the transcript so no one can say for sure how much they affect your score. However, I do think if you have a few questionable scores in some of your grades, I would make a conscious effort to prepare for any questions about it to demonstrate your strengths and opportunities of growth. I hope this answers your question!

[@elmaherito7671]

Can i take elective by step 2 instead of step 1 ?

[@Khalemedic]

It just depends on the institution you're appying to rotate at.

[@Zcgdsvhugde]

What are the visa requirements?

[@Khalemedic]

For electives, they are usually B1/B2.

[@ARMYYYYin2025gonnahitdifferent]

Sir,Can a graduate do sub internship or electives? Or only they can do externship? And what is the duration of Sub internship and externship?

[@Khalemedic]

Graduate medical students can only do externiships such as observerships. Medical students who have not yet graduated can do sub-internships and electives. A sub internship is typically 4 weeks long but may vary from program to program.

[@tahanayyar1182]

Can we get a match without the us clinical expérience??

[@Khalemedic]

It's certainly possibly according to the latest NRMP match data for IMGs. However, it vastly varies based on the targeted specialty. Take a look through the document and check out the specialty you're interested in to get a better idea.

[@nadakhalil9769]

Is it too competitive to get an elective at mayo clinic?

[@Khalemedic]

I would say it's always worth a try. I don't have any numbers about how likely it is for an IMG to get a rotation there unfortunately.

[@shaikwahidasulthana2458]

Great video Is it possible to get electives for free without step 1 & OET?

[@Khalemedic]

I’m not too sure. Generally, most places accept applications with step 1 and OET when I was applying.

[@shaikwahidasulthana2458]

Ok thanks for the reply

[@shaikwahidasulthana2458]

⁠@@Khalemedic Do you have any idea on Maimonides medical centre that will it require step 1 & oet?

[@Khalemedic]

@@shaikwahidasulthana2458 I’d recommend reading the institution’s website and/or emailing them if the information you’re looking for is not there.

[@shaikwahidasulthana2458]

@@Khalemedic ok thanks for the reply

[@komaldiptianandmaisuriya4301]

Is vslo is the only pathway to use for getting usce at mayo?

[@Khalemedic]

To my knowledge, yes.

[@yumnahatem2198]

I have my mind set on applying for IM residency then a cardiology fellowship afterwards. Right now I am organizing at least 1 elective rotation, Would you recommend it to be in cardiology or in internal medicine? or both?

[@Khalemedic]

If you could get both, that always helps. For cardiology fellowship, there’s lots of other things they focus on as opposed to an elective you did during the end of your medical school. I don’t believe you could go wrong with either choice so long as you’re able to get a great experience from the elective as well as some letters of recommendation.

[@yumnahatem2198]

@@Khalemedic Thank you so much!