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Electives-FAQs

  • Which Documents we get after electives?
  • You should try to get a proof of your elective from the university. Some do give LORs and some dont... if you dont impress them. Its always better to get a LOR alongwith an Evaluation form signed....for your college...even if your college does not require it. For further details on it and regarding its sample, please visit the Electives section. back to top
    • When to apply for electives?
    • As soon as you can....although many good universities do not fill spots on "first come first serve basis" but even then I dont think there is any point of waiting and delaying your application when all the documents are ready. First complete your application and documents, double check them and send them.
    • It is advisable to apply 8-10 months in advance but you can also be accepted by applying even 4-6 months before the starting date of electives. back to top
  • Where to go for electives?
  • First of all get electives wherever you find them and if you are lucky enough to have multiple acceptances.... it depends upon what are your priorities...
    • which specialty you have your electives in? is it in your specialty of choice? the first thing....
    • is it in a top university program? the second factor...
    • is it in a state where you want to live in with some relatives/friends? This can be the first factor for many of you....

      best of luck! back to top

    • Is there any use of electives in fields other than field/specialty of interest?
    • Yes it is always better to have SOMEthing than NOthing but its always better to secure a elective in the specialty of your choice. A Medicine/ Medicine sub-specialty LOR would be better than an Opthalmology LOR for applying into a IM program but again Opthalmology LOR is better than no LOR for IM residency... back to top
    • How many weeks of electives/ number of electives are enough/sufficient?
    • 1 month- something is better than nothing
      3 months- good
      6 months- very very good
      1 year- ideal

      These hold true for clinical fields like IM/FP/Surgery etc

      Any question you ask regarding steps, electives, research etc.......its answer would depend on one simple fact.... which specialty you want to pursue your medical career....e.g clinical electives are always considered superior to research electives for surgery/medicine fields but research electives/ research carry far more weightage than clinical electives in feilds like Pathology, Radiology etc. first finalise your specialty and then go through the residency programs of that field to see their eligibility requirements....best of luck! back to top

  • How to get a sponsor for electives
  • For Henry Ford:
     You  can   contact  the  faculty  members  by  the  emails. You  cant  find  the  email   addresses  of  the faculty on  the  website, but you can  find  the  names of  faculty members on  it.
       Go to www.henryford.com  and then go to 'Find Doctors'.
     There  is  a  formula  for  determining  the email  addresses  from  their  first  and  second  names.
    So, what  you  need  to do to  get  the  email  ID  of  a  faculty  is  using the   FIRST LETTER  OF  THE  FIRST  NAME  and  FIRST SIX  LETTERS  OF  THE  2ND  NAME  and  THEN ADDING  1  before  @hfhs.org
    For  example,  If  the  name  of  Faculty  is  Steven Harrison,  then the  email  ID    will  be     sharris1@hfhs.org  (same  thing: FIRST LETTER  OF  THE  FIRST  NAME  and  FIRST SIX  LETTERS  OF  THE  2ND  NAME  and  THEN ADDING  1  before  @hfhs.org)
    You must always  send  your  CV  in the email  for request of sponsor, stating your  purpose  and desire to do electives  in  Henry Ford.
    You  should  send  emails to  a  number  of  faculty  members,  because  only  a  few  one  are  going  to  reply  you  back.
    While  emailing  anyone, whether  its  elective  coordinator  or  faculty  member, dont  start  with  words  like  madam/sir. You  can  always  start  with  words  like  Dear Dr. Harrison.    
    For Emory:
      The  email IDs  are  available  on  their  website,  in  the  faculty  corner of  each  department.
    Again, you  should  email  as  many faculty  members as  you  can  with  your  CV, because  only  a  few  one  are  going to answer  you. You should not email without attaching your CV. back to top
    • How can I improve my chances for acceptance for electives in any medical school?
    • I believe TOEFL/ USMLE step 1 are big plus points but a good CV and good personal statement alongwith good documentation and proper filling of application forms are far more important. Its the combination of all these which counts.
    • TOEFL is not a bad deal for 165 $. Hundreds of dollars are spent in application fees and thousands of dollars in tuition fees and if you spend mere 165 $ for TOEFL it increases your chances tremendously. Moreover it opens many new good new places for you that have no fees e.g NIH. back to top
    • What is the cost of malpractice coverage
    • As far as malpractice is concerned... it depends upon the insurance company you are using...e.g some local companies offer insurance only for their local universities... so obviously you need to buy separate insurance if you are applying to multiple universities...but some do offer a combined package but they charge extra depending upon the no of universities and the duration of coverage....as far as I know academic insurance is the most cheap and suitable one and they offered insurance for one uni for around 200 $ for 8 weeks I guess but if you give them a list of about 10 uni... it is about 400 $ for 8 weeks... I might be wrong in figures...anyways there are some insurance companies who offer you insurance that holds true for all the US med schools... if you get one of this type, you dont mention the name of school while you are filling out their forms... it holds good for every university...and you just need to send a photocopy or simply a print out of the soft copy to the elective co-ordinators. back to top
      • Which malpractice coverage I should go for?
      • Depends upon u...If you are interested in medical assistant student insurance (which is not a 'true' medical student insurance but even then recommended by all the seniors) then go for hpso.com or proliability.com. If you are interested in genuine medical student insurance then undoubtedly www.academicins.com is the best, I like both their professionalism as well as their comparatively affordable quotes i.e about 250- 350 $ as compared to others 1050-1250 $. back to top
  • How much TOEFL helps for electives?
  • TOEFL is not a bad deal for 150 $. Hundreds of dollars are spent in application fees and thousands of dollars in tuition fees and if you spend mere 150 $ for TOEFL it increases your chances tremendously. Moreover it opens many new good new places for you that have no fees(see below).
    Following universities require or prefer toefl
  • NIH(requires TOEFL)
    Wisconsin(requires TOEFL)
    Northwestern(requires TOEFL)
    Uni of Massachusettes(requires TOEFL)
    Uni of Cincinnati(requires TOEFL)
    Vermont(requires TOEFL)
    TUFTS(requires TOEFL)
  • Yales(prefers TOEFL)
    Harvard(prefers TOEFL)

Moreover there are many more universities that prefers TOEFL. I strongly recommend giving TOEFL as soon as possible for everyone going for electives. back to top

  • How much score do I need to get in TOEFL?
  • The more score you get in TOEFL, the better it is....they have no cut off value, usually anything above 90 is very good and above 100 is considered exceptional....but make sure you score evenly good in all 4 aspects...rather than being at the top in 3 and at the bottom in any 1....that is try to score in late 20s out of 30 in all the 4 sections of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Best of luck! back to top
  • How much USMLE Step 1 help for electives?
  • USMLE Step 1 increases your chances tremendously for electives. Its always good if you have given USMLE step 1 but I wont recommend giving step 1 for electives as steps score is the primary thing and electives are the secondary factor for residency...u cant risk the primary factor for the secondary factor.... back to top
  • Can I get a acceptance after rejection?
  • Yes you can. Try requesting change in dates or change in specialty/field of elective to the elective co-ordinator after rejection. Usually they are quite helpful 'esp after rejection'...they try to accommodate you. Just play your cards well!
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  • How can I improve my CV?
    • What u can do to improve ur CV depends upon your specialty of choice. Following is the priority list for Internal Medicine:

      1. Clinical Electives(or any other USCE) in IM or any subspecialty
      2. Longtime Research+ Publications in IM or any subspecialty
      3. Short-term Research+ Publications in IM or any subspecialty
      4. Longtime Research without publication in IM or any subspecialty.
      5. Short-term Research without publication in IM or any subspecialty
      6. Research Elective without publication in IM or any subspecialty.
      7. Clinical Electives in any other field.
      8. Longtime Research+ Publications in any specialty
      9. Short-term Research+ Publications in any specialty
      10. Longtime Research without publication in any specialty.
      11. Short-term Research without publication in any specialty
      12. Research Elective without publication in any specialty.

      If you fulfil any of the first 3 in some good program... you have a strong chance of getting an interview call from there and then its upto you to impress them during interview and before it now.......

      I have set the priority list especially for IM according to the best of my knowledge.
      back to top

  • Is there any use of doing short-term research/observership/electives?
  • Always remember if there is not a disadvantage of something....there is always some advantage... SOMEthing is always better than NOthing....every achievement/ hard work does pay back sooner or later....

    So whatever you can get...grab that opportunity and learn to convert half chances to complete ones....always remember....every experience in life teaches you a useful lesson for the future experiences of life....so they are not wasted...they carry the same importance as your school carried for your college and ur college carried for ur medical college... nothing is useless....never run away from any experience....grab whatever you can get and then have faith in yourself and your hard work.... always remember.....chances are not available....they are always created my dear....and if you find one...dont miss it....and if you made use of one....never regret it... it can never be 'useless'! You would realize this later my dear friend....go for everything u can get....best of luck!
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    • On which visa to go for electives/ which visa we need for electives?
    • Depends upon the University you are applying to.......most of the Universities sponsor B1/ B2 visa but now due to some of the recent changes in the Visas many universities require you to come on J visa even for electives. You can apply for visa once you have received the acceptance letter. If you have received the acceptance letter, then you should contact the electives co-ordinator of the respective university and confirm their visa requirements and then apply for that category of visa! If you wish to come to USA for any of the following reasons, you can apply for B1 or B2 Visitor VISA. (Visiting your relatives/friends, medical treatment, Attending meeting, company sponsored training).
      Business related visitors can only apply for B1. Others can apply for B2.
      The purpose of your VISIT should be short term and you should have permanent residence in the home country (in your case Pakistan).
      To obtain B1/B2 VISA, the visitor should show strong evidence to prove that their intention is just to visit USA and their stay in US will only be temporary. Also, they should submit the documents to prove that they have strong base in their home country and will return from US within the permitted time.
      Documents for B1 Visitor Visa
      • Letter from your sponsor. US company or organization explaining the purpose of your visit, duration etc.
      • Supporting documents from you to explain the purpose of the visit. If your visit is for the company purpose, you need the letter from your company.
      • Supporting documents from you. To prove that you have strong tip up with your home country (Bank statements, Family details, employment details)
      • VISA application form. - (Form DS-156)
      • Valid Passport
      • 2 Photographs
      • Visa fee
        I hope this will help you.
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    • Should I go for electives on a J1 visa?
    • If u dont find elective anywhere there is no harm in doing one at J1... Some places like Mount Sinai require it for electives...
      I would prefer a elective in mount sinai than no elective at all but keep in mind J1 is also a very big hurdle.
      back to top
    • Is step 1 necessary for observership/electives?
    • No its not at all necessary to give step 1 before observerships/electives, I myself did an observership in internal medicine in 2007 and I had not given USMLE step 1 then.
      Although step 1 increases chances tremendously for electives/observership but it is not compulsory in many universities. Observership/Electives may or may not require your USMLE steps.
      back to top
  • Am I late for electives?
  • You are late only if you have graduated because once you have graduated you cant do any more electives otherwise you can never be late...I would say even if there is 0.0000001% chance, dont miss it becz if you miss it....there would be no chance not even this 0.000001%, SOMEthing is better than NOthing my dear!!!
    Its never late. Although its better to be pro-active but dont consider yourself to be late if you had been not. Although it is recommended to start applying 8-10 months in advance but I have seen people being accepted while applying just 2-3 months in advance whereas many people are rejected applying 10 months in advance. So the thing that counts the most is your luck, so always keep praying for yourself and others.
  • Plz go ahead! never waste time in thinking... you always have a chance... there is nothing like impossible or 0 % chance... as I mentioned I know people who even got accepted by sending applications just 2-3 months before...so never miss a chance... whenever you find one grab it.... and whenever there is a half-chance... convert it into a complete one...best of luck!!!

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Ankita (not verified)

Wed, 04/28/2010 - 08:56

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sir i'd like to knw abt the universities which req step1.. 

i havent given step 1 ..

what are the chances getting electives ? can i gt an exemption or is it mandatory ?

pls if you could find tym n tell wt universities have never accepted w/o step 1 i.e its mandatory for them 

and which ones can exempt ?

thank u ..


Visitor (not verified)

Wed, 04/28/2010 - 15:56

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umar bhai i am about to apply to nyu. i am in my 3rd nw in lahore, and would be in my fourth yr at the time of elective. 

frslty i wanted to ask that what should i write in the deans letter or faculty letter that i have to get signed by the professor

secondly they are asking for the dates od core clerkships which includes phsiciatry and surgery which i have not done till nw in third yr what to right in that?

You need to go to your college administration and simply inform them that you need a transcript. It contains dean's letter, dates of core clerkships etc. You can find a sample of transcript in the following link but I dont think you need it; your college must already be having a sample of transcript according to which they can issue you your transcript.

can i just simply write dates in the application even if they donot exist like obs/gy which is nt dne until 5th yr and i am in 3rd yr ..nyu is nt asking for any wriiten proof just a date mentioning on the form

1. Why you have to write dean's letter or faculty letter? It is written by the dean himself... usually the administrative staff/ clerks write it themselves... I dont think u need to know what to write in it... its their job!

2. you don't mention the clerkships that you have not yet done... in the transcript...

Dr. M (not verified)

Fri, 05/07/2010 - 01:37

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Dear Umar bhai,

I need some help regarding a form I'm filling for emory. in the college section it leaves a blank for the date of OSHA certification. Can i just fill in any date and get my college admin to sign it? if so, how are dates given for OSHA, as in month/year or a span is given?

Also, they need full documentation of hep b. i've lost mine, so is an antibody titer acceptable in stead?

Your website is an excellent source of information! You've done a great job by getting all the info together in one place. Thank you very much

Dr. M

Thanks a lot for your kind words.

It is DATE of OSHA certification... so you don't mention any duration.. just date whenever you got certified...

I think so... hep B antibody titer should be sufficient...

5dns (not verified)

Wed, 05/12/2010 - 22:18

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Hi umar bhai,

i been reading your site all day, its really informative and inspiring. I am currently finishing my internship ( less 2 months left), i just found out about electives . I want to do electives by pausing internship for as long as necessary, is this recommended? Since my time is limited , i need to apply those programs that pretty much have the highest chances of accepting? Could you suggest any locations?? Are Harvard electives hard to get accepted into? I am rushing together as many applications as i can, should i take the toefl and apply coolly or rush ahead with what i have?

 Thanks a lot for this site.

Thanks a lot for your kind words.  I don't have much info about internships. I dont think there are any programs with highest chances of accepting... anyone else can comment otherwise... toefl definitely improves your chances of acceptance... try your best and then hope for the best!

ANNU (not verified)

Thu, 05/13/2010 - 03:47

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Hello sir,

I wanted to know how many days before I hav to apply for electives and how many days before I have to fill form for USMLE and send it.Am I too late now if I send in june?What should I do to get  sponsorship  from respective universities.

You should apply 5-8 months prior to start date of electives. For USMLE if the paperwork is right, it generally takes 2-3 weeks... you should apply now if u plan to give step 1 in June.... search for sponsors on departments' website and email them your CV...

Nisarg Shah (not verified)

Mon, 05/17/2010 - 08:41

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Hello Sir, thank you so much for the service you`ve been providing, its invaluable for all aspirants of the US Clinical Experience. I want some help regarding the LOR from College Faculty, in my case its Paediatrics. Can you please give an outline of the same..also the same for Personal Statement. Just that what points i need to mention. Thanks a lot.

Visitor (not verified)

Wed, 05/19/2010 - 20:07

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my form has been sent to nyu, i sent on 10th may and it is 20th may..they say after scheduling of nyu students is dne thn they will call the international students. how much time does it normally take?


hi. i thinkl ur a bit  late!! i think 10th wsa the last date. i sent the app on 1st ..no replies till now. whn i called them last time the office said atleast a couple of months.do u have any more info?

sruthi (not verified)

Fri, 05/21/2010 - 13:20

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hi

i have completed my internship and am preparing for USMLE steps..do i have any chance for clinical experience in US??? i also have an extension in my internship..do i need to explain the reason for that anywhere??in medical school performance evaluation???

ur site has been very useful sir

thank you

sruthi.

Thanks for your kind words. If you have already completed internship and graduated, you cannot do electives now but you can certainly apply for externships and observerships. As far as extension in internship and its related issues are concerned, I dont have much idea about them; would like someone else to reply to it.

Visitor prashanth (not verified)

Sat, 05/22/2010 - 16:40

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hi sir , i wanna  keep my health forms and immunization records ready  before approaching dean for getting sign on all documents .. iwwent to lister metropolis  and asked for serology for : measles , mumps , rubella , hep b , DT .  

1.  is it Ig G what they require  , or Ig M .

2.  is serology the only thing and easiest  that is possible , if i havent got he disease in the past ,   because i have no document proof for vaccination .

3. and what should the physician do for writing the proof of disease , for ex,  i  got chicken pox when i was young , i have 2 to 3 scars of that . 

4.  how can we write the date of vaccination some 10 to 20 yrs back ,,,, can we just give some date , what do they require to prove .

   

I am sorry I dont the answers to your questions. You should better consult some specialist doctor in it. If you have a record of all previous vaccinations, that is certainly helpgul.

pal (not verified)

Sat, 05/22/2010 - 19:37

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i am applying for electives...transcripts of medical colleges are reqd...wat r tey?? marksheet of all year?? also letter 4m dean reqd....m doing an externship so do i tak tis lettr 4m ma parent col or present col in wich m transfrd..??

pal (not verified)

Sun, 05/23/2010 - 22:29

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m planning to apply for electives in oct 2010 or feb 2011 slot...hav 2 giv tofel yet...plang for jun 18...do i apply to university aftr i get ma tofel scores???? can i send latr 2 univrsity ??? m jus new 2 elective...awaitg a reply

ved05 (not verified)

Mon, 05/24/2010 - 14:15

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hello Umar bhai...

first of all congratulations for nobel work you are doing of guidance to students. God bless you...

I am doing my 3rd year MBBS and aspiring for residency in IM. I will start my internship in Feb 2011.

I am confused about should I apply for doing electives in Feb to May 2011 or in Feb 2012 by taking extention. the problem is that for feb 2011 schedule I will have to apply now, but my med. surgery and OBGY clinical postings for 1 month each are remaining which will not appear in my transcript now. so am I not eligible then?

Then I am cosidering for doing electives in Feb - May 2012 by taking extention and preparing for step 1 from feb 2011 to aug 2011 and giving step 1 in sept 2011 which will increase my chances. What do you think?

I have given TOEFL and got 102/120 in it. with reading-28, listening-25, speaking-22 and writing-27. is it sufficient or I should try again as most of Uni. don't specify score requirments? 

  is it ok to do elective in any sub-speciality of IM i.e cardio, nephro etc for getting residency in IM?

Please guide...

Thanks a lot for your kind words. You are required to have clerkships, not clinical postings. Clerkships are your 3rd, 4th year medical wards, so you are eligible to apply whenever u r interested. Your TOEFL score is pretty good. You can certainly do electives in sub-specialty of your choice.

S.Hasan (not verified)

Tue, 05/25/2010 - 12:04

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dear Umar bhy,

I am interested in doing clinical research elective in john hopkins in jan 2011,but i didnt findout the email addresses of co-ordinator from "Find Doctor" link.than how can i contact the coordiantor ?? or can i sumbit the application with out having sponsorship ?

please answer these questions,

thank you,

regards

syed hasan

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 05/25/2010 - 16:55

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can they waive this  : 

cleveland clinic 

State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities 
In order for an international medical student to pursue an elective rotation here, the student’s medical school must contact the Florida State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities to obtain SBICU 700 and complete the form. 

State Board of Independent Colleges & Universities 
Department of Education 
Tallahassee, Florida 32399 
Phone: 850.488.8695 
Fax: 850.921.8750

has anyone done elective  at cleveland clinic

 the student’s medical school must contact the Florida State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities to obtain SBICU 700 and complete the form. 


oh . do u mean , the college need not do it , even i can do it  , and sure they wont wait for email replies from college and all ... my  dean s office people are uselesss ...  

hence do u mean i have no hurdles applying for cleveland .  why am i not seeing many people going there for electives

There is the main Cleveland Clinic Foundation hospital in Cleveland, OH. The florida one is its branch, just like Mayo has a branch in FL.

Google its main page and apply for the main CCF , cleveland one. Though u need step 1 for it.

 Best Wishes

hi sir ,,,    so u r trying to say claveland clnic main campus ohio has differnt requirements for electives ,,,  unlike florida ...   is it .. 

i m not able to get an electives page for ohio , cleveland campus ...  when i search for electives in  my.cleveland.org    it goes to florida electives program ......     

this is  regarding that special requirement for cleveland clinic : some emailing that our home medical school should do to the clevland clinic ,  thats not possible with mine , they are so backward 

Hi there.

http://www.clevelandclinic.org/cclcm/elective_requirements.htm

Its the same page, but the link that u keep on clicking is for florida one. Dont click on it, but look for the subheadings on left side of page like this page http://www.clevelandclinic.org/cclcm/elective_requirements.htm .These are for the Ohio campus ones(main one).

Dont click on florida link. Stay on that page and browse through the left subheadings.

Best Wishes.

well I think you can certainly get the form yourself and get it completed from your medical school... like what you do with your application form of electives... there are portions to be filled by medical school... you can get the form filled like that... I think so...

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 05/25/2010 - 18:02

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 nih says : If you are currently enrolled in or attending a school that is not 1) an LCME-accredited medical school in the United States or Canada, or 2) an accredited school of osteopathic medicine in the United States, or 3) a CODA/ADA-accredited dental school in the United States, then you must provide evidence of proficiency in communication skills either in the form of a TOEFL score or a documented passing grade on the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam

so , indirect inference from this :? at nih   step 1 required or not . ? 

i mailed them asking step 1 requirement  , they said ,see eligibility page . 

sindhu reddy (not verified)

Fri, 05/28/2010 - 14:13

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hi...!!!.   itz very thoughtful of u to spare ur invaluable time for others..!!!. i basically hv little idea abt USMLE so i'd b really grateful if u assist me.  i've js completed my 2nd yr mbbs n wasn,t dat serious abt my studies till date,the clinical subjects r yet to start frm nw on..shld i start my preparation for usmle frm nw on r can it wait till internship gets over.???Also i'd lik to knw hw long it wld take on an avg to clear al d 3 steps if i work really hard after internship..???        could u also give me a rough idea of prep schedule besides d buks..???

 

Thanks a lot for your kind words. 

It is better if u start preparing for USMLE now... start reading kaplan lecture notes... they are pretty short and summarized as compared to the extensive study in med schools of South Asia...

Prep schedule and time to complete steps varies from person to person.. anything from 6 months to 2 years is possible...

sindhu reddy (not verified)

Fri, 05/28/2010 - 14:27

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hey..!!!
I'm studing in an indian medical school,can i get into fields like cardiology,surgery n gynaec in d US through USMLE.

Why not...? cardiology is a fellowship after Internal Medicine, for surgery n gynae... u should try to do electives and then preferably research experience with publications would be of great help

viraat harsh (not verified)

Sat, 05/29/2010 - 10:30

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hi all

I am all set up to go for surgical elective rotations (surgery and neurosurgery one month each) at Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City for July Aug, and have to leave on 1st july. Now yesterday I got acceptance from NWU for Rotations in Neurosurgery in July. The thing is I am all fixed up with Kansas and done all Insurance, visa etc accordingly and there is not much time left now. I feel bad leaving rotations at NWU after getting acceptance. Can you please suggest what to do?

thank you for the reply umar sir but they are very strict about the dates and have mentioned all over again and again that no change of dates is allowed. do u suggest I should leave KUMC for NWU? as everyone is saying LOR from NWU would b considered more imp than one form kumc... ?? plz reply.

well u can try..... but in any case if u have to chose one between the two... I would say KUMC... because you would have more time to spend there and if you spend more time at a place... u might be able to interact more... thus they come to know u more and hence, probably a better letter... I always think 4 weeks are toooooo less to improve someone to get a good LOR... if u had 8 weeks NW and 8 weeks KUMC... then I could have said NW... remember an excellent letter from any place is better than an ordinary letter from an excellent place...

suman (not verified)

Sat, 05/29/2010 - 16:38

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hie sir,

i am doing my internship in india.have another 10 months to go before i complete. i wud lik to go to the us for clerkship. can you please guide me thru a list of colleges i can apply . and how do i apply ?? is there a fee tat is charged fr just applying??

hi suman !!!

please go through all the posts and comments under the heading ELECTIVES in this site. also visit https://services.aamc.org/eec/students/ for details regarding the colleges. Applying for electives will take some time and devotion, but b4 that you should know the basics for which you should go through this site..

all the best

-viraat

harry (not verified)

Mon, 05/31/2010 - 06:13

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hi umar

is there any use having usce with private clinics  like sites like fmgportal and fmgaffordable,which allow u to work with physicians affiliated to hospitals but at their private practice?

thank you

It is best to do clerkships in a University Hospital/ Medical Center or other Big-name Medical Centers. But if you are unable to secure a clerkship at these places, why not, a clerkship with a private doctor would surely help, only it will not be considered as valuable as one at a university center. Why do you want to go for the complex process of getting into clerkship through an agency when everything is there in front of you, and you can choose and decide where to go for clerkship. Trust me, YOU CAN GET A CLERKSHIP ON YOUR OWN. I am an example. Just follow the 'protocol'.


Harry, other than gaining benefit of the clerkship at the time of when you are doing it, the benefit of doing it at a university center is that it boosts a great deal your application for residency at the place where you did your clerkship. Like if you did a clerkship at SUNY, you would have an edge over others when applying for residency at SUNY. So you should keep this in mind when applying for clerkships.

All the best

-Viraat

thanks viraat.....but i am already past graduation..i did a 1 month elective at baylor..but i think 1 month is too short a time .now iam giving my steps till december and want to have usce in the nxt 6 months ie from jan to june next year so that i can apply for residency next year and get it at the same time.so can u suggest what do i do to get an externship in texas as i have relatives there

Email some of the people at Baylor, request for voluntary research/assistant spot.... once u are familiar with people there.... request them to allow you to do some externships at the same time.... in their department...

"can u suggest what do i do to get an externship in texas"...... In reply to this I would say, APPLY......


APPLY to all the university hospitals and other medical centers. U will surely get an attachment somewhere. 1.Start by looking for all the centers in Tx, which U might be interested in. 2. Search their websites for options of externship. 3. Apply as per their requirements. 4. Wait and Pray..

Once you are into it, you will discover other options which you might not be knowing now. So just start surfing.

I would also suggest you taking TOEFL if you havent yet taken it.

All the best

-Viraat




Already well replied by viraat... but lemme add something here... I did a 3 week observership in a private setting, a year before applying for electives. The letter from that place helped me get acceptances from wherever I applied... so something is obviously better than nothing...

That being said, I have myself no experience of companies like fmgportal and fmgaffordable... they might be good but I am not sure about it... so cannot comment on it... anyhow it is difficult but not impossible to get externships yourself... even in a University... so dont lose hope and keep trying... if u r still a student, then I think electives are much much safer and easier option....

Ankit (not verified)

Sun, 06/06/2010 - 12:36

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hi!!!!      i found out about this website from a friend a few days ago and it has really helped me a lot in deciding for my electives...

i plan to go for electives during february-april next year..i plan to do electives in cardiology or gastroenterology...and i plan to spend 3 months in 3 different universities or 2 universities....so can u please guide me regarding how i should proceed for applying in different places as its very confusing regarding which uni to apply for which month..

Hi Ankit Welcome to Umartariq.com Applying to which university for which month has to be totally ur decision brother. U shud visit the individual sites for each university and check with them, some have restrictions on accepting foreign students only in certain months of the year. Rest has to be ur wisdom and luck. All the best -Viraat

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 06/13/2010 - 12:06

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some dear friend in this website asked me to visit cleveland main campus website for getting electives application ,,,  i m not able to get it ...  because  the link gives in this website goes to florida campus .... when i search for electives in cleveland website , it goes for florida only ,,, may be the main campus at cleveland does nt offer electivers , canu help ,   umar bai

trung (not verified)

Wed, 06/16/2010 - 08:05

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thank you so much for this tremendously great stuff that you have. whenever i am stuck somewhere in the process i visit this site and get something positive. 

umar bro i am a 3rd yr med student in lahore. i read about the reseach elective and started emailing like crazy. unfortunately america is pretty harsh not many accept you just like that; moreover my timing isnt right it has got to be somewhere near december when profs finish. in the mean time i have been emailing university of toronto people.one thing 

1 if i go to toronto and get a research paper out would this account as same? considering that i have time for a clinical elective in 5th yr and i would be going in fourth year.

2. secondly she said that i have to send in my cv with name of two referees who should i write my principal and a professor right? she was saying that we would start accepting people my end of summer and asked me to stay in touch and send in the cv with the name of the referees. is that positive. atleast she is replying

Thanks a lot for your kind words...

1. Yes it would be almost the same and a great achievement...

2. yes... atleast you are being considered...

raj kundra (not verified)

Sun, 06/27/2010 - 08:23

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hi..i wanna ask if i can go for electives in canada and then apply for mle???i have heard its cheap in canada and moreover i have my relatives there with whom i can stay there and save myself some money..but the thing i am worried about is would i be at a loss as compared to other applicants who have done electives for the same period of time but that from u.s…if that is the case i may ask my parents to spend more money so as i can apply to u.s.a..please help!!!

yes you can… well it is not cheap in canada as compared to US… cost in US universities varies from place to place and is highly variable… electives in Canada are somewhat equal to US but there is no doubt that a US contact or letter can help you much more than a Canadian…!

Sahil (not verified)

Sun, 06/27/2010 - 14:35

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Dear Umar bhai

I need your help regarding filling of NIH elective application form

https://www2.cc.nih.gov/apps/publicForms/cep/forms/cepApp.aspx

1) What information are we supposed to enter in the field "Student's Address at School" under heading "Academic Information"

2) Under the heading "Coursework and Grades", what details should Indian medical students enter?

3) Has anyone done electives in the field of "Medical Informatics"?? Should I go for electives in it??

Visitor (not verified)

Thu, 07/01/2010 - 04:03

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hello sir,

thanks for making such a wonderfull site and clearing all our doubts....

sir i  am a final year student in chandigarh,,

 my internship is to start from 1.1.2011 to 31.12.2011, sir in which field should i apply for electives and by what time should i apply for it???

Thanks for your kind words. You should apply in the specialty of your choice and you can apply for any month you like.... it totally depends upon you... 

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 07/18/2010 - 15:45

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my crri periods began on march 26 , 2010  and  ends on march 26 , 2011 . last  2 months i have og posting . feb-march. i want to do electives . but i have to come back and complete my crri , so it will get over on may 26, 2011 .  but i have to apply for the degree certificate by may 10 , 2011 . if i dont , i wont get degree until 2012 . 


so , suppose i keep ice on my hod and  speak with my og dept. and get completion before itself and record the date of completion as may 9th , 2011    will it be a problem while applying for match . 

will they find that my completion date and period of electives and absence from cri  dont match ,,,

transcripts will say that i finished on march 9 ,2011   ..that will be a problem  in which stage of my career .   

I was damn keen to get an Elective in IM/sub-specialty in Emory...From past 1 n half months I mailed evry.... and i literally mean evry dam person in all sub-depts. of Emory medicine dept...

Till now only 1% ppl hav replied (which was expected)...

None hav given even a remotely positive response... Most denied saying they were already filled or that they werent in a position...

I wanted to go for march 2011.. HAV I LOST THE PLOT?? was i late bhai in applying or is ther still any chance... I thot 10-11 months b4 was quite early..I do not have any contact ...neither do i know sum1 who can arrange for me... Shud i giv up or still try? what does ur experience say?

bhai... dis is driving me nuts...

a faculty member at Emory agreed to sponsor me for an elective (after at least 1000 mails!!)... he/she told me to contact the co-ordinator and notify her that he/she would be sponsoring under Emory guidelines.

The co-ordinator said she had sent a letter to my sponsor for filling it out to start d application process..

Its been more dan two weeks and both the sponsor and co-ordinator have gone absconding! neither of them are replying to my mails. I dunno wat 2 do next... i dont have telephone number of my sponsor and cannot contact him/her in any other way.. should i talk to the co-ordinator to do sumthin??

and can d co-ordinator reject my application evn if d sponsor has agreed, on the excuse that seats are full?

'm fast beginnin to lose out on hope bhai!
plz help!!
regards, dr_andy




Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 07/27/2010 - 14:35

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for each college , i m appplying for 2 electives in int.medicine cardio , gastro  .. should i submit 2 totally different LORs ,


 or 

same lor 2 originals signed by the same person , with same wordings  will do?

u havent answered to the earlier query posts in this FAQ section  regarding completion of internship

Visitor (not verified)

Fri, 07/30/2010 - 01:53

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my friends have written step 1 , 2 days back ,, can they apply for electives sayung that they will recieve step score  in a month ,,, or  can they send itlater

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 08/01/2010 - 05:56

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mayo and nih  require the dean to reply by mail as verification  ,,, 

is it absolutely necessary ,, can they waive it ,,,   surely my college staff will never oblige to all this ..

anyone of u must have applied to mayo , nih..

because of this silly reason , i m not able to apply for nih , mayo

for mayo , nih    i thought the dean has to reply by email ... 

everything on nih mayo is online, right ?  

i thought i have to scan the faculty lor and upload


so , do u mean my college will receive a verification letter from US by courier  after applying ?


Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 08/03/2010 - 13:04

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ir , i have a doubt , mayo asks for a recommendation provider to reply by mail as verification for my application and as lor. can my professor do it ,,, or only deans office clerk should do it . since its online , u can see what the college says only if u have username . 
"
All medical students are required to submit a Medical School Verification Form, completed either by the Dean or another designated person from your medical school.

Both the Recommendation Provider and the Medical School authorized person's information will need to be entered in this section"

This section of the application serves two purposes:

The location for entering your recommendation providers, required for all applicants (1 if domestic, 2 if international).
The location for entering the dean or designated appointee for submitting your Medical School Verification Form.

Fertile (not verified)

Mon, 08/23/2010 - 20:50

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i did my elective dere, do it just as they say ! There are 2 faculty lors that need to be submitted and one verification form tell your faculty to LEAVE the verification form BLANK and just fill in for the recomendation tell your registrar to SURELY fill VERIFICATION form and if possible also A deans letter in Recomendation section you shud hav your health insurance purchased, and tell your registrar to chk yes for insurance

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 08/03/2010 - 16:10

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weill cornell has many hospitals , which should i click on for the electives code no.  for int.med electives?

Mskcc

The Methodist Hospital - Houston, 

New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens ,

 Hospital for Special Surgery

 Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Cente,

should i apply for mskcc separartely or is it enough if i apply thru weill cornell .. but mskcc charges no fee ., weill cornell does 


Ahmed (not verified)

Mon, 08/23/2010 - 17:28

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hi

thanks for your hard effort on this website

I finished my medical school in egypt from about 3 month

Do I have a chance to enroll in electives?

Is electives something equal to observationship?

Visitor (not verified)

Thu, 09/02/2010 - 20:30

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i want to apply to mskcc for may next year but i saw yesterday on their site that their new rules reqiure us to take step1 before applyng to them....do u know if they can wave it off n allow me to do electives there???

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 09/05/2010 - 06:56

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I find this webpage very very useful . 

I need a help from Umar bhai or anyone :

-----   Hipaa link for UCDAVIS in ur webpage is not working ,, I wanna get a free hipaa certificate . Have they stopped giving that ? please give me the present link , i am not able to get it .

----   In johns hopkins webpage for HIPAA -   https://secure.lwservers.net   ,  given in ur link ,  which one should i do ?

 Research Compliance Training Courses

                           or 

HIPAA Compliance Training Courses .  

i wanna do only clinical electives in nw , suny , mskcc  etc.  

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 09/05/2010 - 10:47

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i did a hipaa general privacy training in johns hopkins website  ...  i got 93 % by answering 14 questions .. 


should i do all the courses under hipaa compliance  or just general privacy issues ...


how do i print the certificate .. there is no link for printing any certificate , it just says  view certificate .. % marks is also not ther in certifciate ..... plwease help

u click on the main menu where courses are mentioned... there u are given an option of view certificate... % marks are never shown in certificate... hipaa compliance training is required if u apply in Johns Hopkins but not for others...

thank u very much for the guidance ,, but i am not able to se any link which says  PRINT   certificate , 

Should i just copy and paste that view certifcate page or the questions i answered , or the page that says my 93 %  and put into MIcrosoft word . 

Actually , are people still able to use johns hopkins hipaa training and certificate for  electives ... then why is it so diff. to find how to print . 

 Thanks for obliging to find out whats wrong with UC DAVIS hipaa .  Did  get any lead in that ?

Thank you so much .

abr (not verified)

Tue, 09/07/2010 - 11:23

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Dear Umar bhai. Mount sinai requires FI visa while as the forum sayd J..could u please clarify. is there any disadvantage of going on an FI visa?

raj kundra (not verified)

Tue, 09/07/2010 - 19:48

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@umar bhai n every 1 else

i want to know what r v supposed to write about our grades of the core clerkships i.e. medicine paeds sugery obs/gyn as many universities ask whether v have completed these core slerkships at our colleges n have GRADES for them ??? i am doing internship in india, n r v supposed to give the passing marks that v have from our final year exams in these subjects or do v reply to them that v dont hav grading system for our core clerkships???

In Pakistan, we have ward tests at the end of each rotation. I provided both passing marks in the annual exam along with ward test results. Anyhow, if you can convince them that you dont have a grading system then its fine too.

abr (not verified)

Wed, 09/08/2010 - 18:53

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hi .i am a medical student from india. my mediccal shool is having a problem in providing me with the documents for elctives as i am the first student. please i need some ones reference letter  { just a xerox } copy with thier deans signature so that i can show it as a proof to my collg that electives are being done by students from other colleges. some one please help me out. i am really stuck. any ones help would be highly appreciated. 

my e mail is mutantaid@yahoo.com


Take printvouts from the university websites, that explain about electives as a course that a  medical student like  you can take.

you can also supply your dean with the e-mail address o the elective coordinator of any institute say mayo clinic to so that they can verify it for themselves and ask aboout the elsective course. you can even give them the ph number. where they can call and ask.

Explain to your dean that u r the 1st   one  and that it should be a big initiative on their part. And you want to do it for better and advance training. Also talk to some of your faculty who is foreign trained coz my guess is that he /she will know about the 'elective system' and request him to explain that to the dean.


Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 09/14/2010 - 08:56

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Hi sir , 

we are all benefitted by this website so much .

I need ur help on criminal background check up . 

 "Students are required to provide a copy of completing a criminal background check within one year of the requested start date of the rotation."


Will you be able to help with some idea of what I should provide for  this background check ? Any example or format that you can give me will be so helpful . Should it be from the POLICE Department  or  the college ?


Where did u get one from and what type of document is it .  A4 sheet print or  letterhead  or police station paper or college office paper..?

Thank you .


Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 09/28/2010 - 04:59

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sir

thank you for such a wonderful site.i am doing internship and i am planning to apply for clerkship.i had appeared for my toefl exam and lateron found out that the DOB on my scorescheet is incorrect.i tried contacting the officials and had sent all the necessary documents but was told that the error cannot be corrected.as i am falling short of time will it b wise enough to apply to the universities the same score(will it b verified) or do i have to take up toefl again

Ahmed (not verified)

Tue, 09/28/2010 - 17:02

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i recently submitted my online application for NIH, and now both my references have submitted their LORs and today i got confimation from the courier service that my package containing my TOEFL scorecard and transcript has been delivered to NIH....what do i do now? wait or ask if my application is complete and being processed....do help me....and do i need to send any more documents?

Visitor3 (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 11:55

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Hello umar bhai,

First of all you are doing a wonderful job through this website...may allah help you fulfill your future pursuits...

I wanted to know:

1. Are electives a prerequisite for getting a residency later in the us? is it possible for an international medical graduate for getting residency without an elective?

2. What is the significance of an elective in your native country? Can it be of much help?

3. How do you start applying for electives? Is it by writing to the co-coordinators of certain programs and sending in your cv randomly?

Thank you!

raj kundra (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 14:29

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@umar 

i am going to apply to north carolina univ for my electives, one of their forms which is the confirmation from college dean has specifically asked about the duration of my final year and than the expected date of graduation..i am doing my internship in india and i will be taking break from it to write my step and than go for electives in may..i have got the expected date of graduation as jul 2011 on paper from dean office but do not know what to fill in the duration of my final year in dates (though my internshio year is from jan 1- dec 31st 2010)...so how am i supposed to go about it???

UNC has great diversity of electives. I really liked the university, i asume you have taken step1, just fill in for the graduation date as July 2011, and school dates from start to July 2011 preferrably, they can end earlier as well, but the Expected date of graduation must show your status as a student, Only the graduation date matters the most.

I did not apply there because they have a huge fee and if you have step 1 result you have alot of other better options for similar quality of experience.

mustafa (not verified)

Mon, 10/04/2010 - 17:01

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hi,

i got my toefl score today, 28 in speaking. i am planning for a clinical elective at NIH for june.

can you please tell me what medicine departments easily accept international med students? and provide good LoRs?

thanks

Mustafa Bhaty

BADR (not verified)

Tue, 10/05/2010 - 06:37

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Assalam o alaikum

I m an IMG from india,would you plz tell me how do i send my form "electronically" to cleveland florida...with my SIGNATURES??

syed hasan (not verified)

Tue, 10/05/2010 - 15:28

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Salamz Umar bhy and other friends.. Does research Electives are available at Harvard ??? Anyone know ?? I have check out the site but there is nothing like research electives available at their site..

tejaswi (not verified)

Thu, 10/07/2010 - 02:46

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hi doctors.

i am doin my internship in india..i would be graduatinin march 2011..but since m applyin fro electives in the month of march, my graduation date would automatically get delayed..but wat do i mention in the column of expected graduation date & which graduation date is to b mentioned in the dean's letter??

some universities require us to send our toefl score via the ets..is it ok if we send them a copy of the score card we recieved form ets or is it a must tht we get it sent via ets..if so, how do we do it?

please help.

thank u

I am not sure about it... I would request anyone from India, familiar with the internship issues, to comment on it...

Different universities have different requirements... e.g NIH asks for a photocopy of result... whereas Northwestern requires ETS to send result directly...

raj (not verified)

Fri, 10/08/2010 - 06:53

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hi umar sir, 

im raj mehta doin my internship  right now....my internship will get over by march 2011....i want to apply for clinical electives in us....wht should i do sir...should i apply for spring season 2011.... i know tht eleectives would be applicable only during my final clinical year....

thnk you

raj

Syed Aarif (not verified)

Sun, 10/10/2010 - 19:59

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Dear Umar

 Salaam

 In how much time from the date of submitting the online application form for NIH CEP, do an email is sent to the Dean and the faculty member for LOR?
 I am asking this because I intend to submit the form soon, however my faculty member who is ready to give me an online LOR will be leaving for US in next five days. And he wont be accessing his university email there.

 In case the email is sent immediately, it won't be a problem for him to reply back with LOR. However if it takes longer, he may not be able to help me.

Hope to hear from u soon....

 Wishes

Aarif

Hi Umar and fellow friends


I just came across a post in some other USMLE FORUM regarding some 12 week clinical clerkship limit by the New York State Education Department.They say that if you have done more then 12 weeks of electives outsider your home school you are ineligible to apply for residency in NY State. This could be diastrous as NY is IMG friendly .I am not sure if they mean more than 12 weeks of electives within New York State eg SUNY downstate or Mt Sinai or at any place outside your home school.If anyone has anymore information on this one it would be greatly appreciated.

Best

Purav

Thanks for your comment Purav... nice to hear from you!

Yar I am myself not sure... I read on usmletomd.com that it is 12 weeks in NY updated by someone who spoke to NYSED personally and few other fellows told me the same but recently a couple of visitors have mentioned somewhere on this website that it is 12 weeks outside your home medical school, anywhere in US... I am still not sure... it is better if you give them a call yourself and confirm it! Do let me know the reply!

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 10/17/2010 - 18:28

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Hello Umar bhai

May i first start off by saying that you're doing a wonderful job here and i wish for you all the good things there are...:)

I just had a query...the thing is that it is very hard to finance your electives especially if you're applying to places like Harvard or Hopkins which ask for a hefty amount of tuition and application fees...

Is there any way you can bypass these hefty amounts and still have a chance to do an elective at these places? Or is it all about paying before actually going through the whole process?
My finances are limited...so please guide me as to what i should be doing

Thank you so much.

vamshi (not verified)

Wed, 10/20/2010 - 07:04

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hey umar bhai... it is very nice of you in replying and helping all the people fr going to usa for academic purposes.. i recently apllied for electives to the yale and northwestern universities for january rotation. how many days it will take for acceptance? i mean, when do i get to know whether i am accepted or rejected? please let me know.. i would really appreciate your reply.. thnx

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 10/26/2010 - 08:26

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hello sir, i am an indian attending medical college in china. i am doing internship now and i am supposed to be graduated in july 2011. i asked my dean for a break during my internship so that i can do electives, but he said he cannot give a break although he can postpone my graduation even after i finish my internship. will that work?? because i should go back to india and then apply for visa.

Pravn (not verified)

Thu, 10/28/2010 - 13:58

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Its very gr8 of u fr heIpin others,god bless you,I

Im a indian citizen studyin MBBS in china,

Im plannin to do electives n CS at a first visit to USA.MY QUERIES ARE

Im plannin to apply visa at my cityshenyang,china as 3rd nation citizen heard it works.,

for a 4 week elective hw long do they give visa? 5 yr multiple entry do thery give? what visa n hw long do they usually give ?

for CS visa hw long do they give? 

as im goin for both what should be prime request ?

Thanks for your kind words. There is no fixed duration for the visa... they can give visa of anything from 6 months to 5 years... its pure luck... no hard and fast rule!

you can use either prime requests... 

hi frnds..

wanted to know if any1 has applied for/done an elective at Wayne State Univ SOM (Detroit) by any chance.. I wanted to clear sum facts abt d same..

regards

dr_andy

sunil bonela (not verified)

Fri, 11/19/2010 - 08:02

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hello umar bhai,

I  am indian medical student ,presently in 4th year planning to write USMLE .what are nuts and bolts for IMG's.How much scores should we get ,to get residency in internal medicine.what are the requirements for that.

please mail the hospitals which offer clerkships at low tution fees.

raj kundra (not verified)

Fri, 11/19/2010 - 15:14

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hello umar bhai

I have applied to san diego univ. of california about a month back for the eligibilty requiremnt which is the first step after which they send us the application material.. but i have nt heard back nything from them since.. i emailed them they replied with what they have written on their site..Due to the high volume of applications, I will be unable to answer individual inquires regarding application status via email or telephone.  Applications will processed as quickly as possible....i want to know if any one else has applied and got any reply or not and wat %age of students get accepted there??? so that i dont wait for them and spend that money applyng to some other college!!

3 ppl frm my coll includin me applied at UCSD.. one of my frnds did it within 2 hrs after dey started accepting applications on Aug 1, 2010.. rejected! i applied next day...rejected... another frnd applied after 2-3 days..REJECTED! Basically u need to call up adrianne n ask if the documents u faxed have reached her or no... mine did not!...so i had to resend d next day.. n u get rejection/approval notification usually within 2-3 days..

hope dat helps

regards,

dr_andy

thanks dr andy...if thats the case with u thn i m sure m not gonna get it as i applied almost 2months after they started accepting..n moreover its almost a month now so do u think i shud still call her up n ask whether she got my documnts or not??

thanks again though!


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