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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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Rj (not verified)

Sat, 11/20/2010 - 11:37

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Hello Umar !

How are you ? You are doing a very kind job of helping others.

I have a doubt regarding electives. I already have 2 months of electives n university hospitals. I also have an opportunity to do  2 month of electives in a private hospital in Boston. What is your view on these kind of electives ? should i do it ? How much can it help me wth my applications and CV ??

Thank you so much in advance

Dear Umar,

Thank you so much for your prompt reply.

 I did not have to apply for those electives. The owner of that IM clinic is my dad's friend and so he straight away offered me an opportunity to work there voluntarily. Since i already have 2 months of electives in university hospitals, would there be any advantage in just adding the number of months to my USCE by working in a private clinic setup. Will it reflect in my CV which i will submit during match process ?

Please help me decide, whether or not it'd be a good move or i'l end up just wasting my time and money.

Thank you once again Umar !!

ratan sangh (not verified)

Mon, 11/22/2010 - 05:36

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dear umer bhai loads of thanks for building such a meticulous and well-conversed website. i am an intern with only three months left for my last year. i wanted to explore the options of externship in the US with US clinicle experience - n tht too hands on becoming an essential requisite for a match in residency. i also want to know how can i search for the hospitals(teaching) n universities tht provide these. please elaborate the real yield of doing an observership. i mean will it count as hands on experience or like sum say its the LOR's tht matter...... thank you. 

Thanks for your kind words. It is totally right that it is the LOR that matters; few places do require some hands-on experience, so for those places hands-on experience comes handy but externships/ observerships are somewhat difficult to get as compared to electives. All the best for the match!

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 12/07/2010 - 11:20

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hi umar sir,thanks for wonderfull site,i have a doubt,by  how many days can we extend our date of graduation,as per my plan it turned out to be around 10-11 months.extending it by such a big time period is it manageable bcos of clerkship?if not by how many months can v maximum extend it?

I am not sure about internships/ graduation extension as there is nothing like this in Pakistan. I would recommend someone from India who has some knowledge about it, to comment on it!

dinesh (not verified)

Thu, 12/09/2010 - 03:44

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hi umar sir,thanks for wonderfull site,i have a doubt,by  how many days can we extend our date of graduation,as per my plan it turned out to be around 10-11 months.extending it by such a big time period is it manageable bcos of clerkship?if not by how many months can v maximum extend it?

pal (not verified)

Fri, 12/17/2010 - 12:02

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hi, m 4m mumbai...n id b graduating in year 2011 feb...preparing 4 my step 1...i have not yet applied for any electives...can any1 advice wat shod be next step...do i apply now ?....is it possibl 2 extend your graduation date by a year???....


hi...

me too from mumbai.. which college r u in? we cud discuss abt r approach in mle..hav u found anybody frm mumbai whoz plannin for electives... do rep on my id its.. dulcerecuerdo1989@live.in

hi...

me too from mumbai.. which college r u in? we cud discuss abt r approach in mle..hav u found anybody frm mumbai whoz plannin for electives... do rep on my id its.. 11dulcerecuerdo@gmail.com

mustafa (not verified)

Sun, 12/19/2010 - 17:10

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umar bhai,

i have applied to NIH, coordinator accepted and approved all my documents. she said that she would let me know about the outcome of my application soon. its been a bit more than 2 weeks, i still havent heared from the coordinator. should i email her about the outcome or wait for a few more days. is this wait a positive sign?

Visitor (not verified)

Wed, 12/22/2010 - 18:40

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Hello sir,

first of all a big thanks for putting up this website..

I am currently in my final year mbbs and want to ask for your advice..

what is the difference between clerkship and elective?

i am interested in pursuing radiology as my PG....what steps should i take if i have no experience in research whatsoever?

is it possible to get in a good university if my mbbs scores are average?

thanks

Thanks a lot for your kind words. Please visit the following link. Get good scores in USMLE, then spend multiple years in research with some first-author publications... and apply to many programs...

Visitor (not verified)

Sat, 12/25/2010 - 04:57

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Hi   I have been asked to come for electives in feb march at MSKCC newyork. ANYBODY there?

What are your plans . Can anybody suggest a website to catch people who have bagged electives.  

drkk (not verified)

Sun, 01/16/2011 - 13:37

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Could you please tell me whom should my college faculty address to in the LOR?

Is it

Dear Elective co ordinator or who?

Prabhjot singh (not verified)

Sun, 01/16/2011 - 17:11

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I have applied to Harvard for March 2011 but I havent received any reply from their side as yet.Can anyone let me know how much time before Harvard People let u know ur acceptance or rejection.

Raza (not verified)

Tue, 01/18/2011 - 13:42

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aoa umar

should i buy malpractice and health insurance before applying for electives and attach a copy with the application or should i first apply for electives and when i get accepted, i buy those.

i am asking keeping in mind cleveland, mayo and CWRU school of medicine.

regards

raza

Waleed (not verified)

Mon, 01/24/2011 - 15:56

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do applying at canada elective program like mcgill or toronto help me later for residency in usa after completng usmle

i mean i want  a residency in usa not canada but applying to canada program will do anyhelp?

or it is better to try usa university electives first


Thanks for ur great site and help 

Waleed (not verified)

Mon, 01/24/2011 - 16:49

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Plz doctor

what is mask fit test

and how can apply for it or take it?????

and how to do Criminal Background Check??

thanks

ur reply will be highly appreciated 

I am not sure about mask fit test... criminal background check is done by concerned authorities... you can get a certificate from a local police station that you are not involved in any criminal activities!

Visitor (not verified)

Sat, 02/05/2011 - 11:53

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hi umar sir,

thanx a ton for all d info on this website.

i m a final yr medico from india. wish 2 do my pg from d us...hence planning for mle and of course, electives too. what i wanna ask is, according 2 some of my seniors, doing ur electives in d west coast esp california, is not of much help, is it true? they say d LORs from d west r not very well accepted in d east and esp since d west coast does nt hav much concentration of IMG friendly schools, it is nt of much help getting an LOR from d west..... pls help me on this.

Thanks for your kind words. its nothing like that... I myself did 12 weeks electives in California and I believe they were the best. But all said, it is easier for IMGs to find residenc/electives/research at East Coast than West Coast but there is a large no. of IMGs at west coast too...

Usama aman (not verified)

Sun, 02/06/2011 - 07:17

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Dear Umar bhai,

u r doing an excellent job and there r no words to thank u for taking out time and helping out others thats commendable really.
Bhai i m final year student my classes for final year have just started..   bhai im a surgerry freak, and many
people have told me or misguided me that it is very hard to get surgery residency in US. so i request u to plz guide me what is the roadmap for surgery there? how much scores, electives? complete road map. i dont know how much of it that everybody says is true so i m asking u, is it very difficult to get in sugery there even with double 99?
2nd thing is i think that i m a bit late right now for summer vacs electives in surgery, morever i've started a little prep of steps , i did all patho in usmle patern this yr and solved the mcques etc. ab scene ye ha k im planning k do the prep of step 1 sath sath seriously in final yr and give it in vacs right after my final proff, so ques no 1 is
but ab us mei elective karun ya step 1? cuz i plan to do House job in minor like cardiac or plastic surgery etc jo time na lein aur mera pakistan ka backup plan bhi secure hojaye cuz aur sath steps ka exam bhi nikal jaye, cuz there are many seniors with double 99, and electives,who now are having probs in visas when they are finally getting interview calls. one of my senior, he had double 99, CS first atempt clear, 3 electives, he got interview call from orthopedic surgery but he couldnt go there cuz his visa stuck :|
and question no 3 is, i havent really decided WHICH SURGERY specialization i want to do. so mje elective k liye surgery ki kis subspeciality mei apply karna chaiye? if i got electives in radio would that suffice?
aur i heard the the residency director interviw in a conference, he said that dont apply to IM with surgery elective, cuz that shows ur lack of determination, and e IM people dont really like that IM is ur backup pla. so what abt it? having elective in surgery supports ur cv in IM or it does toally otherwise?
Regards,

Usama Aman

Hey Usama, thanks a lot for your kind words! These are all rumours; dont listen to them. Get good scores in USMLEs(not necessarily 99, obviously higher the better but no deadline)... then electives in surgery and most importantly, research for a couple of years in surgery... I know many people who followed this path and matched into surgery.

go for step 1 in final year and electives immediately after exams... you have to apply for electives now!!! It is better to do electives in the specialty of your interest!

Aaron Mascarenhas (not verified)

Wed, 02/09/2011 - 16:12

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Hi,

Im a third year medical student, i've been comin across the term core clerkship a lot. Is this the same as our postings in final year. And do grades in core clerkship imply our grades in final yr practical exams?

sufyan (not verified)

Sat, 02/12/2011 - 23:25

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Salam Umar Bhai

                          Umar bhai i am planning to apply for elective in UT Southwestern medical center,thy r asking for ACLS certification plz guide me how i can get this certificate,who from my University faculty can privide me this certificate.


Regards


Sufyan Sadiq

Visitor (not verified)

Wed, 02/23/2011 - 18:17

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Hi people,

I am writing my toefl exam in two days.So I have a choice to mark 4 universities. I wish to know if all those universities that require toefl scores ask for an ets sent copy? Also, I would like to know, I am applying for 2012 electives , so is it ok if ets sends them my scores now??

Please help..

hi. yep you can do that as long as you apply for electives with in 2 years of your toefel completion. TOEFEL score is valid for two years..ie if  yoU took your toefel this march..then you could use it till 2013 march..provided your still a 4rth year student to be eligible for electives. the university list that comes to my mind

Kansas university Med center

Rochester

Mount Sinai

NIH

if you get score above 100 then you have a good chance of getting through

Visitor (not verified)

Fri, 03/04/2011 - 16:23

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hi .. umar bhai could u please recommend any one to write about there elective experience at mt . sinai. that would really be helpful .

Visitor (not verified)

Mon, 03/14/2011 - 09:21

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sir ,

i m 3rd year medical student from india ..what should i do for usmle please reply at he earliest i m  very confused 

my queries

i got 56% 1st year 56 % 2nd year

i m very average

i dont know what to write in c.v

i plan to go for elective in december

also should i go for elctive or research

please reply at the earliest i m very conffused


Nav (not verified)

Tue, 03/29/2011 - 04:57

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Hello!

I am from India and applied for clerkship in Canada. From where and which company can i get malpractice insurance coverage in Canada?please send me the link at my gmail.Thanking You.

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 04/10/2011 - 05:56

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hey what is difference between electives n clerkship?

 can i go elecctives or clerkship after my complete mbbs?

EKTA GUPTA (not verified)

Tue, 04/12/2011 - 20:33

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Hello sir,

            i am doing internship in India in an English medium college. I Wish to ask if i can substitute Toefl scores with a letter from dean stating my medium of education being English as by the time i wanna apply for clerkship my scores wont be ready and then i can post the results a little later on. plz answer me as soon as u can , i am really worried.

Hello Ms. Gupta

You can try your luck by emailing mt. sinai people if they can waive off the toefl requirement if your dean gives a certificate that you are well adept in english however I seriously doubt if they will do it. TOEFL judges your proficiency in english at an international level so that would be necessary by most programs. You can start your application process in mt. sinai and tel them that your scores are pending and that you will email them the scores as soon as you get them. That should work.

EKTA (not verified)

Tue, 04/12/2011 - 21:30

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HELLO SIR,

 While reading the solutions that u have provided to a tons of students i have become pretty sure its only you who can help me.....i really have no words to appreciate the help you r providing us all.

i am an intern in india . i am planning to give USMLE...so wanna go for clerkship in jan feb march next year. as mount sinai requires applications before 8 -9 months i have started with the proceeedings. i will give my toefl on 23 april and the result would be out in 2 wks. my transcripts and titres are all done.

 1)fr mt sinai is it late to apply till mid of may2011?

 2)can i substitute toefl score with a deans letter stating my medium of english

3)is mount sinai a good college or should i wait for application spots at other colleges who accept applications 6 months prior?

4)which are the other schools where i can apply  which have a very less fee and are good?

5) wt should be my next step? visa? n which one? i have never been to any country before

VISITOR (not verified)

Thu, 04/14/2011 - 13:34

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hi 

 i am an intern froom india. plz can u let me know what are the chances of getting a clerkship at university of california, san diego?.they dont have a tuition fee bt their application fee is 250$ per elective....is it worth taking the risk to apply there for 8 or 12 wks...

Visitor (not verified)

Mon, 04/18/2011 - 09:50

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Hi there everyone,  wanted to thank you guys for your help and support, I just had a few questions about electives?

 1. when you go for elective what are the duties during the rotation? say for example in ENT or EYE or radiology

2. what are you expected to know? for example in ENT or EYE or radiology, or medicine

3. I am student from India and is it like the doctors quiz you during rounds of ask you tough questions?

4. sometimes i worry that if i do elective I may not seem as good as an american medical student in terms of knowledge or history/ physical exam skill? because my school isnt a famous one & the teaching isnt the best there is, and because the american system may be different like SOAP notes, etc.

5. Also i have yet to give step1 and so do the doctors judge you differently if some hasnt taken it and is stilll doing electives?

5. and can you offer any books or reading/video material i can use to study for elective

6. has anyone who has done an elective faced any tough situations like this or am i too much of a worrying person

Thank you for any help, sorry for asking all these questions,

Thanks for your kind words...

1. just like any rotation as a med student

2. basic medical knowledge

3. sometimes but not necessarily...

4. u should try to show ur eagerness to learn!

5. ur eagerness to learn is most important.

6. one can use kaplan notes otherwise ask your attending on first day of elective

7. it happens with almost everyone!

Visitor (not verified)

Thu, 04/28/2011 - 09:18

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student will be a---yr student in a ----yr program what should i fill in those columns if i am a final year student with one more year of internship.. i ahvent taken my final year exams.. i am planning to do electives in the vacation after exams..pls help

Visitor (not verified)

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 17:18

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Hi there,the formula given for Henry Ford doctors for sponsoring does not work.Kindly help me out

Visitor (not verified)

Fri, 05/13/2011 - 15:40

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Hi,I want to know if I can send any letter of reccommendation to a doctor for an elective acceptance or does it have to be from a faculty member? The doctor said send me an informal recommendation letter from one of your professors. Can I send a letter given to me by a doctor i did an elective with? please help me out

Visitor (not verified)

Sat, 05/14/2011 - 08:59

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Your effort to help us students out is rather commendable.
An elective with the director of the Residency program who's an assistant professor or an elective with an associate professor who carries out alot of researches. Which is better?

Visitor (not verified)

Wed, 05/18/2011 - 06:14

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hi. 

your forum has been a big big help for people trying to clear usmle .

you wrote that in order to improve one's CV, we can submit our research work and there you mentioned the priority list according to IM. my question was regarding

Longtime Research without publication in IM or any subspecialty.
 Short-term Research without publication in IM or any subspecialty

how does this work? i mean if its not published, does it really hold any value? why would they accept it ?

thanks

WasifTaufeeq (not verified)

Fri, 05/20/2011 - 04:47

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Dear Umar,


My cousin has done MBBS for PAK now she is preparing for USMLE part 1 and she wants to apply for US. I need to know what are the requirements or which university she should apply if she wants to come to chicago il.


thankyou

Wasif

One does not need to have a visa to take USMLE Step 1... you can take the exam in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi... in Pakistan... at any prometric center... as she has done MBBS, so she is already a graduate, so she cannot apply for electives but once she has taken the USMLE exams, she can apply for residency!

Visitor (not verified)

Thu, 06/02/2011 - 14:26

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Hi sir, I'm presently doing my internship in India. I would like to know if there is any rule or any clause that says that if we do one month of psychiatry during internship,we have an edge over the others at the time of being alloted residency seats.

In my college,we had 1 month of psychiatry postings in 5th sem. And during internship,we have 15 days of compulsary psychiatry postings. Is that enough? We can opt for another 15 days of psychiatry postings but i happened to opt for dermatology. Is that ok?

If not,would it be enough if I do 15 days of psychiatry postings later in my colg itself?

I'd be really happy if you could please clear my doubts

Thank you

Ann (not verified)

Mon, 06/13/2011 - 17:50

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Hello i have a question...

Is a student considered a graduate after finishing final year or after doing housejob in pakistan?

Farhan (not verified)

Tue, 06/21/2011 - 09:23

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hey umar ... 

i am in my year of internship in a university in india ... i gave my step 1 but failed .... 

goin through the application forms for northwestern and yale ... they ask u whether u have given the usmle step 1 ... should i tick ' no ' and move on with it or should i tick ' yes ' and write my bad score ??... will by bad score hamper me from securing a clerskhip ?? 

Visitor (not verified)

Thu, 06/23/2011 - 11:27

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How long does emory university take to reply after application has been submitted?

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 07/26/2011 - 15:22

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i have this issue regarding the money we spend..firstly we spend 100-300$ for simply applying for electives, we also need to purchase malpratice and health insurance, which can range from 200-2000$, and then get acceptance letter from the university then again we spend 200$ for apply for b1/b2 visa and get rejected..isnt it foolish for us to spend intially so much and then get rejected and all our money spend for nothing, all the insurance gone to waste...isnt there a way to get acceptance in electives without risking so much money.. i mean lets first get the VISA( the big issue for pakistanis)  and then buy all these big insurances?please throw light on the issue.

Visitor (not verified)

Thu, 09/15/2011 - 14:23

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Dear Umar bhai you and everybody on this website have been a great help to me. This website is the reason I got my visa and elective. I have a question that I couldn't find already posted on the site. I am going for an elective in Nephrology. What books must I take and what will we required from me to assess my knowledge....as in how much should I know to impress the doctors there?

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:03

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Hi, I have already done electives for 3 months and was thinking about doing it for another 3 months. some people are telling me 3 months is mre than enough and there's no need in going again..any suggestions?

Ayesha Khan (not verified)

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 17:56

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Hello Umar bhai

I wanna pursue residency in IM. I was wondering if 1 elective in neurology, 1 in gastro and 1 in SURGERY at some big shot place like Mt. Sinai would help ? I specifically am concerned abt the surgery elective ... Please guide .

HopetoGr8 (not verified)

Sun, 10/23/2011 - 13:43

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Hi great website

I really need your help. I'm going to get my final diploma in June 2013 but I will apply for an elective early in my final year of medical school. The thing is, I'm planning on doing the elective in the summer after I graduate. Will this be allowed? Can the fact that I will have graduated by the time I do the elective be a problem? Or it doesn't matter as long as I tell the Dean to not mention my date of graduation in the Dean's letter?

Please help!

thanks

piyushr (not verified)

Thu, 11/03/2011 - 21:39

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hi,

this is an excellent blog.

i m in final year(internship) in india. i decided on givin the usmle late.i hv around 20 days left on internship.i m jz startin on my step 1.wud the US universities accept me if i postpone my internship?

thnx

Anam (not verified)

Tue, 11/15/2011 - 20:44

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Hi great website

I really need your help. I'm from Pakistan and I'm going to have my final year exams in Jan 2012 but I am planning to start applying for electives now. The thing is, I'm planning on doing the elective in the 2 or 3 months I get to be free after my exams, that is march april and may. My housejob will start in june probably. Will this be allowed? Can the fact that I will have graduated by the time I do the elective be a problem? Or it doesn't matter so long as i have applied before the result comes out? And as long as I tell the Dean to not mention my date of graduation in the Dean's letter? Also, most universities require toefl for electives, and i still have to take that! and nowadays i'm busy with preparation of my final professional examination, so also guide me when to take toefl so as to be able to receive my toefl score BEFORE ITS TOO LATE :/

Please help!

thanks

firstly, emory is a good place if you can find a sponsor, go to their website and start emailing people and requesting for electives in every single department. i would suggest paeds first, this is easy to get in relatively. another option for may is UCSF , it says no international students on their website but you can do it in radiology, but it costs 1825 dollars ,if you can afford then go for it, accomodation will need to be researched  online a bit, but you can do that later. toefl will help you if you can give it, obv give it asap .. feinberg is an easy option i think after that ... apply for research elective in johns hopkins, fill out the observership form for cleveland clinic on their website ... baki you'll need to be lucky to get something at this time.. goodluck. 

Visitor (not verified)

Mon, 01/30/2012 - 16:44

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somebody please tell me how good is doing an elective under a physician in his private clinic which has affiliation with UCLA.and they say i will be going for grand rounds in Ronald Reagan UCLA medical center.Is it worth? please suggest.

Usman (not verified)

Sun, 02/19/2012 - 10:43

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Hi,

Okay I was filling out the elective application for Yale. The application is pretty straight forward. But they have another form called 'Supplemental Form'. This asks about a question that goes like

 ' Have you spoken with or corresponded with a faculty member at Yale? "


How am I supposed to fill this? Does this mean that they expect us to find a faculty sponsor before applying ? 


Santosh (not verified)

Fri, 02/24/2012 - 14:52

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After having done MBBS India,

Is it COMPULSORY to do ELECTIVES to get admission into US Medical Schools?

Let me tell you some very important things about electives. 

1- You can't go for electives AFTER you are done with MBBS.

2- We do electives while we are in medical school cuz it helps us gain foreign experience which is a major plus factor for residency application. This has nothing to do with getting admitted to a medical school. For medical school, you do MCAT or Pre-Med.

3- I am sure you are still confused about this whole elective thing.

4- You will never be able to find elective if you can't understand the basics.

Manjot (not verified)

Sat, 02/25/2012 - 05:33

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hi everyone , i applied to Yale on 2nd feb , it reached yale by 6th feb ( tracking facility via DHL ) but i didn't got any confirmation mail from their side , i doubt whether they send it or not ? does anyone knows by how much time  before the elective date they inform about acceptance or rejection? please answer , i shall be  thankful to you  


   

Visitor123 (not verified)

Mon, 03/12/2012 - 14:50

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I want to know if electives can be done under a doctor who practices privately in the US and get the LOR from him/her.

And is there any way v can get scholarships for electives?

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 03/20/2012 - 06:20

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hi sir,

I want to know if electives can be done under a doctor who practices privately in the US and get the LOR from him/her ??

                  thanks

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 03/20/2012 - 06:21

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hi sir,I want to know if electives can be done under a doctor who practices privately in the US and get the LOR from him/her thanks.

Visitor (not verified)

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 20:43

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i'm very happy to fined this forum ,..
I have a Q please, If I applied to electives in feb. 2013 to take in August 2013 ,Is it possible ? as I heard that electives in July and Aug. is difficult cause American students take electives more in July and August to be able to apply to match in sep. , why will I apply in 2013, cause i will finish usmle step1 at jan. 2013 , and in this case can I take a five year Visa?
thanx in advance .

Visitor (not verified)

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 21:15

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i'm very happy to fined this forum ,..
I have a Q please, If I applied to electives in feb. 2013 to take in August 2013 ,Is it possible ? as I heard that electives in July and Aug. is difficult cause American students take electives more in July and August to be able to apply to match in sep. , why will I apply in 2013, cause i will finish usmle step1 at jan. 2013 , and in this case can I take a five year Visa?
thanx in advance . 

salman (not verified)

Fri, 03/30/2012 - 11:54

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Hey guys THIS IS IMPORTANT!! 

                  Any one gone for an elective rotation at Bronx VA that comes under Mt. Sinai Schl of Med. How are there internal medicine departments, cardio etc?  Is it worth the price they make you pay for it. 

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 04/15/2012 - 13:38

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Hi thr!

I was wondering how easy/difficult it is to get a clerkship in Weil Cornell?! Anybody who already did an elective-how good is it?

Thanks!

rajesh (not verified)

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 08:24

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Dear sir, 

At present I am doing internship of dentistry after passing last year exam of BDS from India.

I like your web site very much. please give me suggestion for more study in USA.

How to start process for the same.

please guide as early possible

thanks a lot

rajesh

Visitor (not verified)

Fri, 08/24/2012 - 11:50

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 Hi everyone,

This is a fantastic blog for most of us students..Thanks a lot.

I had a question. I have done one elective in Northwestern and will start my second elective at Harvard, both in Pediatrics. I got an acceptence from Yale just yesterday for an elective starting 2 weeks after my harvard elective. The problem is that the passport officer has stamped my B1 visa only till 24th September which is the last day of my elective. Even if I put in an application to extend my visa now, the reply would  not come in until 45 days. Though I can stay in the country saying that my application is pending, if they reject my application, then they will not only deport me but also cancel my 10 year visa.

Now I am confused, should I be risking this for a third elective, or should I just be content with two?Also I will end up spending a lot more money than I thought.

Thanks

hi =) I know u sound super busy and super accomplished! =) and I'm really happy for the opportunities ur getting but im a final yr med student whose kinda aiming for a clinical elective/externship at the institutions you've gotten an acceptance to. I have no visa issues im a u.s. citizen but im a foreign med student. i do have a colorful CV and would really appreciate it if u could provide me with some guidelines plz? i also have research publications.

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 10/14/2012 - 01:26

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 dr.umar  you are really doing wonderful through this website. you are helping many people. hearty thanx to you and your website

Aparna (not verified)

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 11:13

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What is the date of graduation?I am from India where we have one year rotatory internship after 4.5 years of college. At the end of this internship, MBBS degree is issued but that takes time(a few months). So, could I do electives before the degree is issued but after internship? In other words, what is the date of graduation? - the day internship is completed or the day degree is issued? Will be greatful for your inputs.

pal (not verified)

Sat, 04/27/2013 - 09:42

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Hello umarbhai, I am an intern in India. I had ATKT in pathology and Forensic Medicine in 2nd M.B.B.S., and I had cleared them.. I have passed my other MBBS in 1st attempt.. Now I am planning for electives in US and I am afraid that whether my 2nd MBBS's 2nd attempt to decrease my chances to get an elective?? I mean it affects in any way to my requirement for Good Academic Standing or Not...?? Can this affect to get my residency also?? Please Help, I am so much in conflict mind... Thank you.

Mansi (not verified)

Mon, 08/26/2013 - 19:08

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What is the date of graduation?I am from India where we have one year rotatory internship after 4.5 years of college. At the end of this internship, MBBS degree is issued but that takes time(a few months). So, could I do electives before the degree is issued but after internship? In other words, what is the date of graduation? - the day internship is completed or the day degree is issued?

Visitor (not verified)

Thu, 12/05/2013 - 12:14

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Is Yale good for an elective? Is it worth spending so much? A Cardio faculty member said she'd be my sponsor. However, I put this as my last resort cos of all the expenses. I will apply there if I cant make it anyehere else.

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 01/19/2014 - 01:20

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Hi, Thank you for your great website. I am a medical student applying for the elective program at Harvard and I found that no CV or PS is needed for the application. I am wondering if I can put my CV and PS in the application packet as well to increase my chance of being scheduled in my desired choices? And would you please give me some advise to increase my chance of succeed? It is indicated on their website that Only dean's letter, TOEFL score and Transcripts and some forms are needed. Thank you again for your time and I am looking forward for your reply!

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