Getting Ready for the Match 2010

This is a presentation I found in the California Academy of Family Physicians Podcast. It was created by Timothy Munzing, M.D. It is directed to U.S. medical students, but I think it is a good point where to start for International Medical Graduates who want to apply for the Match 2010.

Applying for the Match is like a game, you need to know the rules and play with them as much as you can. This is not a simple process. It requires a lot of work from each one of us. Remember, it is not only about getting high scores in the USMLE steps. Residency programs start receiving application early September, but you have to start working on your application now.

California Letter Application: Step by Step Guideline

I.- Documents you have to send:

1.-Online application and payment (creating a Username and Password)

• Go to the Medical Board of California web site
• Click Online Licensing Application Payment button
• Click the get started button sign and you will be re directed to a new page.
• Click the first time users and start your online application.
• Create a user ID and Password.
• Follow the steps to complete your personal Information. For this you will need your e mail address, date of birth and Social Security Number (SSN).
• Follow the instructions and complete your payment of $ 505.00.
• Wait for the confirmation and PRINT IT TWICE. One for your personal records and another one for the Medical Board of California.

2.-Fingerprints and Live Scan

For the fingerprints: you have 2 options, cardboard or LiveScan.
Live scan is faster, easy to access and cheap ($12- 25 depends the site)

• Go to the Medical Board of California web site
• Download the Live Scan fingerprints format.
• Complete this format and follow the instructions on it.
• Search for one of the many Live Scan agencies.
• Make your appointment or walk-in and complete the process.
• One of the 3 copies will be take by the operator, the second copy is for your personal records and the third one is for the Medical Board of California.

3.-PTAL Application Forms L1A - L1E

• Go to the Medical Board of California web site.
• Download the Application for the California Letter (PTAL).
• Complete the forms L1A through L1E.
• These forms will ask you for basic Information. You can complete it either by typewriting machine or by hand writing.
• Complete L1A to L1E. You need to notarize L1E. You will need a recent 2" x 3" photo of your head and shoulders too.
• Finally sent:

1.-Online application receipt
2.-Livescan proof of service
3.-Forms L1A - L1E

The Medical Board of California should contact you in no more than 90 days to inform you that they received your initial application. You will need to complete the rest of your application in order to receive your PTAL.


II.- Official Examination Scores mailed DIRECTLY from the reporting agency

• Go to the Federation of State Medical Boards home page.
• Click on Examination Services (on your left) then click on Transcripts .
• You can select (on your left) from online versus paper documents. I suggest online (always faster and green).
• Click "proceed to online form".
• Follow the instructions and pay $50 dollars.
• Please select California Medical Board.
• You can choose to send your score to other State Medical boards if you are completing their licensing process.

Note: Remember you will only do this step when you already have passed Step 1 and Step 2 (including CK and CS). Otherwise you will need to pay again for any pending results. You do not need your USMLE Step 3 to complete this part.

III.- Documents your medical school has to send:

1.- Form L2

• Complete your personal data (name, SSN, DOB) at the top of the form.
• Submit this form to your medical school for completion of all the information.
• The medical school official must affix his/her original signature and the seal of the medical school.
• This form must be mailed directly from the school.

2.- Official Medical school Transcript

• An original official medical school transcript must have the following:
• Prepared on university letterhead.
• Affixed with the signature of the dean/registrar.
• The medical school seal.
• Document all of the basic science and clinical courses completed during the medical curriculum.
• A transcript will need to be provided directly from each institution of attendance and submitted directly to the Medical Board of California.
• If prepared in language other than English will need to be accompanied by an original, official translation.
• This form must be mailed directly from the school.

3.- Certified copy of medical degree

• Submitted DIRECTLY from the medical school.
• To be acceptable shall contain:
• A statement on the reverse side of the copy indicating that it is a true copy of the original degree.
• An original signature of the dean or registrar immediately following the statement verifying authenticity of the copy.
• An official medical school seal affixed to the copy.
• If prepared in language other than English will need to be accompanied by an original, official translation.
• This form must be mailed directly from the school.
  

4.- Form L5

• You have to submit the Form L5 to your medical school for completion of all the information.
• You may print or copy as many L5 forms as necessary to provide a complete breakdown of your undergraduate clinical training.
• Include each and all clinical clerkships.
• Your medical school official must affix his/her original signature and the seal of the medical school.
• Your medical School has to send the forms back to the Medical Board of California.

Note: Clerkships are all your clinical rotations where you have direct contact with patients. Internship in your country could not be the same as in the U.S. In other countries, for example in Peru internship is the last year of clinical training in medical school. Last year medical students are called interns. Here in the U.S. interns are the first year residents.

“Do not set the PTAL application as a complication, a barrier, a hardship… see it as an opportunity to demonstrate how determined you are to become a doctor in California. You will succeed even with all these documents, forms, and applications. Success and ánimo! Sí se puede!!!”

Gilberto Cota M.D.

Note: This post was written by Gilberto Cota M.D. and edited and modified by Victor Castilla M.D.

CLICK HERE to Download the presentation

Overview: Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) or California Letter Application

The Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) or California Letter is a document that allows International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to start their training in a residency program in California. IMGs must have this document to be eligible for a residency position in California. The process to obtain this document ranges from 3 months to more than one year.

I.- Who can apply for a PTAL or California Letter?

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) or Medical students from medical schools recognized by the Medical Board of California, otherwise do not waste your time. If your school is not recognized, you will not receive the PTAL.

Note: If your medical school appears on the International Medical Education Directory (IMED), it does not mean that your school is recognized by the Medical Board of California.

Example:

• Peruvian medical schools on IMED: 30
  
• Peruvian medical schools recognized by the Medical Board of California: 7
  

Click this link to make sure you school is approved by the Medical Board of California.

II.- When to apply?

You have to apply as soon as you consider California as one of your top choices for a residency program. The PTAL is a document required by all residency programs in California to consider your ERAS application for the MATCH completed. Without the PTAL your chances to recieve receive invitations for residency interviews are almost zero.

Note: To apply for the PTAL it does not matter if you have or not your USMLE scores. You can start your application even before taking your first USMLE test. Nonetheless, you will only get your PTAL until you pass all the USMLE tests and after you provide all the required documents.

III.- Which documents do you need?

You need the following documents:

1.- Documents you have to send

• Application forms L1A-L1E
  
• Copy of Live Scan form
  
• Copy of receipt of online payment
  

2.- Documents the Federation of State Medical Boards has to send

• Official Examination Scores
  

3.- Documents your medical school has to send

• Form L2
  
• Official Medical school Transcript
  
• Certified copy of medical degree
  
• Form L5
  
• Form L6 (if applicable)
  

Applying to the Post Graduate Authorization Letter (PTAL) is different than to apply for the ECFMG credential verification. You have to consider this a totally different and independent processs.


IMPORTANT LINKS FOR THE PTAL APPLICATION

• California Medical Board
  
• List of International Medicine schools recognized by California
  
• Online Professional Licensing
  
• Livescan Format Application
  
• Livescan Locations
  
• Application for the California Letter (PTAL)
  
• Federation of State Medical Boards
  

We will explain in more detail the steps you have to follow in future posts. If you have questions, you are more than welcome to leave a comment and share your doubts and experiences.

NOTE: This post was written by Gilberto Cota M.D. and modified by Victor Castilla M.D.

Practicing for the Residency Interviews: Mock Interviews

The interview season could be a really stressful time for International Medical Graduates. But you do not have to worry, what you need to do is to practice. Mock interviews are really useful to gain confidence and to improve our performance during residency interviews. Pay attention to the following advices from UCLA Smart Strategies for Successful Residency Interviews:

• Dress and behave as you would during a real interview.
• Tape yourself (audio or video) during the interview. Any bad habits you have will jump out at you.
• Pay attention to non-verbal cues

Handshake

Tone of voice

Clarity

Speaking pace

Eye contact

Body language

Smile!

• Answering questions

Take a breath before you answer.

Will send oxygen to your brain

Will give you half a second to think of your answer

Okay to ask for a moment to think before you answer.

Don't talk just to fill empty space

Better to take a moment than to give a damaging answer

After you finish with your mock interview. Evaluate your performance. You can use the Mock Interview Rating Sheet from University of Illinois at Chicago. Good luck.

Sources:

• UCLA Smart Strategies for Successful Residency Interviews
• Mock Interview Rating Sheet from University of Illinois at Chicago.
• The cartoon above belongs to Zachari Emig

Residency Interview Question: Tell me about yourself

Residency interviews are really important. Preparation is key for success. The list of questions you can be asked during an interview is huge. But you need to be prepare to answer specially those that are more common. "Tell me About yourself" is for sure one of the most common questions you will be asked during a residency interview. Follow Linda Matias' advices to answer this question successfully:

"So, Why don't you tell me about yourself?" is the most frequently asked interview question. It's a question that interviewees expect and the one they have the most difficulty answering. One could answer this open-ended question in a myriad of ways. The key to answering this question is to offer a response that supports your career objective. This means that you shouldn't respond with comments about your hobbies, spouse, or extra curricular activities. Trust me, interviewers aren't interested. Interviewers use the interview process as a vehicle to eliminate your candidacy. Every question asked is used to differentiate your skills, experience, and personality. They want to determine if what you have to offer will mesh with the organization's mission and goals. Follow the four steps outlined next to ensure your response will grab interviewers attention.

Step 1:

Provide a brief introduction. Introduce attributes that are key to the open position.

Step 2:

Provide a career summary of your most recent work history. Your career summary is the "meat" of your response, so it must support your job objective and it must be compelling. Keep your response limited to your current experience.

Step 3

Tie your response to the needs of the hiring organization. Don't assume that interviewers will be able to connect all the dots. It is your job as the interviewee to make interviewers understand how your experiences are transferable to the position.

Step 4

Ask an insightful question. By asking a question you gain control of the interview. Don't ask a question for the sake of asking. Be sure that the question will engage the interviewer in a conversation.

Example:



When broken down into manageable pieces, the question, " So, tell me about yourself?" isn't overwhelming. The question gives you the opportunity to mention.. strengths, achievements, and quealifications.

Remember that the key to all-successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting.

Sources:

• Interview with Michael Artman, MD (University of Iowa Children's Hospital)
• Linda Matias, President, CareerStrides and Author, How to Say it Job Interviews
• crack Interview.info