jenniferhawke.com

note: this is part III of V in a series re-capping that whirlwind weekend i got married!

The Girls’ Night Out
The Rehearsal
The Wedding
The Reception in Moose Jaw
The Reception in Nebraska

oh my gosh. where to start?

this is a day that will probably be impossible for me to do justice with words. instead of trying to give you a clumsy and inadequate play-by-play, here are a few of my favourite photos.

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all photos in this post are by Darlene & Paul (Duke) Paetz.

[note: this entry will be updated and re-posted with further steps as i go through the process. please feel free to share your tips and comments if you are an International Medical Graduate that has already completed the USMLE Step 1 and lived to tell about it.]

hello and welcome to the process of finishing the Basic Science program and preparing to write the United States Medical Licensing Exam, as written by a 5th semester Canadian student going to school in the Caribbean.

1) get a USMLE ECFMG # (~5 days)
go to the ECFMG On-line Services and click “first-time user”. the information you need at this point consists of just your legal name, birthdate, birth country, gender, medical school, and email address. it takes about 5 business days for them to send your number and temporary password via email.

2) pick your window & pay (~15 minutes)
use your assigned number and temporary password to sign-in. this part of the application requires more info such as your expected graduation date and name of degree, citizenship (when you were born, when you attended medical school and current), social security (or other nationally identifying) number, as well as confirmation of previously entered info. you get to select which three-month window (ie: May 1st – July 31st, 2009) in which you anticipate taking the exam.

you are also expected to pay (via credit card or electronic cheque) $710 at the end of the process. there are surcharges if you want to take the exam in a country outside of the US or Canada.

3) certification of ID (form 186) (~4 weeks)
print out the page provided after you complete step 2 above. attach a passport photo from within the last 6 months and take the document to your school official to sign. i mailed mine into Dr. Collins at the Gardner head office and she forwarded it on to the ECFMG after signing/stamping. this process took about 4 weeks from the day i mailed it to Dr. Collins to the day ECFMG notified me (via email) of acceptance of the document.

4) school verification
after passing the NBME Comprehensive Subject Exam, MUA will send verification to the ECFMG that you are eligible to take the Step 1 exam. you should receive an email confirming your registration for the 3-month eligibility period you selected and details about scheduling with a Prometric test centre.

5) scheduling permit
less than a week later, you should receive an email with a link to the print/re-print scheduling permit. this is important. you must bring it to the testing centre with you when you want to take the exam. you also need to use the number provided on it to book your test with Prometric. it’s best to book as soon as you get your permit in order to ensure you get the day you want.

6) rock it!
confirm your test appointment a week in advance. print out your scheduling permit, Prometric exam confirmation, directions to the centre and anything else you might need. ensure the name on the paperwork exactly matches your photo identification. continue cramming. get a good night’s sleep.

get it over with!

see you on the other side.

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photo: SkyTrain escalator in Vancouver, BC

go girl. it’s your birthday. par-tay. it’s your birthday.

my life hasn’t been the same since my sister’s dog had an unplanned litter over Mother’s Day weekend in 2003… i am so thankful for her unconditional love and the adventures we have shared. she’s the best Tonto this Lone Ranger could have asked for.

it was *tough* to narrow them down, but here are 6 of my fave photos over the years…

[the sticks now-a-days are at least 3 times her length: 7wks old]

[snoozing in Tofino: 7 wks old]

[sometimes cats love her back. usually not: 2 yrs old]

[our fave pastime is chasing seagulls at Spanish Banks: 3 yrs old]

[distracting me from studying: 4 yrs old]

[brushing out the winter coat: 5 yrs old]

and here she is after a birthday swim on the farm yesterday evening. i know she’s going to miss this place when we leave in August.

i have decided to accept a seat with the Medical University of the Americas (MUA) on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean.

Nevis (pronounced “Neee-vis”) is the sister island of St. Kitts, a popular stop for cruise ships. it is a tiny (36 square miles) volcano island and has only about 10,000 inhabitants. even though the name comes from christopher columbus and means “our lady of the snows” (nuestra senora de las nieves), i have a feeling i won’t need my snowshoes or sorels there…

MUA is on the east side of the island and the dormitories are a 5 minute walk from white sand beaches. even better, the classes are small and over 80% of students passed their USMLE step 1 and 2s on the first try. MUA is also recognized by the World Health Organization, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, and United States Medical Licensing Examination. the school is affiliated with many hospitals in the US, but clinical rotations and residencies are available in Canada as well.

after four years of preparation and hard work, i’ve realized it’s only just begun. i’m going to medical school.

so, why MUA?

when i first went back to school to complete my pre-requisites for medicine, i believed that i would re-apply to UBC/UNBC as many times as it took to get in. i thought i would be willing to wait 8, 9, 10 years because i wanted to be in british columbia so badly. last year, as i was entering my second application cycle, i realized that was no longer true. i also had a gut feeling i wouldn’t get an interview and needed to start thinking about “plan B”s…

on january 16th, i found out i was not offered an interview this year with UBC/UNBC. that door has firmly closed for me. i am more interested in getting my M.D. career on the road, than pursuing the life of a professional student in order to stay in british columbia.

on january 22nd, i had a light and personal 40 minute phone interview with the admissions director for MUA. on january 24th, he sent me word via email so i wouldn’t have to wait for the snail mail. other than the weather and the fact that they actually want me, confirmation of the class sizes, success statistics, cost of tuition/living, and reading up on personal opinions from students in online forums further clinched my decision.

unfortunately, there are obviously a few cons i have to be willing to overcome…

maddy can’t join me. because it’s an island, there is a 6 month quarantine system for pets. i just can’t justify putting her through that when i’m only going to be there for 18 months. plus, i’m sure she would hate the warm weather.

clinical rotations are spread out across the US and may mean increased cost due to travel. to me, the travel bit is a plus because i think the varied experiences will be immensely valuable in the long-term.

landing a residency in the US or Canada will be more competitive. first round and popular specialties will go to non-foreign medical student. still, not impossible. just more competitive.

and last (but certainly not! least), the boyfriend can’t join me. there is no quaratine system for spouses and families (and i’m sure he would agree with the weather), but he has a mortgage and a new car and a fantastic job. i just hope some of my clinical rotations are in cities with NBA teams. that way he has even more reason to visit.

i am currently waitlisted for entrance in may 2007, but will otherwise start in september. this means i can be done my 5 semesters of basic sciences by may 2009 and finish my clinical rotations in another 72 weeks (september 2010). pending a successful match, i could be starting my residency as early as fall 2010.

way back when i quit my job and re-entered student life, friends and former co-workers would always ask me when i was going to be a doctor. i would reply that i’d finish right about the time the olympics got to vancouver. even with all that’s happened in the last four years, i’m actually not that far off. back then, the olympics still seemed like a VERY long way away. now, CTV counts down the days on their evening news.

i am working to get all my paperwork and finances in order by mid-march in the event that a seat for may 2007 opens up. naturally, i have a million and one things to do. i’ll keep you all posted on the process – especially if there are any other Canadians out there frustrated with our short number of medical seats and considering other options.

PS: i expect a TON of postcards from you guys while i’m down there!