was told that Psychiatry residency had become very competitive!!!
I was told that the doors are closing!!!
I was told that I had no chance as a visa requiring IMG!!!
I was told that I would never match!!! Never ever!!! Not this year!!! Not the following year!!! Never ever!!! (by an attending in an interview for residency!!!)
For all the naysayers and skeptics, it’s always doomsday for IMG’s. The truth is that if you are willing to work hard and stay persistent, anything is possible.
If I listened to everyone else, I would have given up on my dream years ago!
Never listen to someone who gave up on their dreams long ago or someone who values security and safety over achievement and greatness.
Don’t listen to too many people, learn to trust your gut and your own instincts on your own unique journey because no one else has to live with the consequences of regret.
Not everyone will share your vision or have your talents and ability so the opinion of others shouldn’t be a factor in your decision to go after what is important to you.
Most people aren’t tough enough or strong enough to stick it out, they would rather give up or not even put themselves out there in the first place and would rather settle for what is easy and comfortable to them.
But most importantly most people simply don’t believe in anything enough to go through hell and to sacrifice everything for what they love and believe in.
Don’t listen to others - listen to yourself, trust yourself and be brave enough to go after what you believe in and care about.
I did and guess what, not only did I match to residency but worked my a** off during residency and matched to Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School for my Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship!!!
So, remember, next time, if someone tries to pull you down by telling you that you have a low score, your time has passed, you are an old graduate, you will never match, you are a visa requiring IMG etc. read this story again and decide whether you take it as “a final call” or as “1 opinion in a sea of thousands”! This is what will decide your destination aaaaaand…Difficult roads indeed lead to BEAUTIFUL destinations