Medical Fiance...Brazil, Medicine and Residency...argh!

OK...so I'm not a Medical Spouse yet...but figured I'd get into rehab sooner-rather than later...eh?



I'll introduce myself by saying that I was backpacking around Europe and South America on long-term sabbatical after working for 6 years for a major corporation. I was minding my own business when my trip was ruined (I'm not too sad I guess) by meeting my lovely fiancee. She's Brazilian, beautiful and was starting her 2nd and final year of residency in Internal Medicine...it was March 2000. Well, my trip detoured from my plan of going to SouthEast Asia to spending lots more time around here in Brazil. She visited the USA for 3 weeks in November 2000 and we got engaged.



She completed her residency and started working in a local hospital and in private practice in early 2001. We decided to aim at her practicing medicine in the USA and us living there...argh...hence the mess we're going through.



As ya'll likely know...she had to take the USMLE Step 1 (Passed), USMLE Step 2 (awaiting results...for waaaay too long), CSA (Will take Nov. 7th) and the TOEFL (passed) just to get ECFMG Certified (pending Step 2 and CSA scores). At the same time...we're planning our wedding in February 2002 here in Brazil. I am fortunate and work for a dot-com that hasn't gone out of business and allows me to work remotely (yes, I'm in Brazil now and in the USA at times too)...which has been a godsend as we work through the morrass (spelling?) involved with ECFMG, ERAS, NRMP, getting Letters of Recommendation (first in Portuguese then in English), Dean's Letters in a form that make sense in the USA and a Medical Transcript that is readable and understandable...argh....all in an attempt to get her into an Internal Medicine residency program in the USA (yes, she has to do it again...USA doesn't recognize foreign residencies!)...and we still have to go through the application and interview process...and I've not even discussed wedding and US Visa complications.



We're almost to the point where it is coming together...but timing is the main thing right now and we're running short on time to do everything. My big worry is that we'll make a bone-headed mistake and lose more time (we left one blank not filled in on the original CSA Appliction and it was rejected...info that ECFMG already had on file but refused to acknowledge or fill in...this one mistake already cost us 3 weeks). If anyone has tips on securing residency (especially for Foreign Medical Graduates)...I'm all ears.



Thanks for having a good forum like this for spouses (and soon to be spouses, right???) of doctors...it ain't easy, is it?

txnomad,



Wow, you and I have a lot of similarities in our stories!!! I was actually an exchange student in Germany when I met my husband. We lived in Germany and N. Ireland for several years before coming to the US...and yes, we had to take the USMLE's...and my husband had to start residency over again! We had already completed 2.5 years when we began all over in the states and did 3 more years of Internal Medicine and 2 more years of a fellowship.



How exciting that you are living in Brazil...I would love to hear about your adventures there! We visited Brazil once when I was in the 8th grade (read: remember little....but I remember that there is a town nearby that is built in the shape of an airplane?)



It is nice to meet you...I look forward to getting to know you.



Kris

Welcome to the board, txnomad! It seems like you have been to many places in the world. I have never been outside the U.S. except for Canada and Mexico!



Looking forward to hearing more about you...



-Rachel

Kris,



Nice to meet you too. The city you're thinking of is Brasilia. It was promised to be built during the 1950 campaign by soon to be President Juscileno Kubichek (I know the spelling is wrong, sorry) and the city was built 1950-1953 at a massive cost to the country. It was a master designed city (like Wash DC) and was built to take power out of the traditional areas of power in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The designer was Oscar Neimeyer who was in fact a communist and who designed the JK Memorial after the president died (it looks amazingly like a communist site...sicle and statue of Pres. JK in a Stalin-like stance with his arm outstretched...really funny...JK wasn't a communist, but his tomb makes him look like one due to the architect). The city of Brasilia was built in the shape of an airplane flying due West with residency areas in the areas of the wings, the fuselage area has many parks and government buildings and the cockpit is where their Legislative, Supreme Court and President's Palace sit. It is an amazing place to visit...but doesn't have much in the way of cool sights to hold you there. It is a good 2-3 day stop-over, nothing more.



If you want to read more about it, I wrote some things about it on my website:

http://www.lonestar.texas.net/~mclean/ddm



Regards,



Doug

Rachel,



Thanks for the note. Yes, I love traveling...but its not for everyone. If you consider traveling, probably Europe is the easiest first trip as it has good tourist infrastructure and is the most like the USA in the forms of business and workings. I love Central and South America but things simply don't work the same down here as they do in the USA.



Doug

[Meenah]

Welcome Doug,

Ths is a great website, wonderful people with lots of support. My huband is in private practice (Pulmonary/Critial Care) and I am a nurse (Emergency Room/Endoscopy).I look forward to getting to know you.

Luanne

[houseelf]

Doug,



A belated welcome to the boards! Congratulations on finding your soul mate. With your sense of adventure you should do well in the medical adventure! I look forward to meeting you.



Kelly

[DCJenn]

Doug-



Welcome- you've got the first few criteria met for success as a medical spouse- a sense of humor, flexibility, and the knowledge that you'll sometimes need some outside support!



You'll find we're a pretty interesting group. and I know our 'guys' will be delighted to add another to their ranks.



I'm Jenn, spouse to a 2nd year peds resident with the added thrill of his being military, too. So, I hear and feel your pain about the hoops we have to jump through...it's nuts sometimes.



Residency sucks- but we're all here for each other and those who have gone before are great at putting a little perspective on things.



Glad you found us-



Jenn

Hi Doug,



Welcome to the board. I haven't been around as much as usual because my husband and I are also trying to get through all the hoops of getting into a residency. My husband has chosen anesthesiology (only in the last month) so it has been crazy trying to get everything done. It must be very difficult jumping through all the extra hoops that are placed in front of foreign med. students. I wish your fiance all the best of luck in getting in and for you.... that you will still be sane by Match time!



Robin

Doug-



Glad to have you- welcome to the board! I'm a former Texan- lived in Arlington Tx for 5 years. Loved it except for the traffic.



I'm looking forward to hearing about the ongoing efforts to get your fiance over here.



Wendy

Welcome Doug! It's great to have you! I checked out your website - it's great! Look forward to chatting with you...

[houseelf]

Doug,



Your website is VERY cool. Thanks for sharing!



Kelly