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The next installment of the Provider Pulse interview series where we elevate diverse voices from across healthcare fields to learn the paths people took to their current roles.

On this episode, we speak with Dr. Abdifitah Mohamed, an internal medicine resident at the University of Washington.

Dr. Abdifitah Mohamed's journey began in Somalia where the loss of a loved one sparked his calling to medicine. From there, he pursued medical school in Sudan, advanced his training in Kenya, and after years of persistence and multiple attempts, finally secured a residency position in the United States.

He reflects on the significant challenges he faced as an international medical graduate applying for residency in the United States, as well as the profound sacrifices made by him and his family along the way.

Guide to terms and acronyms:

ECFMG: certificate provided by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical graduates. It certifies international medical graduates so they can enter US residency programs

Externship: Short-term work-based learning experiences, often needed for admission to residency For international medicine graduates, these can require payment of up to thousands of dollars.

IMG: an international medical graduate

Internship: the first year of residency.

MRCP: This is a UK postgraduate exam for physicians.

Transitional year residency: a one year program often required by certain specialties. These are often seen as a stepping stone for international medicine graduates, as they can be less competitive than multi-year programs. However, there is no guarantee for an additional year and they need to be applied to on a year to year basis.

USMLE: A three step examination for physicians to be licensed to practice medicine in the U.S.. These will often be referred to simply as step one, step two, et cetera.

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