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Electives at Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine ?

43K views 158 replies 52 participants last post by  yasminmedhat1 
#1 ·
Has anybody done electives in Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University ??or anyone planning for it..?
 
#17 ·
Hi! I will be applying for electives at HWCOM for Jan-March 2017.
I need help with the documents that need to be submitted. I tried emailing their office several times but ....
Their guidelines state that they need only your CV, Application form, Transcript, application fee receipt and a rotation agreement form.
Then their application form states that we need to attach our immunization records, malpractice insurance and health insurance proof and a security check. SO should I send all of that together?

Anyone who has rotated there, please help me with this....I'd realllyyy appreciate it.
Also how hard is it to get in? It's one of the veeeery few places that don't need step1 and I want to know my chances :/
 
#30 ·
I feel it's better to apply at multiple to increase your chances, cuz you never know. But it's a costly affair since the application fees are really steep. If you have a killer CV and are sure you'll get in, maybe you can apply at just one place. But I think the timing would matter too, right? SInce they probably have like hundreds of students applying.....
 
#33 ·
They've mentioned that if the candidate cancels with more than two months to spare they'll refund more than 80 percent. I am guessing it would be closer to 90 percent. If it is within two months from the date of the elective they'll refund 80 percent.

As far as accommodation goes, I am looking for people to share it with. although I am still waiting to hear from Cornell and Sinai.

What other universities have you applied to? And how many months are you planning to go there for? Just one?
 
#34 ·
I'm waiting to hear from Cornell, Yale and UMass. But I know Cornell replies barely 2 months before your elective, and getting in is really difficult and UMass rarely accepts international students, so I might end up going to Miami after all. I only applied for 1 month (March). It's all I could afford. :))
Please do inform me if you need to share accommodation in March.
 
#35 ·
Hi, I'm on the same boat here, I'll make sure to leave feedback here if i end up going there. I'm applying for Harvard as well (which in past years has accepted almost everyone it seems, but this could change this year) + Yale + Cleveland (I may be a little late for this one, since my step 1 results will only come it in the 24th of August) + UNC, so maybe I won't go.

Also, there is some weird rule in Florida no one seems to cares about http://www.fldoe.org/policy/cie/foreign-medical-school-clerkships-in-f.stml. I would really like to know whether this will be a problem or not.
 
#41 ·
BTW you should really check with FIU whether or not they give LORs. I think they offer only assessments, that's what I've heard. But also since they don't have residents, the interns get to do a lot more, so I think you'd be able to learn so much. However if i had to decide between FIU and Yale, it'd be Yale, no doubt. Even though everyone knows it's paid, it looks better on your resume doesn't it? :/
 
#43 ·
You don't categorise Yale as "Paid" do you? Like yeah ofcourse you have to shell out money, and a lot of it but, with "Paid" we usually mean those private companies that work as a middle man and mediate your placement in a private setup.

Anyways Congrats for your acceptance. Just give it your best shot.

These LOR's are something that you need to earn. The university/the doctor for whom you work is not obligated to provide you with an LOR (there is an exception eg. UAB) instead you need to ask for it probably in the last week of your elective especially when you are sure that you have built up a healthy and a good relationship with the doctor.
 
#44 ·
Exactly. :) When we refer to "paid" experience we are referring to private companies that offer some clinical work with private doctors. The fees are quite high and the only IMGs who should consider this route are those that graduated without completing any electives through a University program. You have a chance of receiving a LOR from anywhere, you just need to work and prove yourself to the doctor who is in charge of you. Towards the end of the elective, just ask the doctor for a LOR.

Btw, Yale University has some strange rule that only IMGs who are NOT U.S. citizens can apply. That was the only thing stopping me from applying, unfortunately. Keep in mind that Yale is quite competitive, though. Also, although to most of you Yale "looks better," it isn't entirely correct to think that way. Here's why... The experience you achieve at your rotation is based on many factors. Some community hospital programs allow you to do more and at the end of the day, you need a LOR that stands out and shows how you worked and that you were excellent. I don't mean to say Yale isn't excellent, I just want everyone to understand that all these places (Alabama, Harvard, Yale, FIU, + many many more) charge thousands of dollars a month and it is up to you to make the most out of your elective experience. At the end of the day, does it really matter that you did an elective at "HARVARD?" (I truly believe their ridiculous tuition fee is because of their "name" and history)Your application will not be stating that you were a student of Harvard at any time, you are just rotating at one the affiliated hospitals. If you did a great job there and the doctor wrote you a personal LOR, excellent! You can get the same thing from any other place you decide to go to. We need to stop spreading false information to help each other out here. Thank you. :)

*By the way, I didn't mean to bash any program at all. Harvard was one of my options to apply to as well, but since I received an acceptance at FIU I decided to stick with that since I applied super early. If I wanted to apply to Harvard, I would need to cancel FIU a few days before the official acceptance at Harvard and lose way too much money. Always plan out your deadlines/cancellations to avoid this.
 
#52 ·
After you get accepted they send you an email containing the link to the background check website. But the drug screen, you're supposed to do it on your own. At least that is what I think. I did get accepted, but I still have to complete these formalities - the background check, drug screen and malpractice insurance.

Makes no point doing all of this along with your application it self. So, if you haven't received an acceptance from them, don't do it just yet. You probably will get accepted and you can do it after that.
 
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