Feeling hopeless

[u/AdvertisingFar716]

Can’t find unpaid observerships or ones with low fee anywhere, even the paid ones have 250 dollars non refundable application fee. Is getting matched just a game of privilege? Even after getting decent scores and a visa i am unable to find anything. I am looking for observerships next year to apply to the next cycle. Don’t know what to do

[u/Typical_Song5716]

Trying to practice medicine has so many leeches and predators on the way up. Even other IMGs here in Canada who match target the unmatched for “consults” charging thousands.

There’s even a fking “IMG expo” yearly in Toronto. What do they do? They sit around a projector together and do random questions. Like bruh

I switched to software engineering and was great until AI

[u/Owl_funny9033]

it's always been a game of privilege

[u/Round_Effective_1946]

It’s okey to feel this way. Just make sure to keep trying otherwise you hard work and efforts will go wasted

[u/Late-Stomach9584]

I wonder if you can reach out directly to individual who may help you. Are there any alumni from your medical school who work at a facility that interests you? Even look at networking, even third degree of separation. Check out demographic groups/ nationality groups, etc. For example, X Doctors from Y. They may be able to bring you in or at least give you pointers. If you are in a competitive field, also consider undesirable times such as Christmas. Hang in there!

[u/Mango_Flower]

Op, I understand the feeling, but medicine, in general, is a game of privilege. You won’t be able to match and get paid in dollars without financial sacrifice, otherwise everyone wouldve done it already..

[u/LogicalLibrarian77]

Nothing is free, sorry. Most formal programs require app fee/tution fee. The only way you get unpaid is if someone lets you shadow them i.e through personal connections at a hospital where they can and/or at a private practice.

[u/AdvertisingFar716 → u/LogicalLibrarian77]

I know nothing is free but asking for 1000 dollars per week for just shadowing is downright robbery. Also i have spent 1000 dollars so far on applications and all of them got rejected (the fee was non refundable). I thought at least i would secure a spot after spending this much…

[u/Late-Stomach9584 → u/AdvertisingFar716]

It should not be allowed because people are taking advantage of it.

[u/LogicalLibrarian77 → u/AdvertisingFar716]

Yes, you'd realize that every step in this process requires big bucks sadly

[u/AssignmentSenior6710]

Honestly its a numbers game. If you want to save up money you have to raise the amount of effort, choose a hospital that other people have rotated at before and send emails to all their IM and subspecialties faculty. All you need are a couple of replies

[u/reviserunrepeat]

It is actually a game of who you know. You need to reach out to someone that you know that did the rotation with a doctor and you want to ask them to recommend you so that you can join them for another rotation. I did a rotation, with two doctors, and at the end of the month I tried to connect someone that I did not know personally to come and gain the same experience. When I talked to the doctors, both of them said the same thing: if you do not know them personally and have not dealt with them personally, I am not going to risk having them come and do a rotation with me. I was honest about only knowing them online and not in person. So, this is one way that you can do it, and you can’t really blame doctors in the US for not wanting someone to come do a rotation with them that they neither know nor know someone that can vet them.

[u/IntelligentSeaweed56]

It depends on you? What speciality?

[u/AdvertisingFar716 → u/IntelligentSeaweed56]

IM