Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Table of contents

1. Preface

2. Main Article

3. OMFS World

4. Stuff (App, Gear)

Preface

Soon I will take a road test to get my permanent American driver's license.

The annoying thing about this road test is that I need a sponsor.

A sponsor is someone you know who has a Massachusetts driver's license and sits in the back seat while you take the test. Since everyone I know will be at work, I will probably pay some agency and rent me a sponsor 😏.

I should also start practicing my parallel parking and left turns. ↖️

My failure stories are extremely popular online, but I would rather just pass this one. I hope you understand 😃.

What a weird experience.

In today's newsletter, we'll discuss applying to a fellowship program.

Matching into a fellowship is highly competitive, especially if you're not a US citizen.

I spent five years preparing before getting accepted, and this is what I learned.

Enjoy #32!

(To learn more, you can subscribe to my 7-day email course focused on a fellowship by clicking here.)

Main Article

Storytime!

April 2017

I'm at the international conference of oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

✈️ International conferences are great to attend, especially as a resident. On top of the obvious advantage of listening to cutting-edge presentations, you get a chance to dress up, eat good food, mingle, and go sightseeing.

The “keynote talks” are usually the best.

🧑‍🔧 So I was sitting in a keynote talk about head and neck cancer immunotherapy delivered by Dr. Bryan Bell.

I was mind-blown.

I've followed his work before, but seeing the (very preliminary) results was more than enough for me. I knew that this was my destiny.

Shortly after, I found my department chief and told him that Portland, Oregon is where I should be. As always, he supported me and paved the way.

April 2019

🇺🇸 I'm a research fellow at Providence Cancer Institute in Portland, Oregon, USA.

That was a crazy ride.

Why crazy?

💑 Because my dear wife and I decided not to make this trip together. I was alone in Portland, while my dear wife and two kids (5 and 1-year-old) stayed in Israel. 👩‍👦‍👦

I visited Israel a few times, and my dear wife and kids spent the summer with me in Portland. 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 But the rest of the time, we were apart. 👩‍👦‍👦 | 👨

Pretty extreme, huh?

🕺 As for my scientific experience, Providence was love at first sight, and I will forever cherish my time there.

That experience had an enormous impact on the scientist I am today. 👨‍🏫

Summer, 2020

😷 Covid-19 is here, in full force.

🥼 I'm a medical student, and I'm looking for a head and neck fellowship program. My original plan was to hop on a plane and visit some hospitals in the US.

Yet, flights were unavailable, so I had to do it with Zoom video meetings and emails.

That was rough.

🇺🇸 Living outside the US puts you at a disadvantage when you apply for a fellowship program in the US.

You have less in-person time, and accepting you is an administrative headache.

So I devoted considerable time to getting to know the programs. As time went by, the selection of programs accepting non-USA citizens became smaller.

This is a tough place to be.

You're not just limited by the number of programs willing to accept a non-US citizen. You have to give these programs a reason to take you with all the administrative headache bundled with you.

📃 As for licensing, some programs will accept you only if you have a US medical license.

So I had to take the US medical licensure exams (USMLE).

On top of all that, Covid-19 has not made it easy for us financially. 💰

That was a rough year.

But in the end, I got accepted.

Today we'll discuss what I learned along the way.

We'll start with the three fundamentals (Why, When, and What). Then, we'll discuss the actual steps to take to increase your odds of getting accepted into a fellowship

3️⃣ The three fundamentals:

🔵 Why?

Do you NEED a fellowship as a maxillofacial surgeon?

It depends on the field you're interested in and your current hospital.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery subspecialties include trauma, oncology, craniofacial, joint, and salivary glands.

🐣 During residency, you still lack experience, and your time is divided between the subspecialties. So both the quality and the time you spend in each one are limited ⏳.

🏋️ As a fellow, you're a board-certified OMFS with surgical experience. Your time is entirely devoted to a specific field, so both your quality and time are extensively utilized.

However, you should factor in your current position. If your hospital has enough volume, a decent amount of surgery time in the OR, and mentors you can learn from, you might not need a fellowship.

🔵 When?

When should you start working on getting accepted into a fellowship?

📅 At least two years before the fellowship program start date. Interviewing for a fellowship position usually occurs 15–18 months before the start date.

The match results for the US positions are announced 12 months before the start date.

🔵 What?

What should you actually do?

🤝 Get to know the mentors, acquaint yourself with their programs, and allow yourself enough time to leave an impression. If you don't leave an impression, there's no reason they will pick you over someone else. This is especially true if you're an international graduate applying for a US fellowship position.

These should be your steps:

1. Go to the AACFMS Match site and read the official fellowship material.

2. Research online about the mentors and programs.

3. Send an email to the fellowship director.

4. Fly over for a 1-week observership.

📬 Let's talk about the email.

Notice that I recommend emailing the director. Not the secretary, not the coordinator. THE DIRECTOR.

To all my readers who are also fellowship directors: please don't hate me 😃. My readers need to know how to make an impact.

Your email should be short.

It should include

• ❓ Why you are writing them.

• 🕺 Who you are.

• 🤹 What is your added value.

• ⌛ When you can visit them.

Be straightforward and clear. Your email should have no more than five sentences.

Attach your CV, and have your mentor or department head approach the fellowship director as well.

🙋 Q&A

Q: What kind of license should I have?

A: Some programs will allow you to work with a temporary dental license issued by the state. Programs affiliated with universities usually have a procedure in place for non-US citizens. Some programs will require you to have A full MD license, i.e., passing all three steps of the USMLE.

Q: What will be my VISA requirements?

A: It varies between programs. Usually, it requires authorizing your foreign diploma, passing TOEFL (English competency test), and submitting VISA-sponsorship paperwork to the US embassy in your country.

Q: Do I need an MD for an OMFS fellowship?

A: Almost always, yes. Especially for head and neck oncology and craniofacial fellowships. But you should ask.

Q: Do I need to pass USMLE for an OMFS fellowship?

A: It varies between programs. But usually, yes.

Q: Do I need to have a background in research?

A: Usually, no. However, it is a part of your CV and a way to stand out. My research background has opened many doors for me.

🏆 Bonus:

How can you stand out? Why should they choose you over other applicants?

• Your added value. You do something unique that will make you an asset to the fellowship program. Background in research, English writing skills, and experience in grant proposals are most beneficial.
  
  

• In-person experiences over time. The sooner you start meeting with fellowship directors, the easier to establish a meaningful relationship with them. Anyone can “get to know” them during the interview season. You need to stand out and think big.

If you enjoyed this guide and would like to learn more, check out my 7-day email course focused on a fellowship by clicking here.

OMFS World

👩‍🎓For the student - I've been a student or in training for the last 20 years. Over the years, I learned how to study more efficiently, use power naps to boost my scores, deal with failure, and handle the stress of dental and medical school.

I summarized it all in a 7-day email course, and you can get it in your email by following this link.

🩺For the non-MD medical professional - Compartment Syndrome 🦵 is a condition in which increased pressure within a closed fascial space results from swelling or bleeding. This can impair distal circulation and nerve function, resulting in tissue ischemia and necrosis.

Remember:

• Clinically, it presents as pain out of proportion to the inciting event.

• The 5 P's of compartment syndrome: Pain, Pallor (pale skin), Paresthesia (numbness), Pulselessness (faint pulse), and Paralysis (weakness)

• Have a very low threshold for diagnosis. Your clinical judgment is critical, much more than a CT scan.

Stuff

📱Application I use - Zotero for reference management. I recently decided to put Mendeley aside and try Zotero. I love its integration with Notion. It allowed me to improve my scientific writing even more. Nowadays, I'm working on Version 2.0 of Shay's-up-to-date OS. If you like Shay's up-to-date OS, you'll LOVE version 2.0.

💡Gear I use - iPad Pro 10.1 (2020). I've been using it for the last three years on a daily basis. It's connected to Apple's Magic Keyboard case with backlit keys and a built-in trackpad. I use it for creative writing (this newslett

er), scientific writing, reviewing the literature, preparing for surgeries, and as a second monitor for my MacBook Pro M1.

It WILL NOT completely replace a laptop. I always carry both my laptop and iPad with me.

Epilogue

That's it for this issue.

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Have a great weekend!

Shay