International medical students who come to the U.S. for residency are a resilient group. In addition to mastering medicine, these trainee doctors must adapt to the culture and navigate the U.S. health system, all within an accelerated timeline.
The UNM Health Sciences Center Department of Neurology has established a distinctive pre-residency program designed to assist qualified international medical graduates in pursuing a career in neurology and establishing their presence as healthcare providers in the U.S. We are among the few centers in the country to offer this hands-on clinical experience, which equips future neurologists with the skills necessary for success in clinical, academic or research pursuits.
Our primary objective is to enhance the competitiveness of international trainees by helping them overcome the unique challenges they face, including securing a residency placement, finding valuable mentorship and developing the interpersonal skills required to excel as neurologists.
Match to Residency
UNM HSC has a deep understanding of the challenges international medical graduates face in matching to residency programs in the U.S. Many of our world-class faculty members have been successful at decoding the path to being successful neurologists in the country, hence leading by example for the upcoming generation.
Our pre-residency program stands out for several reasons:
- It is a unique and rare opportunity to work with a multi-disciplinary group of neurologists focusing on the learnings in neurology in an inpatient setting.
- Pre-Residency Fellows are well integrated in multi-dimensional inpatient neurology teams where they can `hone on their skills and be adept at being a successful clinician in the US health system.
- A 7-day neurology bootcamp that combines hands-on training and didactic sessions covering a wide range of topics.
- Exposure to PGY1-level experiences, including stroke care, neurocritical care and neurology inpatient services such as ward rotations and patient consults.
- Daily opportunities to enhance interpersonal communication skills by collaborating with medical students, residents and attending physicians from diverse domains.
- Hands-on clinical experience in addition to performing procedures like lumbar punctures, arterial lines, central lines and other subspecialty-related skills tailored to your interests.
- -Obtain experience in a robust neuro-intensive care unit which is the only one in the state of New Mexico.
- -Obtain experience in clinical research in varied different conditions such as status epilepticus, acute ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage amongst many others.
Beyond meeting academic and experience requirements, the pre-residency program offers trainees intangible benefits:
- Increased diversity and inclusion through an adjustment period to the ins and outs of the US healthcare system.
- A welcoming environment that fosters a sense of belonging and leaves no room for isolation.
- Contributions to the mission of the UNM Department of Neurology and growth within our professional community.
- Opportunity to work in the beautiful state of New Mexico and get the experience of taking care of a unique patient population.
- Personalized mentorship and closed loop feedback to enhance trainees on a personal and professional level.
We’ve been thrilled to get positive feedback from our past trainees who have excelled in their ACGME-accredited neurology residencies. They report back to us that thanks to their diverse exposure during pre-residency they were able to perform at a level above their peers.
Get Personalized Mentorship
Perhaps the most valued aspect of our pre-residency program is the structured mentorship. In the US, even a month-long observership is a challenge to get, but our pre-residency program goes far beyond observation to offer guidance and hands-on training on par with a neurology residency program.
Feedback from residency program directors tells us that our pre-residency trainees arrive at their residency programs equipped with clinical skills and experience in various neurology domains. At UNM HSC, we treat a vast array of complex illnesses rarely seen in other settings, such as Moyamoya disease, familial cerebral cavernous malformations and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.
In addition to clinical skills, mentors assist one-one-one with everything from interpersonal skills development to the residency application process. If your interests lie in academia, you’ll get educational opportunities with the medical students, and if research is your focus, there are opportunities for research exposure to bolster your portfolio.
The Neurology Pre-Residency program helped me in my journey for residency by giving direct patient care exposure. The clinical experience that I gained by taking care of patients increased my knowledge, as well as confidence in managing patients. I also had the opportunity to meet and learn from all the attending physicians, many of whom became my mentors for the journey ahead, for which I am truly grateful. The collegiality and friendship of the current residents is something that I truly cherished as well.
Expand Cultural and Emotional Intelligence
Our pre-residency program provides a holistic experience that includes not only diverse clinical experiences but also diverse cultural interactions. We serve patients from various socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds that come to UNM HSC seeking care from our many neurological specialty clinics.
With this level of diversity, cultural and emotional intelligence are a necessity—especially at an organization like UNM HSC that believes respect and inclusion go hand in hand.
When I was a resident acclimating to the U.S. healthcare system, cultural competency was something I had to work to achieve. That meant on a personal level becoming more aware of cultural dynamics and on an interpersonal level growing my emotional intelligence. As the program director, it’s my goal to infuse these key requisite skills into the program to ensure our trainees are set up to succeed in their careers in medicine.
Because the neurology pre-residency program is such an immersive experience, you’ll quickly adjust to the U.S. clinical system, find more confidence in your cultural competence and improve your emotional intelligence.
Joining Our Program
The Department of Neurology Pre-residency Program represents a tangible commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. With each cohort, we aim to deepen the experience of each learner and collaborate with other educational leaders within the Department of Neurology to mold this program in the best interests of our trainees.
Participants in our program join a cohort of six, and together you’ll learn skills that will add to your competitiveness in the neurology domain, unlock access to more opportunities and ultimately make you a better neurologist.