Well, I think I will retire from the political realm and turn my discussions in a direction more suited for me. I think we ought to collect, us physicians, and although I am sure there is some Pashtoon Physicians organization out there, we ought to connect here.
I am sure something like this already exists here so I am sure Ill be laughed at and told "been there, done that, etc."
I suggest we discuss
1) If anyone here needs guidance on acquiring residency, sitting for the USMLEs, MCATs, or just plain getting into medical school we discuss those things together.
2) To extend on 1, Perhaps those of us in the field can take on a younger "buddy" as they call it here and provide mentorship. Since there are may be a skewed ratio of the sexes in terms of how may folks are males/females, there should not be animosity to this buddy system extending to males and females exchanging advice.
We can help these individuals with personal statements, coursework, research project acquisition advice etc. at the medical school, residency, and fellowship levels. Those of us that have done research and are departing a project can try to connect these buddies to potential mentors and subsequently have them carry on the work and possibly benefit with the networking, publications, and recs they may get.
If we have past research mentors with open lab spots, we can try to help get our buddy into these positions.
3) We can discuss interview experiences and offer guidance in this regard
4) We can talk to foreign grads from both sides of the Durand line and try to see if we can hook them up with folks that can provide tangible benefits and guidance. My brother in law is a tribal that attended Khybar and is in residency. He can likely offer more guidance from a foreign grad perspective on how to get into the system. What I mean by tangible is that I have noted how long and hard it is for the foreign grads and how money consuming and intricate a process it is to go through the steps, acquire the VISA, and then sit for the boards. These folks need some boarding options while they undergo this process. I've noted the high failure rates on Step 2 CS as well and we can try and coach the candidates on the odd idiosyncracies of the system here (e.g. offering the tissue to the crying patient during the exam etc.)
5) We can attempt to coax our brethren into academic medicine and attempt to convey this mindset to our native lands.
6) As time goes on, and our careers progress, we need to try and advance the medical systems in places like Khybar and Nangrahar to advance in the direction we have here. No medical student there should feel he is not prepared for the American boards. We American grads need the support of the foreign grads to eventually set up this pipeline and to help change the systems there. I have heard from folks who have tried that the oligarchy plaques the medical system there as well and folks are resistant to change. They will certainly not accept an American Pashtun trying to alter the landscape in this way either. You are our link.
More to come later. But at least we can hold a doctors jirga online here and identify one another.
** I seriously encourage folks, male or female, secular or religious, communist or capitalist, if they are considering a career in medicine and have specific questions to raise their voice if they want this to progress.
I am sure something like this already exists here so I am sure Ill be laughed at and told "been there, done that, etc."
I suggest we discuss
1) If anyone here needs guidance on acquiring residency, sitting for the USMLEs, MCATs, or just plain getting into medical school we discuss those things together.
2) To extend on 1, Perhaps those of us in the field can take on a younger "buddy" as they call it here and provide mentorship. Since there are may be a skewed ratio of the sexes in terms of how may folks are males/females, there should not be animosity to this buddy system extending to males and females exchanging advice.
We can help these individuals with personal statements, coursework, research project acquisition advice etc. at the medical school, residency, and fellowship levels. Those of us that have done research and are departing a project can try to connect these buddies to potential mentors and subsequently have them carry on the work and possibly benefit with the networking, publications, and recs they may get.
If we have past research mentors with open lab spots, we can try to help get our buddy into these positions.
3) We can discuss interview experiences and offer guidance in this regard
4) We can talk to foreign grads from both sides of the Durand line and try to see if we can hook them up with folks that can provide tangible benefits and guidance. My brother in law is a tribal that attended Khybar and is in residency. He can likely offer more guidance from a foreign grad perspective on how to get into the system. What I mean by tangible is that I have noted how long and hard it is for the foreign grads and how money consuming and intricate a process it is to go through the steps, acquire the VISA, and then sit for the boards. These folks need some boarding options while they undergo this process. I've noted the high failure rates on Step 2 CS as well and we can try and coach the candidates on the odd idiosyncracies of the system here (e.g. offering the tissue to the crying patient during the exam etc.)
5) We can attempt to coax our brethren into academic medicine and attempt to convey this mindset to our native lands.
6) As time goes on, and our careers progress, we need to try and advance the medical systems in places like Khybar and Nangrahar to advance in the direction we have here. No medical student there should feel he is not prepared for the American boards. We American grads need the support of the foreign grads to eventually set up this pipeline and to help change the systems there. I have heard from folks who have tried that the oligarchy plaques the medical system there as well and folks are resistant to change. They will certainly not accept an American Pashtun trying to alter the landscape in this way either. You are our link.
More to come later. But at least we can hold a doctors jirga online here and identify one another.
** I seriously encourage folks, male or female, secular or religious, communist or capitalist, if they are considering a career in medicine and have specific questions to raise their voice if they want this to progress.



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