MEET DOCTOR SEBAS
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MY STORY
From Argentina to Match Day in New York City, building Project IMG, National Advocacy, and the Next Chapter at the NIH and National Leadership
The Beginning
When I first wrote my USMLE story, it was about how I went from medical school in Argentina to matching in OB/GYN in New York City in 2020. At that time, I thought the Match was the finish line. Years later, I understand that it was only the beginning.
My story started as one IMG trying to find a way. But over time, it became something much bigger than me. It became a community. It became Project IMG. It became a movement of thousands of medical students, graduates, residents, fellows, and physicians across the world who are all trying to build a future in medicine.
This is the updated version of my story — not just how I matched, but how I struggled, failed, restarted, changed specialties, built a community, entered national medical leadership, invested in my future, and continued working toward becoming the doctor, leader, and person I always wanted to be.
Medical School in Argentina
I started medical school in Argentina in 2009. In Argentina, medical school is a six-year program, and medicine is studied in Spanish. At that time, I had no idea that years later I would be preparing for the USMLE, learning thousands of medical terms in English, moving to the United States, matching in New York City, and eventually becoming part of national medical leadership in the U.S.
Working While Studying
During medical school, I did not have strong financial support, so I had to work while studying. One of my first jobs was teaching English. After that, I taught Biology and Chemistry to high school students. Later, I taught Microbiology and Biochemistry at a private institute for medical students. During my last two years of medical school, I applied for a scholarship at my university, and thankfully, I received it. That scholarship helped me continue moving forward.
At the time, I did not have much. But I had something very important: I had a vision. I knew I wanted more for my life. I knew I wanted to become a physician who could help people. I knew I wanted to build something meaningful, even if I did not yet know exactly what that would look like.
How I Paid for the USMLE
After finishing medical school and receiving my medical license in Argentina, I started working full-time as a general practitioner. In Argentina, physicians can work as general practitioners without completing a residency, so I started working in hospitals, clinics, and ambulances to save money for my USMLE journey.
The 48- and 72-Hour Shifts
I worked 48-hour shifts. Sometimes 72-hour shifts. In my country, ambulances often do not work the same way they do in the United States. Many times, the physician is the one who goes in the ambulance. So after finishing a long hospital shift, I would sometimes be picked up at 8 a.m. and start another 16- to 18-hour ambulance shift. During the holidays of 2016, I remember working almost 15 days non-stop.
I was exhausted, but I was saving money for a dream that still felt uncertain. At that time, I did not know if everything would work out. I did not know if I would pass the exams. I did not know if I would match. I did not know if one day I would become a resident physician in New York City. But I kept going. Sometimes, the dream comes before the evidence. You do not always know that it will work. You just know that you cannot give up.
Starting My USMLE Preparation
I started planning for Step 1 in April 2017 and began studying full-time in September 2017. It was not easy. Medical school in Argentina was in Spanish, so many English medical words were new to me. On top of that, the last time I had studied basic sciences was six or seven years earlier. I felt like I was starting from zero. I had to relearn anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, biochemistry, and everything else — but now in English.
Life Was Happening Too
At the same time, life was happening around me. My mother had a serious health issue and was facing more than $30,000 in debt. There was a real risk of homelessness. I had to take time away from studying to help her through that difficult period. Thankfully, she recovered, and things got back on track. But that period taught me something very important: life will never give you the perfect conditions to pursue your dreams.
Studying Anywhere You Can
You may be waiting for the perfect apartment, the perfect schedule, the perfect money, the perfect emotional stability, the perfect support system. Most of the time, it will not come. You have to start anyway. Sometimes, all you need is a bed, food, a computer, Wi-Fi, and a place to put your books. Even if you are in the middle of nowhere, you can still pursue your dream. At one point, I even traveled to a small town in Mexico called Malinalco to study for a couple of months because I did not know where else I could focus. It was not glamorous, but it worked.
My USMLE Timeline
I took Step 1 in October 2018, Step 2 CS in May 2019, and Step 2 CK on August 30, 2019, so that I could apply that same year. I submitted my ERAS application on September 21, about one week after applications opened, because I was waiting for my CK result and my final letter of recommendation.
Interview Season
I interviewed for OB/GYN from October 2019 to January 2020. During interview season, I traveled to New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and Kansas. At the same time, I also fulfilled one of my dreams: traveling the world before starting residency
Traveling Before Residency
In October 2019, right before interview season, I flew to Japan to watch the Rugby World Cup. A fun — or not so fun — fact is that I almost missed my first interview because I got stuck in Tokyo for extra days due to a super typhoon. In January 2020, I traveled to Europe for my first Eurotrip, visiting London, Paris, Spain, Rome, Turkey, and Norway.
Match Day 2020
Then, in March 2020, I matched in OB/GYN at Lincoln Hospital in New York City. It was one of the most emotional days of my life. I had done it. The kid from Argentina who had worked endless shifts, studied in different countries, struggled financially, and learned medicine again in English had matched in New York City.
But as I would later learn, matching was not the end of the story. It was the beginning of a much deeper purpose.
Residency in New York City
I started residency in OB/GYN at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx. Residency was intense. It was demanding. It was beautiful. It was painful. It was everything at once. During that time, something happened that changed my life forever: three doctors died by suicide.
The Moment That Changed My Life
That moment broke something inside me. It made me realize that many international medical graduates were suffering in silence. Many were isolated. Many were far from home. Many had no community, no guidance, no emotional support, and no one who truly understood what they were going through. I had gone through difficult moments myself during medical school and USMLE preparation, but now I was seeing the pain of others in a deeper way. I could not ignore it. I could not pretend that this was normal.
The Central Park Call
I knew we needed to do something. So I made a simple call. I invited people to meet in Central Park. I thought maybe a few people would come. More than 400 people showed up — medical students, graduates, residents, fellows, and physicians from different states, countries, and backgrounds. That day, I realized something powerful: we were not alone. We were never alone. We just needed a place to find each other.
That was the beginning of Project IMG.
The Birth of Project IMG
Project IMG started from pain, but it grew through purpose. At first, it was just a community — a safe place where international medical graduates could connect, share advice, find mentorship, ask questions, and feel seen. But very quickly, it became much more.
From Community to Movement
We started organizing events. We started creating educational content. We started building mentorship spaces. We started bringing together medical students, unmatched applicants, residents, fellows, attendings, program directors, and leaders from major organizations. We started in New York, but the movement expanded to Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, San Antonio, India, the Philippines, Cairo, Morocco, Pakistan, and more.
Reaching Thousands Around the World
Over the years, we have gathered more than 25,000 people in person and have reached more than 150,000 medical students, residents, fellows, and physicians around the world through Project IMG. And to think it all started with one painful moment, one call to meet in Central Park, and one belief: IMGs deserve community, representation, access, and a voice.
From My Story to Everyone’s Story
At the beginning, Project IMG was connected to my personal story — my USMLE journey, my struggles, my Match, my experience as an IMG. But eventually, I realized something: this was no longer only my story. It was everyone’s story. Every IMG has a story: the doctor who left their country to start again, the medical student studying alone at night, the unmatched applicant trying one more cycle, the resident sending money back home, the fellow facing visa uncertainty, the physician rebuilding their career in a new system, the parent studying for Step 1 after putting their children to sleep. Project IMG became a home for all of these stories.
The Year I Changed Direction
In 2022, I made one of the most important decisions of my life. I decided to change direction. I had started in OB/GYN, and I will always be grateful for everything that specialty taught me: urgency, discipline, surgical decision-making, women’s health, advocacy, and resilience. But over time, I became increasingly aware of the deeper inequities affecting patients and communities. I saw how social determinants of health shaped outcomes. I saw how poverty, immigration status, language barriers, lack of access, insurance issues, and systemic disparities impacted patients before they ever arrived at the hospital.
Why I Transitioned to Internal Medicine
I realized that I wanted to work more deeply in preventive medicine, chronic disease, health equity, and underserved communities. I wanted to understand patients not only in the emergency moment, but across their entire lives. I wanted continuity. I wanted to help people before they reached the crisis point. So I decided to transition into Internal Medicine.
That decision was not easy. Changing paths requires humility. It requires accepting that your first plan may not be your final plan. It requires courage to start again. But sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is pivot — not because you failed, but because you grew.
Internal Medicine in Brooklyn
I continued my training in Internal Medicine at Brookdale University Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, where I graduated from residency in 2026. Internal Medicine gave me the clinical foundation I was looking for. It allowed me to care for complex patients, many from underserved communities, and to understand the long-term consequences of inequity, lack of access, delayed care, and fragmented systems. It also helped me connect my clinical work with my advocacy work.
Health Equity and Prevention
Through Internal Medicine, I became even more committed to prevention, diabetes, obesity-related endocrine dysfunction, metabolic disease, patient education, community health, and systems-level innovation. I began to understand that being a physician is not only about diagnosing and treating disease. It is also about asking why patients did not have access earlier, why communities did not receive resources, why some groups are consistently left behind, why international physicians who could help address workforce shortages still face unnecessary barriers, and why both patients and doctors are suffering inside broken systems.
Entering National Advocacy
As Project IMG continued to grow, my advocacy also expanded. I became involved in organized medicine and began representing international medical graduates, residents, fellows, and underserved communities at the national level. I became part of the AMA IMG Governing Council, representing residents and fellows and advocating for international medical graduates across the country. I also became involved with the American College of Physicians Council of Resident/Fellow Members, working on issues that affect residents, fellows, medical education, workforce development, physician well-being, and health policy.
Representing IMGs at the National Level
Through these roles, I have had the opportunity to attend national meetings, speak with leaders, participate in advocacy days, engage with reference committees, and discuss policies that affect physicians and patients. I have advocated on issues including physician workforce shortages, visa barriers for IMGs, Medicaid, prior authorization, access to care, medical education, physician wellness, and the need for better representation of international medical graduates in U.S. healthcare.
For me, this work is deeply personal. I know what it feels like to be an IMG trying to navigate the system. I know what it feels like to not have answers. I know what it feels like to need a community. And now, I want to make the path easier for the next generation.
The NIH Chapter
After completing Internal Medicine residency, I began the next chapter of my training in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. For me, this is more than a fellowship. It is the continuation of everything I have been building.
Why Endocrinology
My clinical and academic interests include metabolic disease, diabetes, obesity-related endocrine dysfunction, prevention, health equity, patient-centered care, research, education, and systems-level innovation. Endocrinology represents so much of what I care about. It is about long-term care, prevention, education, biology, behavior, access, environment, and systems. It is about understanding the patient beyond one hospital visit. And for underserved communities, endocrine disease is often deeply connected to the social and structural barriers that shape health outcomes.
That is why this next chapter matters so much to me. I want to become a physician-scientist, educator, advocate, and leader who helps build better systems for patients and better pathways for physicians.
Why I Created This Website
I created this website because I wanted to put everything I wish I had in one place. When I was preparing for the USMLE, I wasted so much time trying to understand what to do, which resources to use, how to study, how to apply, how to get U.S. clinical experience, how to write a CV, how to prepare for interviews, how to build a network, and how to survive emotionally. There was no clear roadmap. So I wanted to create one.
More Than USMLE
But now, this website is bigger than USMLE. It is about helping you become the best physician you can be, the best leader you can be, and the best version of yourself you can be. Here, I want to share not only medical advice, but also life advice: how to study, how to apply, how to network, how to build community, how to advocate, how to lead, how to invest in yourself, how to think about money, how to build stability, how to create opportunities, and how to become someone who can help others.
Because becoming a doctor is not only about passing exams. It is about building a life that allows you to serve, lead, grow, and stay strong.
Financial Education and Real Estate
One topic that I believe we do not talk about enough in medicine is financial education. Many medical students, residents, and fellows work extremely hard, but no one teaches us how to manage money, build wealth, invest, or create stability. During my training, I became interested in real estate and personal finance. Even as a resident, I learned how to save, invest, take calculated risks, and build assets. Over time, I was able to buy several apartments and create additional income through real estate.
Why Money Matters in Medicine
I am not sharing this to show off. I am sharing this because I believe physicians need to understand money. Financial stability gives you freedom, options, and the ability to say no to things that are not aligned with your values. It allows you to support your family, build projects, advocate without fear, and help more people. For many IMGs, money is one of the biggest barriers. Exams are expensive. Applications are expensive. Flights are expensive. Hotels are expensive. Not working while studying is expensive. I know this because I lived it.
That is why I believe that part of becoming a strong physician and leader is learning how to build financial discipline and long-term stability. Medicine is our calling, but financial education is part of survival.
What Every Chapter Taught Me
Looking back, I realize that every difficult moment taught me something. Working endless shifts in Argentina taught me discipline. Studying for the USMLE taught me resilience. Matching in New York taught me that impossible dreams can become real. Losing colleagues taught me that community can save lives. Creating Project IMG taught me that one idea can become a movement. Changing specialties taught me that growth sometimes requires starting over. Internal Medicine taught me to see the whole patient. Advocacy taught me that physicians must have a voice. Real estate and financial education taught me that stability creates freedom. And the NIH reminds me that the next chapter is always still being written.
My Advice to You
My advice is simple: do not wait for perfect conditions. Start with what you have. Build your plan. Take action. Learn from every failure. Ask for help. Help others. Protect your mental health. Build community. Study hard, but also build your life. Do not listen to people who only know how to criticize. Do not let one exam, one rejection, one failure, or one person define your future.
Breaking Through the Wall
There will be moments when it feels like the entire world is against you. It may feel like there is a huge concrete wall in front of you, and every time you try to climb it, it gets higher. But trust me: once you break through that wall, everything starts to align differently. You become stronger. You become calmer in crisis. You become the person who can solve problems when everyone else panics.
From Not Knowing to Completion
There are three stages: not knowing, action, and completion. At first, you do not know what to do. Then you learn, make a plan, and take action. If you keep going long enough, you eventually reach completion. And then comes celebration.
Help Others Along the Way
Always remember to help others along the way. When you invest your time, knowledge, or resources into someone else’s success, you become part of their story. That is one of the most beautiful things in medicine.
This Is Bigger Than Me
My story started in Argentina. It continued through the USMLE, New York City, Lincoln Hospital, Brookdale, Project IMG, national advocacy, real estate, leadership, and now the National Institutes of Health. But the most important lesson is this: your story can become bigger than you.
What starts as your struggle can become someone else’s hope. What starts as your dream can become a community. What starts as your path can become a movement.
Final Message
To every medical student, graduate, resident, fellow, physician, IMG, dreamer, and future leader reading this: keep going. You are not alone. You can do this. And once you make it, make sure you turn around and help someone else make it too.
With love,
Victor Sebastian Arruarana, MD
Founder & CEO, Project IMG
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Fellow
NIDDK | National Institutes of Health
Chair, AMA IMG Section Rapid Response
AMA IMG Governing Council
ACP Council of Resident/Fellow Members
Youtube: DoctorSebas
