๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐:
Updated: May 19, 2020
Hi friends!
A lot of people has been asking me for my Credentials, my story, how as an IMG matched in a surgical specialty, how hard it was for me, and my recommendations.
Iโm an International Medical Graduate from Argentina ๐ฆ๐ท
๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ฌ:
โข234/244, CS first pass.
โขAround 5-6 publications
โขA little over a year of USCE
โขClinical research in Reconstructive Surgery + Heart Transplant
โขAbout 3-4 volunteer jobs.
โขYOG: December 2015
โขNo hometown residency
โขNo contacts
โขSpeak 3 languages
โขGot 11 interviews
โขOver one year of experience as a General Practitioner in my country
What did I do in my home country after school?

After I finished medical school I started working full time, saving money and gaining experience to start my USMLE journey.
In Argentina we don't need a residency to work as a general practitioner. I was working doing ambulance service, and at the Emergency Department.
After a couple of months, the Director of the Hospital really liked how I was working, and doing everything to improve the Hospital and the department.
At that time the Chief of the ED was moving out, and he needed a new Chair and also to hire new medical staff for another Hospital. He got to see the way I work and also he knew that I know a lot of doctors (that's just because I love meeting and connecting people, and helping as much as I can).
That being said, he offered me to be the new Chair of the ED, I accepted and that was my position for over one year.
I was working crazy hours, sometimes I would do 72 shifts in one place and at the same time managing messages from the other Hospital, you can read more about it here.
What was my position as the Chair of the ED about? [ERAS CV]
I was the Chair of the Emergency Department of the Hospital.
I recruited and created the team of doctors to fulfill the needs and missions of the Department. Provided leadership as Chiefs of Service at affiliated hospitals.
I coordinated the doctors and promoted excellent relationship between the medical staff, patients, and families.
I provided education & training programs to the doctors and nurses. Maintained appropriate standards of care.
Promoted teamwork both within the department and between/among other departments in all aspects of academic and clinical functions.
Planned and developed departmental space for ensuring that all space is used efficiently and productively.
I also got research experience in Heart Transplant & Reconstructive Surgery, where I explain HERE what was all my research about, how did I get my positions, and my research projects/ publications that I have worked on.
I included the description of my research jobs the exact way that I wrote it in my ERAS application.
Definitely check it out if you wanna see how I wrote my ERAS CV

๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐ก ๐ข๐ง ๐๐/๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ OB/GYN ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ?
I made my own contacts in the research department, but since my experience was in plastics/heart transplant it didnโt really help for OB/GYN.
As IMGs sometimes we donโt get to choose where we can work in research, in what field, but since we worked a lot in pelvic reconstruction and transgender surgery, I thought it would be helpful also, and indeed - it was, especially because that field of plastic & reconstructive has some relation with OB/GYN.
Also, I got to publish and really good personalized LORs from doctors that I got to work with, got to know me, my passion and my story, and they really liked how worked with them, since
I was at some point studying for my steps, about to take my USMLE exam, and still giving it all at my job working almost full-time research ๐๐
I submitted 3 LORs
One from my former heart transplant PI.
One from my former reconstructive surgery PI.
One from Chair of gynecology.
Extra LOR from the Dean of my Medical School.
Note: PI means Personal Investigator
What is networking?
Now it's very common to use the word "networking", but for me it not just about making connection and meeting people for yourself.
A very important part that nobody mentions is being generous and don't keep those contacts to yourself.
The key here is also connecting people with each other!
Every time I know someone that needs to connect with someone else, if I can make that connection possible, I would introduce them and help each other.
This is something essential, that a lot of people don't do. I can't empathize enough how important this is!
If you connect good people with each other, help others, everything will come back to you 1000 times bigger & better!!
I'll make soon a post about how I went from 8 to 11 interviews just by reaching out to some hospitals ๐
My idea about creating www.doctorsebas.com is to put everything that you need for USMLE together in just one place, so you don't waste precious time going crazy trying to find something, and instead use that time to study, work or do more productive things :)
Take care everyone, stay safe, 6 feet apart from everyone if you go for a walk, and use your face mask
Love you all, โค๏ธ
Sebastian Arruarana, MD
Fb: Doctor Sebas
๐๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ: @doctor.sebas