Fellow Physician Contributing Writer
Philippine General Hospital
Dr. Masamayor is diplomate in internal medicine and current endocrinology fellow at Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).
I was up before dawn, dressed in the comfiest, most adult-looking outfit I owned: a blue-and-white floral blouse, flared maroon pants, and navy walking shoes. After enduring an intense 200-point exam, two grueling weeks of pre-residency (think of it like a two-week job-interview-slash-free-trial), and countless days of calming myself down, it’s time for the real ordeal: my first day of internal medicine residency training.
Third year feels different. Intern year taught me how to work. Every note, every consult, every long night sharpened the mechanics of patient care. You learn to move efficiently, anticipate needs, and steady your hands when everything feels new. It is a year of doing, of survival, of quiet endurance.
In the 3rd grade I made a declaration, regarding my future occupation – I would one day be a physician, specifically, a pediatrician! Devoted to serving and caring for others, like the one who cared for me, my sister, and brothers Of course, I did not know what this would entail and never considered that I could fail. How could I have anticipated that my ambitions might just leave me deflated? Starting in college, there …
Intern year is demanding. It gets easier. You will grow. You will build confidence. And one day, you’ll look back and realize just how far you’ve come.
For the baby who’s been battered and bruised and for the adolescent already multiple times abused. For the children whose lives are so full of pain that they think their days are lived in vain. For parents overwhelmed with grief over a precious life that was far too brief. For the siblings who grow up too soon, as they watch how their loved ones are consumed. For the gaping hole that can never be filled, …
‘Twas the day after Christmas and all was not well. In a string of unfortunate events that would make Lemony Snicket jealous, my father had come down with the flu, the presents were indefinitely delayed and I found myself – an internal medicine intern – losing the battle to maintain my consciousness in the team workroom. The holiday season, usually my favorite part of the year, was definitely on my naughty list. At least there …
Still lungs. / Silent heart. / Time of death: 2:40.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 protests against systemic racism, efforts toward eradicating the effects of bias and discrimination in medicine has reentered the national consciousness. While this is a good start, it may be better to try to overhaul — or at least make deeper efforts to heal– medicine’s social environment to foster safety and reduce disparately harmful effects of chronic social stress. For this, we can look to the queer community.
Wrinkly face and wonky head; I support your wobbly neck. No matter the emotion, you respond with a cry.
My fire escape, green from decades of wear and tear, bears flecks of paint that barely cling after gusts of wind and sheets of snow and showers of rain. Of course, I’m not sitting on this fire escape, but perched inside my kitchen.
Very early in the morning on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, I stumbled into the emergency department with my hair in a tangled mess and accidentally still wearing my house shoes.
It is very difficult to believe that I am already more than halfway done with residency at this point, and that it is time to figure out what I want to do after these three years are up. Once again, what’s surprising and different to me is the structure for training in the United States: having to apply at the end of year 2 for a fellowship that will start after year 3, seems so early, but I am learning to accept that these are the American ways.
Resident Physician Columnist
Hillsboro Medical Center
Aline went to medical school at the University of Essen in Germany. She started training at the University Hospital Essen in Internal Medicine with the focus on GI/Hepatology. She then followed one of her former supervisors in 2017 to the University Hospital Magdeburg and continued her training for two years. In 2019, she started a two-year research fellowship at Johns Hopkins University with a scholarship by the German Research Foundation. During that time, she decided not to return to Germany and instead attempt to become a physician in the US. She has started her internal medicine residency this year at Hillsboro Medical Center in Oregon.
Surviving IM/G
I am an international medical graduate in internal medicine residency (IM/G), sharing my experiences with all of you. If you are an IMG, hopefully you can relate to some of the stories and feel encouraged, because we are not alone. If you are an American-based resident: I hope these stories help you better understand your IMG colleagues a bit better. And above all, I am hoping to hear from you as well: let's share knowledge, experiences, and pave a path for the many other IMGs seeking to fulfill their dreams in the United States.
