The EthnoMed Podcast

Provider Pulse Ep. 10: From Somalia to Seattle - An IMG's Journey featuring Dr. Abdifitah Mohamed

• Dr. Duncan Reid, MD @ EthnoMed.org • Season 1 • Episode 10

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The next installment of the Provider Pulse interview series where we elevate diverse voices from across healthcare fields to learn the paths people took to their current roles.

On this episode, we speak with Dr. Abdifitah Mohamed, an internal medicine resident at the University of Washington.

 Dr. Abdifitah Mohamed's journey began in Somalia where the loss of a loved one sparked his calling to medicine. From there, he pursued medical school in Sudan, advanced his training in Kenya, and after years of persistence and multiple attempts, finally secured a residency position in the United States.

He reflects on the significant challenges he faced as an international medical graduate applying for residency in the United States, as well as the profound sacrifices made by him and his family along the way.

Guide to terms and acronyms:

ECFMG: certificate provided by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical graduates. It certifies international medical graduates so they can enter US residency programs 

Externship: Short-term work-based learning experiences, often needed for admission to residency For international medicine graduates, these can require payment of up to thousands of dollars.

IMG: an international medical graduate

Internship: the first year of residency.

MRCP:  This is a UK postgraduate exam for physicians.

Transitional year residency: a one year program often required by certain specialties. These are often seen as a stepping stone for international medicine graduates, as they can be less competitive than multi-year programs. However, there is no guarantee for an additional year and they need to be applied to on a year to year basis.

USMLE: A three step examination for physicians to be licensed to practice medicine in the U.S.. These will often be referred to simply as step one, step two, et cetera.

Visit EthnoMed.org for additional resources. Follow us on YouTube and Instagram @EthnoMedUW

 [00:00:00] 

Duncan: Welcome to the EthnoMed Podcast, a community voice in the clinic. My name is Dr. Duncan Reid, a physician in the International Medicine Clinic at Harborview Medical Center and medical Director of EthnoMed, a web resource for providers and patients with information for cross-cultural care. Today we are continuing our interview series called Provider Pulse, where we elevate diverse voices from across healthcare fields to learn the paths people took to their current roles in healthcare.

And how their cross-cultural experiences have helped them provide more informed care to a diverse patient population. Whether you are an undergraduate student considering a career in healthcare, a practicing health professional, or a member of the community, these conversations are for you.

Abdi: I had one sister who is younger than me, but she passed due to, diarrheal disease malnutrition dehydration. And I [00:01:00] still remember the pain we felt in our family and how someone can pass from that preventable disease and still a big issue in Africa.

My first time applying for residency it was 2019. I applied 100 program and I got zero interview. I was shocked. I felt disappointed and I said what I'm missing?

So they always tell me, you are at United States the land of freedom. If you cannot succeed in USA, you will never gonna succeed anywhere else in the world.

Duncan: On today's episode, we speak with Dr. Abdi Fatah Mohammed, an internal medicine resident at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Mohammed shares his remarkable journey from being a top student in Somalia to pursuing medical school in Sudan.

He reflects on the significant challenges he faced as an international medical graduate applying for residency in the United States, as well as the profound sacrifices made by [00:02:00] him and his family along the way.

This episode includes a number of acronyms. I will include descriptions of these in the show description, 

Abdi: My name is Abdifitah Mohamed. I'm originally from Somalia where I grew up and I did my medical school in Sudan. And I did one transitional year of residency in New Jersey at Hackensack Valley State Medical Center, and now I'm doing my residency internal medicine here at University of Washington. I was born in a city called Berra, and that's the north side of Somalia. But I grew up in the capital city, Mogadishu. My father passed away when I was only three years. So I grew up with my mother. She was the backbone of our family. She was working, double jobs. She was doing a lot of hard work in order for us to succeed in the life.

Duncan: Where did you do your schooling?

 

Abdi: So I did my primary [00:03:00] school in Somalia, in Mogadishu. Also, I did my secondary school in Somalia where I was number two in the whole school. So with that, I end up getting a scholarship all over, the world. I was getting a scholarship from Pakistan, from Sudan, from Yemen, and I was more interested in doing medicine and helping underserved communities.

So I end up going to medical school in Sudan, 2003

Duncan: Do you have any siblings?

Abdi: I have one brother who is, older than me and I had one sister who is younger than me, but she passed due to, diarrheal disease malnutrition dehydration And I still remember the pain we felt in our family and how someone can pass from that preventable disease and [00:04:00] still a big issue in Africa.

 So that's one thing that I will end up doing medicine in order to help, my community, my people, 

Duncan: I'm so sorry. How old were you when that happened?

Abdi: I was young, I will say 11 to 12 at that time and I can see my mother like didn't know what to do and there was not enough providers in our city we were living like outside of capital city of Mogadishu in a small village, and, we were having hard time even to find, any health professional or any resources of treatment like oral dehydration solution even we couldn't able to find in order to prevent the dehydration. I realized that how much it is very important to have health professional as well as resources.

Duncan: How old was she?

Abdi: She was young. I will say maybe three, four at that time when she passed away.

Yep.

Duncan: Well, [00:05:00] I'm so sorry. 

 It sounds like you're always exceptional student. Always working very, very hard.

Abdi: Absolutely.

Duncan: Always stand out.

Abdi: Yep. In my primary school I was like number one in my middle school, I was number one In my high school. I got number two because there was someone else who were like more brighter than me. And I always love, you know, mathematics. I always love physics, biology. When it comes to memorization, I was like, number one. Even in our community, in Somalia, there is a competition about who can memorize the book of Koran.

So I was number one, even one time I went all the way to Saudi Arabia to participate in a competition about the memorization of Koran and that. Also was published in a website that still have my small picture down there. 

Duncan: So it sounds like you're incredibly gifted, but you're always working very hard. How was other [00:06:00] parts of your childhood growing up? Did you have lots of friends and how do you remember that time?

Abdi: I grew up in a, village outside of Mogadishu and the people that I left, we had like very. close knit friends. We go together to primary school with the same friends I went with them to the middle school as well as secondary school, and with the same friends we used to go to the Islamic studies together, and after today we still have that kind of connection. We communicate through Facebook. We communicate through WhatsApp group, so that connection is still on.

Duncan: And are they still back in Somalia?

Abdi: A majority of them, yes. Some of them, they left Somalia. They working in Kenya. Some of them they are in Middle East, working in Saudi Arabia, in Egypt. Some of them are in Europe, and one friend, he lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Duncan: [00:07:00] Well, so everyone went everywhere.

Abdi: Yes, yes.

Duncan: How was it being a great student in Somalia? Did people give you a hard , time? Is it something that you were teased about or is it something that you're, that you can be proud of and people will respect it?

Abdi: I think, yeah, the last one people will respect, will appreciate your effort and I was so lucky. I had this kind of talent of memorization. It was easier for me and I was working very hard to maintain that kind of level of, memorization, practicing most of my time. My mom was doing a lot of work for me and she helped me even paying private tuition to go to learn English.

In the afternoon after I came from school also, I go to mathematics class. So I was doing extra classes after I came back from the school in order to maintain that kind of high score always

Duncan: So it sounds like your mother is just this incredible person

Abdi: absolutely. Absolutely.

Duncan: Working [00:08:00] two jobs, and then also making sure that you're not only going to school, but you're getting supplementary education that she's paying out of pocket for.

Abdi: Yep. yep. That was our lifestyle back home, so, absolutely.

Duncan: And it sounds like you were already thinking about medicine when you were in secondary school.

Abdi: Yep. I was thinking doing medicine as my first year in high school and how it's important to have a health professional in our local community and the importance of having a doctor, whether it is a surgeon, whether it is pediatric, whether it is OB GYN . At that time I was not more interested in medicine or cardiology,, but my goal was pediatrician surgery and OB GYN.

Duncan: So you're already thinking about family at that time and about your community, and it sounds like the fact that you're still staying in touch with your community members from Somalia means a lot that you're very close knit. 

Abdi: Absolutely. I [00:09:00] visited Somalia last year. late November and December and I was there for two weeks. I was spending every day with my family, with my friends. I haven't been in touch with them maybe more than 10 years, so this was the first time I was there in person meeting with, my old classmate, meeting with my teachers, meeting with the community down there, and, making sure that I'm still available for consultation.

I'm still available for help. Whatever I can add or contribute to the community.

Duncan: How was it seeing all those people after so long?

Abdi: It was amazing and I couldn't even believe it. sometimes maybe the pictures is not telling the whole history, although I can see their pictures on Facebook, but that's not tells you the whole history. So going back there in Somalia was life changing for me. I have seen the [00:10:00] cities totally changed the architecture changed a lot. the security in Somalia now it's improving a lot. People can stay, awake, or we stay late night, maybe 1:00 AM 2:00 AM There are some restaurants are open right now, even at. 2:00 AM in Somalia, which is incredible and beyond my imagination. If you asking me the same question 10 years ago,

Duncan: Did it feel like home?

Abdi: a lot, even meeting with the people and not need to speak English or Arabic language or Swahili. That was amazing. ordering food with your own native language, that was another feeling.

Duncan: So taking us back to secondary, it sounds like you're an outstanding student. You won a competition from memorization of the Quran. You had multiple offers for universities, and then you chose Sudan

Abdi: Yep.

Duncan: And you said that you chose Sudan because you were already thinking about [00:11:00] community level things.

Abdi: Yep. The other option is I got, one of them was engineer, one of them was computer science. Because the scholarships are given all around the world to Somalia, to the local, non-profit organization who help and manage and contribute those scholarships. And the government of Sudan, stood up with our Somali people and they used to give us maybe 400, 500 scholarship every year. They were the one who were giving us, like engineer medicine. So, and I wanna be a doctor, so that was my option one. 

Duncan: When you accepted that, it was with the understanding that you were going to study medicine.

Abdi: Yes. Yes. I think, to clarify, people who might listen in this podcast in USA, once you graduate from high school, you have to go to college couple years and then take a test, then go to the medical school, and then you go to [00:12:00] the residence. In other part of the world, even in Europe, even in Middle East, in Asia, in Somalia, you can go medical school direct from high school, so you finish your high school. With some countries they require you have to get a higher percentage in order to be a doctor or engineer. So the people who get above 90%, they end up being a doctor or engineer. So I was like, 97% over all of 11 subjects. So that's why I was qualified to get a free scholarship.

Duncan: And those scores were back in, Somalia.

Yep. Yep. Your studies in Sudan? How was that whole experience?

Abdi: Oh my God, my first year was the toughest one, I can say. A lthough I was able to understand Arabic language, but the difference was the dialect, the way they speak so fast, and the dialect they speak in [00:13:00] Sudan. It was new to me and that was giving me hard time to reply. So I ended up doing my whole first year as just the introduction to the community, introduction to the school.

And the good thing at the university was they understand the challenge we are facing. So they give us more space, they give us more time in order to adapt with the community, with the school. So we were taking easy pathway. I can tell.

Duncan: And what city were you in?

Abdi: The city is called Shendi. It is north of Khartoum, around 90 to 100 kilometer. It is about two hour, 20 minute bus drive. my school was called Shendi University.

It was the only university in that state. So every state in Sudan, they have their own local university. So that was the only university in that state.

Duncan: And were there many international students as well?

Abdi: Normally [00:14:00] internationally students, they prefer to stay in the capital city like Khartoum University, Omdurman University, African International University. Those are localized in the capital city. The people who go outside of the capital city are not, a lot when I was doing, but as I was graduating, I have seen a lot of international students is from all over the world, from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, from Yemen, people coming from Jordan, from Egypt, from Kenya, Djibouti.

So I, can see a lot of international students.

Duncan: So it sounds like the dialect of the Arabic was a main barrier. But they were nice and they eased you in. How was the rest of your schooling there?

Abdi: I can tell Sudan, people are one of the nicest people you can ever meet. They are very welcoming community. I was living there [00:15:00] almost six years from my school, one year for internship, And I never had any incident or any issue with the local community. They are the best, but for a fact, as you know, in our Islam culture we have a month, we call it Ramadan, when we have to fast the whole day and then we eat after sunset. And I used to remember our neighborhood, they told us we don't have to cook anything, so they will bring us free food and everyone welcoming you to have free food, free drink. And I used to remember, that month I always saved my money ' cause I know I, I'm getting free food, free drinks.

So they are very welcoming and very humble people. I can tell.

Duncan: And how was the studies?

Abdi: The studies it is a five year program. The first two and a half years, it is called basic, you will learn, English as a side as well as physiology, anatomy, pathology, [00:16:00] microbiology. You, take the classes and then you will have your test in order to move to the internship side, which is another two years and a half. The first two years and a half I will say 90% it is in the university, so there are like a big hall there are attending will come, we'll do about representation and once you graduate from that two year and a half, you will move to the next two year and a half, which is internship, where you go to the hospital and you do three month internal medicine, three month pediatric, three month surgery, three month, ob, GYN. And then there are minorities subjects for example, ENT, radiology, dermatology, public health. After the first two and a half, once you finish, you have to sit a big test. In order to qualify and uh, once you do the clinical part, you will sit down for written exam as well as clinical exam in order to graduate.

Duncan: How was the internship experience for [00:17:00] you?

Abdi: It was amazing because at that time I was able to speak the local language, the dialect. I was able to communicate easy with the patient. I was able to engage and as I mentioned, the people in Sudan, they don't speak English, and so that means you have to take the history in Arabic language and when you present to the attending, you have to present as an English.

So it is two side history. So you take the history by Arabic, but you will present as an English, and the whole discussion will be as an English. You will present your history, your family history, social history of the patient, examination your differential, your assessment and plan in English, and the whole discussion will open with the other teams.

Duncan: That sounds very challenging.

Abdi: A lot. A lot. And sometimes, I was having hard time to take history from the [00:18:00] patient because patients, they coming from very rural area, which they speak very tough dialect, which they speak very speed. So people in the capital city, once they see you are like immigrant.

They might speak very like basic language. In order to facilitate, to make easier for you, but people come from the rural area, they don't have that kind of enlightenment and knowledge, so it was hard time sometimes even to take history.

Duncan: And then once you took that history, then you would have to translate it into English, which is also not your native language,

Abdi: absolutely. So.

Duncan: present to some other physician who is not a native English speaker either. I.

Abdi: Yep. No one is a native speaker English in the whole university. So it was tough, it was a challenge and we used to study our books from, UK system like Comar, Davidson Harrison sometimes. So it was a very challenging period in my life.

Duncan: But you finished and [00:19:00] then. We're in the US now. How? How did that happen?

Abdi: So when I was finishing my university my class was 130 and I was number two in the class. I graduated with higher score, so I did one year internship . While I was doing internship in Capital City of Sudan Khartoum. It is a program of one year where you do three month internal medicine, three month pediatric surgery, three month as well as ob GN three month, and then you will finish, then you will get your certificate.

 So at that time I prepared to do MRCP because I have seen a lot of my friends, they doing MRCP, they trying to go to UK, Ireland and I did my first part of MRCP and I passed.

Duncan: And for our listeners, the MRCP is a postgraduate medical exam in the uk required for specialty training in internal medicine and most other medical specialties.

Abdi: And I was planning to do [00:20:00] MRCP two and move to Edinburg or Ireland in order to started doing my, rotation down there.

 But having Somali passport, it was always obstacle. It was issue even to get a Europe visa with the Somali passport and that. I felt disappointed that the only issue I have, it was my citizenship that was making for me issue. So before I finish my rotation in Sudan, I got an offer job from Somalia to work with, international Organization for Migration.

It's called IOM. It is under United Nations, so I was the medical officer. Their office in Somali in Mogadishu. So I went back, I started that job as well as other local job where I was helping the community. In the meantime, I had a relationship with my wife right now. So we communicate through email. At that time, there was no [00:21:00] Snapchat, no Facebook, no Instagram into the, there was Instagram, but there was not common Snapchat or Instagram. So we used to communicate through the emails. And when I was working in Somalia, I realized that I need to upgrade my knowledge, so I applied master degree for a couple universities.

Including University of Nairobi Makerere University in Uganda, University of Istanbul in Turkey. I applied also in Malaysia. I got couple offers, couple acceptances, but I end up again in Nairobi, number one. It's close to Somalia. It's only one hour flight. And number two we had a large Somali community in Nairobi.

That's easier for me even to find a job after I finish. So in 2014, September 1st I started University of Nairobi internal medicine program. I moved to Kenya. It was private, that means I have to pay fees in order to get training since I am a [00:22:00] foreigner. If you are a citizen, you are the one who will get benefit, which is like maybe $400 a month.

But since I was a foreigner, I have to pay fees, which was 3,500 a year on top of my monthly spend. So I moved to Kenya and I got married. At that time my wife come down to Nairobi. We were trying to get settled down together, but we realized that it wasa lot of difficulties to stay together in Kenya since I was not working full job and I couldn't able to cover all the bills.

Duncan: So she come back to states and applied a visa for me . I came here late 2015, July 7th, and it was summer hot time in Seatac, Washingtonwhat happened in the US?

Abdi: In the US I knew as long as you wanna be a doctor, you have to take your USMLE and E-C-F-M-G certificate in order for you to qualify. And I had a couple Sudanese friends [00:23:00] who live in Chicago who told me the process. In order for you to apply for USMLE through the ECMG, they have to verify your certificate. That's step number one. 

Duncan: For our listeners. Here are descriptions of the two acronyms.

ECFMG certificate provided by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical graduates. It certifies international medical graduates so they can enter US residency programs

U SMLE. A three step examination for physicians to be licensed to practice medicine in the U.S.. These will often be referred to simply as step one, step two, et cetera.

Abdi: i, sent all my documentation to the E-C-F-M-G. They contacted my university. They get my paper back, but there was some issue with the filling out the paper, so we have to send it back to Sudan, my paper take almost six months to one year in order to get approval for me to register in E-C-F-M-G. And after that I started doing my step one in [00:24:00] late 2016, early 2017, I took my step two and. We had USMLE step two clinical skills. It was before COVID-19 and I took it in 2018. 

My first time applying for residency it was 2019. After three years and a half since I arrived to the USA. My first cycle of application, I applied 100 program and I got zero interview. I was shocked. I felt disappointed and I said what I'm missing? 

Second year it was 2020 COVID-19 hit the whole country. And at that time I was doing a lot of behind the scene activities.

I'm the co-founder of Washington International Medical Graduate here in Seattle. We went to Olympia. We are lobbying, advocating for the IMGs International Medical Graduate, to get at least externship here in Washington state also to get a limited [00:25:00] license, which right now we have. I remember I used to meet with senators with Congress from my district as well as, governor Inslee to just sell our case and tell them who we are. It was for them new. They did not ever met anyone from the IMG. They never know what is the IMG, what's International Medical Graduate. So we started doing power presentation, doing testimony, doing lobbying with Congress. So I applied again in 2020 and I get one or two interviews, and one thing I learned from that interview was the program director told me that it's very important to have clinical externship, hand on clinical experience, as well as step three. She told me, if you have those two today, I will take you, but as much as you don't have, I will never take you. So in 2021, I spent almost 13 to 15,000 of my [00:26:00] whole saving to go to New Jersey through, an organization called American Clerkship. They charge me $1,000 every week in order to do a rotation hand-on clinical experience in New Jersey. I did that two month, which is 8,000 plus my travel, what I was spending. So it end up 13 to 15,000. I applied internal medicine again, and at that time I took my step three.

So this time I get couple interviews, including transitional year and I luckily I got matched to transitional year in Hackensack Palade Medical Center in New Jersey, and I did 2022 to 2023. And while I was doing, because I have to get a second year residence, I applied again, but this time I get a lot of interviews including University of Washington where I get the last day of the interview. It was [00:27:00] 2023 January 13th. I remember I met Dr. Daniel Cabrera. We had a very extensive discussion. I was crying the whole interview. I met with Dr. Steinberg and another attending from Fred Hutchison. I don't recall his name. Fast forward two months later, I got an email.

You are matched, fully matched. That was my best day. I remember I was crying, I was waiting that email. I was doing a pediatric rotation in a clinic in New Jersey, and even the attending was keep asking me what happened, why you are so nervous today. And I say it is a match day. Either I will match and I will be the happiest man in the world, or I will feel disappointed.

I matched and he told me, you don't have to stay in the clinic in the afternoon. You can go home, have fun. I was so relaxed and I felt happy, and three days later, I figure out I match here at University of [00:28:00] Washington. I was so lucky to come back because my wife and my kids, they live in SeaTac here.

 So coming back was like a reward , a best decision that I ever made. Although I get some offer for PGY two in New Jersey, but I was looking, coming back home will be the best decision and do one more year intern, which I did last year, and luckily I was selected to be at Medicine Residency Advisory consult, what we call MRAC, where I work closely with the Associated Program director in order to improve the program and adjust our curriculum

Duncan: well, that's a remarkable story. The question I have for you is someone who has been the top of his class his entire life, being the very top in Somalia, going to a country that you don't even speak the language in Sudan, and then becoming the top of the class there, how did you adjust to being rejected from residency?

 How did you deal with that?

Abdi: It was really tough, [00:29:00] and as I told you, I have a lot of friends who started with me the journey and now they just give up because it is really very disappointing and it's really very tough. When you apply 100 to 200 program. That means we talking about six to 7,000 every year and you get zero interview.

That's really. You know, it's gut wrenching and it's really disappointing. And the only thing that pushes me to come back again and again, it was my wife, she was always helping me. She always tells me that you will success one day. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Just keep pushing, keep pushing.

And in my nature, give up. It's not in my dictionary. Always I will try. That's why now I'm, trying to apply cardiology, which is another competitive specialty, but for give up, it's not in my dictionary.

Duncan: What advice do you have either for foreign medical [00:30:00] grads or anyone? Who's pre-health or pre-medicine who has dealt with disappointment or feels like things might not work out?

Abdi: Always remember three things. Never give up, never give up, never give up. I know sometimes life has a lot of ups and downs, has a lot of challenges. We as a human being, the people who success. It's the people who have multiple attempts, those people will success definitely. If you don't try, you will never gonna success.

So always try to push yourself to the up limit. Try come up with another idea, with different idea. If you try this year this way and did not work, don't repeat the same because you will get the same result. You have to try to different way maneuver. I was applying residency blindly. And I was getting rejected.

 I adjusted the way I apply, I added something new, which was having step three before even I start residency normally step three they will take during the residence. So me doing [00:31:00] before the residency, I'm showing the program I have a commitment. I'm not coming to play around. Me moving all the way to the East coast, which I have zero Somali connection, which I don't know anyone. That means it shows you that you have to get out from your comfort zone and do something differently. Then the result will show up.

Duncan: And it sounds like when you were faced with this rejection, I think there was probably a big emotional component, but you were very analytical about it and said, these are the things that, the feedback that I got, and these are the things that I can do.

Abdi: Absolutely. I was so lucky that I had good mentorship. I had family support and even the people who give me rejection, I always thankful for them and ask them a feedback. What can I do different next year to improve my chances? And I had good feedbacks from those program director, telling me, doing step three.

Duncan: it's helpful doing externship. Adjusting my personal [00:32:00] statement. In my last cycle of application, I spent almost $500 just to adjust my personal statement. Can you talk about the mentorship or are there any mentors that stuck out in your mind throughout your long journey? 

Abdi: as I mentioned, I have a good connection with my old teachers back home, Somalia, and sometimes once I have issue, I always call them for advice. 

So they always tell me, you are at United States the land of freedom. If you cannot succeed in USA, you will never gonna succeed anywhere else in the world.

So that always pushes me to the limit that there is no excuse. Wake up, do your best and trying to improve yourself one step at a time. That's really helpful. You know, a journey of 1000 mile start with one step. So always try to do something different, something new. Make a good connection.

In U.S. I always tell the people we don't have corruption. But we have a connection. [00:33:00] You wanna have a good connection with the people who make the decision. You wanna have a good connection with the people who are working in the hospital, in the program. So that's why I do a lot of advocate right now with, Washington International Medical Graduate.

I do hourly meeting every Thursday from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Virtually. I meet with 20 to 30 international medical graduate for counseling. I give them feedback about their application, their personal statement, and that gives me like, I'm giving back to my community. I'm helping them.

Sometimes I communicate with the program director, show them, hey. We have these people that live in our state, how we can support them, how we can help them. Now we have an ongoing conversation with the Department of Medicine in order to get externship for IMG who live in Washington State. And we get a lot of, positive feedback so far.

Duncan: Wow, that's incredible.

Abdi: Absolutely. Having, [00:34:00] externship at University of Washington, that's like a life changing, decision and hopefully our goal is to start that program by next year, 2025.

Duncan: How has residency been?

Abdi: Residents, as I, I always tell it is ups and down. Inpatient stuff, outpatient cool. Monday, Friday you have weekends off, but once you are inpatient doing MICU, sometimes it might get tough. You do like 70 to 80 hour a week sometimes. So I always say, you know, dependent on which rotation you're doing.

Duncan: How has your experience been in continuity clinic?

Abdi: IMC always call is like home when you meet with people from your own color, from your own people coming as a patient, I. It has a unique feeling and unique connection and attachment. I'm so lucky that I end up in IMC and meeting with people like you, Dr. Molnar and all the [00:35:00] attendants, Dr. Genji, that are more open to help us that, give us feedback how to improve ourself.

 Having the culture mediator, having the MA. , having the pharmacy all in one side that's like, you know, a gift from the God.

Duncan: What's next for you?

Abdi: Next for me. I am doing three projects of cardiology. One of them I need to travel to Nairobi, where I am doing a training of echo stimulator in order to early detect rheumatic heart disease, mitral valve pathology, and enroll prophylaxis, penicillin.

. So I have been working this project with Dr. James Kirkpatrick and Dr. Shehan and I have couple other cardiology project. I have been to american College cardiology this year in Atlanta, and I'm hopefully going next year in Chicago. I submitted almost four to five cases.

Duncan: And then the big goal is to [00:36:00] go into a cardiology fellowship.

Abdi: Yep, that's my, big goal to do more preventive cardiology and early diagnosis.

Duncan: Well, thank you so much for your time. I think one big thing that I took away from this is how many things you're involved with giving back to people who are in the same situation as you are as a foreign medical graduate. I know that you've been mentioning them to me for a long time, but I think maybe we can talk more seriously about how we can support the work that you're doing.

 getting the word out about these different programs.

Abdi: Absolutely. Absolutely. And yep. Thank you so much for having me. Uh, it was a pleasure to be in EthnoMed today. I am a big fan and a big support of EthnoMed and what do you do for our community. So thank you so much.

Duncan: Thank you for your time. And now let's go rush to clinic. Yep.

 

Duncan: We hope today's episode has given you a glimpse into the determination and resilience it takes for international medical graduates to find their place in the US healthcare system. [00:37:00] Dr. Abdifitah Mohamed's journey began in Somalia where the loss of a loved one sparked his calling to medicine. From there, he pursued medical school in Sudan, advanced his training in Kenya, and after years of persistence and multiple attempts, finally secured a residency position in the United States.

Today as an internal medicine resident at the University of Washington, he carries with him not only his medical skills, but also the lived experience of perseverance, sacrifice, and hope. His story reminds us of the complex histories and global paths behind all international medical graduates in the U.S.

Here's a preview from JJ Bola, medical Health, social worker, and poet. Our guest on the next episode of Provider Pulse. 

JJ Bola: The kind of expectation then was that you study psychology and then you go on to do your doctorate, become a psychologist, et cetera. But, I knew that, for me, that that didn't necessarily feel right. I knew that there was more, I was passionate about psychology and about [00:38:00] mental health, but I knew that there was a different path that I felt like I had to take, but I just, I didn't know what,

It's not going to come to you easy. Like whatever you're passionate about, whatever you wanna do in the world, everything takes so much challenge, and so many obstacles to overcome. And a part of it is a test for you to be sure that this is what you're really passionate about

Duncan: thank you for listening. If you enjoyed today's podcast, please share it with a friend. Word of mouth is essential for us to reach new listeners. Be sure to visit our website@ethnomed.org for additional resources. Also follow us on YouTube and Instagram at EthnoMed uw and on LinkedIn. Do you have comments or suggestions?

We would love to hear from you at EthnoMed uw@uw.edu. Thank you.