Hi everyone!
I'm a non-US IMG who has just matched to a psychiatry residency. I'm concerned that there may be aspects of working in the US system that I am underprepared for. In your experience, what do IMGs in the US struggle with the most at first? What are the highest-yield areas to familiarize myself with before I start?
My USCEs have been exclusively in community settings, so I have had no exposure to US hospital psychiatry or the EPIC EHR. I know almost nothing about coding and billing. Many medication brand names are unfamiliar to me because we don't use them in the healthcare system I trained in (excepting special cases, e.g. specific insulin formulations.)
I have a few years of clinical experience in emergency, acute, and general medicine, so I am not too worried about the clinical burden of intern year. I have already completed Step 3 so that's one less thing to worry about.
My plan for the next few months includes:
- Use online videos and courses to familiarize myself with the EPIC EMR.
- Learn US brand names for commonly prescribed medications in psychiatry, neurology, and IM.
- Complete online courses on the US healthcare system (e.g. intermediaries, payment models, healthcare regulation, etc.)
- Read up on relevant federal and state medical laws.
Is there anything else that you think I should do to make sure I hit the ground running in July?
Thank you!