As a non-US IMG on a J1 visa, I have to work in a medically underserved community for 3 years to obtain a waiver of the 2-year home country residency requirement (going back for 2 years after my J1 visa study).
I have 2 options - My preferred option is to do my fellowship right after residency (still on J1) and then find employment for 3 years (hopefully in PICU but if I don't find a J1 waiver job in PICU I will have to do something in General Peds). The second option is to do the 3-year waiver after completing my residency in primary care and then apply for the fellowship.
1. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of this situation and has an opinion on which might be the better route?
2. To me, it seems that taking a 3-year break to do primary care might make me less attractive as a candidate for a PICU fellowship. Is that the case?
Thanks
I have 2 options - My preferred option is to do my fellowship right after residency (still on J1) and then find employment for 3 years (hopefully in PICU but if I don't find a J1 waiver job in PICU I will have to do something in General Peds). The second option is to do the 3-year waiver after completing my residency in primary care and then apply for the fellowship.
1. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of this situation and has an opinion on which might be the better route?
2. To me, it seems that taking a 3-year break to do primary care might make me less attractive as a candidate for a PICU fellowship. Is that the case?
Thanks