IMGRoadmap Series #77 Dr. Nina Snowden (Obstetrics and Gynecology)
In our world of today, many marginalized communities face systemic injustices when seeking medical care, which leads to disproportionate rates of chronic illness and even death. OBGYN resident Dr. Nina Snowden, after having felt the brunt of these disparities herself, has dedicated her life to making a difference no matter how small. Keep listening to find out more about this IMG's story of determination and resilience.
As a US IMG, Dr. Snowden completed her undergraduate and master's degrees in the US and even served as a registered dietician. After having faced a tragedy, however, Dr. Snowden felt inspired to start medical school at a later age than most students. It is this resolve that guided her through her medical education as she moved step by step to fulfill her calling to be a physician. She attended the St. George's University in Grenada and was able to maintain good grades throughout her time there.
When asked to share the highlights of her journey to the match, Dr. Snowden dropped the following gems of advice:
Make good use of your resources - Dr. Snowden recommends the IMG Roadmap course as an excellent guide to help IMGs land the residency they've been dreaming of.
Networking is key! Dr. Snowden took it upon herself to show initiative and reach out to as many people within her intended field. She joined organizations, attended conferences and introduced herself to program coordinators in order to improve her chances of matching.
Ignore the naysayers - Though Dr. Snowden admits to not having had the most stellar scores on USMLE, she did not let the negative opinions of others prevent her from applying to the specialties that she was interested in. Ultimately, the only person who needs to believe in you, is you!
Leverage your application if your scores are not within your desired bracket - Dr. Snowden ensured that she had a back up plan and so, attained letters of recommendation from each one of her core rotations in case she had to participate in the The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). She boosted all the other areas of her application so that her scores were just one component of many.
Overall, despite a rough beginning, Dr. Snowden was determined not to become a statistic, and despite being an underdog, she was determined to achieve all of her goals. As such, she constantly reminded herself to: Strive to do better in all things. Once you do your best, everything else will fall in line.
Feeling inspired? You can reach out to Dr. Snowden to find out more about her phenomenal story via her Instagram @drnina_obgyn and her email: nina.s.snowden@gmail.com
Listen to the full episode using the links below:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5aP5rRjsmZM2aXkx63ymag