IMGRoadmap Series #78 Dr. Ariela Baur (Internal Medicine)
Has self-doubt ever caused you to procrastinate when trying to achieve your dream? In this episode, Internal Medicine Resident Dr. Ariela Baur shares her inspiring story of ambition, resilience and discipline as she silenced her self-doubt in order to attain success.
German-born Dr. Baur attended medical school at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary & Hamburg, Germany. After graduating in 2016, she worked for 3 years in cardiology in Germany, before she decided to take the leap and pursue residency in the United States. Though she knew she could have served as a doctor in Germany, she realized that it was not what she wanted for herself, and that she had to make a change. She knew that the transition would not be easy, but she was willing to do whatever it took to reach her goal.
One of the most outstanding points to note about Dr. Baur's journey is that she passed USMLE Steps 1, 2 and 3 all within 2 years. When she was asked how she was able to carry this out, she highlighted the following:
She engaged in a six week Kaplan course which helped her to prepare for Step 1 USMLE, especially with regard to adjusting to the American exam style.
She found a group of supportive colleagues with whom she could study and share experiences.
She was disciplined and driven and used her time wisely when preparing for the exam.
Though it was difficult, despite the rescheduling of the USMLE exams due to COVID, and other challenges, she persisted.
After having taken the exams, Dr. Baur outlined the following about her application cycle:
When the results came in, her step 1 score was 211, and though this disappointed her, she changed her strategy and went full force into preparing for steps 2 and 3, which she crushed! To improve her Step 2 scores, she focused more on practice questions, which yielded success.
During the gaps between exams, Dr. Baur did rotations with the private practice of various physicians in order to build her US clinical experience and enhance her application.
Though she applied to over 100 programs in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine, she only landed 2 interviews. She also did not let that discourage her, and decided to let her personality and dedication shine through during the interviews. After all, you only need one successful interview!
Dr. Baur hopes to inspire IMGs to:
Study hard, but take breaks as needed. Do not allow vigorous and constant studying to compromise your mental health.
Follow a strict schedule but reward yourself accordingly. The sacrifice is worth it!
You can reach out to Dr. Baur to find out more about her story and to seek advice via her instagram @arielii_b
Listen to the full episode using the links below:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wDrhmPwpa0TdgvvIfex2M