Hello! I’m Dr. Rout, I go by Kate. I’m an IMG from Russia. I just learned that I matched into William Beaumont Army Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program. But my path to this achievement has been nothing but direct. I could say that I am a unique case but I am not. Thousands of other IMGs like myself had to go through quite a journey to get to this point.

From the very beginning, getting into the field of medicine has been a challenge. My family wasn’t exactly supportive of my professional choice, so my education initially started as a journalist. Although it seemed like a great choice, eventually, I found myself drawn to medical articles when not studying Cicero’s speeches. Two years later, I became a medical student, while balancing the responsibilities of being a young parent. Unfortunately, following graduation, my education again stalled as the internship was suddenly canceled nationwide due to new educational reforms. Given limited time for a thorough plan, I temporarily transitioned into the pharmaceutical industry, working at companies such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca. 

My journey eventually led me to the United States due to family reasons, where I encountered multiple challenges such as difficulty finding employment in the medical field as a foreign-trained physician, cancellation of Step 2 CS and ECFMG eligibility issues following the COVID-19 pandemic, and layoffs. Eventually, I was able to secure a position as a nursing assistant and was promoted to medical assistant at Virginia Mason hospital in downtown Seattle. This experience provided great insights into the US healthcare system. I worked in the outpatient setting at a primary care clinic, as well as in the inpatient ward. Ultimately, due to an unexpected pregnancy, I transitioned to working remotely as a case preparation physician, summarizing and presenting cases to the licensed physicians to help determine appropriate level of care for the patient. This position deepened my understanding of common conditions, treatments, and diagnostic guidelines. Being a remote position, it also gave me a great opportunity to focus on my board exams. 

I applied for the MATCH in 2023, and unfortunately failed to secure a position despite receiving 3 interviews during the main cycle and many more during scramble. I also found out I was expecting my third baby which made me focus on my pregnancy and helped work through disappointment and frustration after failing to match. I did receive an interview from William Beaumont post-SOAP, and even though they liked me, they ended up offering their unfilled position to someone else. I asked for feedback everyone I interviewed with, and received overall similar impressions. My interview skills were good according to my interviewers, and my story was inspiring. Lack of clinical experience and Step 3 were obvious pounts of improvement. 

I completed Step 3 in July 2024, just a couple weeks before my due date. At the same time I found a position at an allergy clinic and got licensed as an MD.CE in Washington state. This new license allowed me to work under the supervision of a fully licensed physician within their scope of practice, get an NPI, apply for a full DEA license, and bill Medicare. As a member of the initiative group who first introduced this bill to our governor, I am proud to continue to contribute to this new opportunity, and am grateful for getting to serve my local community as a physician. Additionally, I have successfully completed an interview for a unique Preceptorship program in Hawaii, as well as an observership at Swedish Primary Care.

The following MATCH cycle turned out to be more fruitful for my. I triple applied for IM, FM and peds this time, made sure I applied to newly accredited programs, added new important experiences, reached out to applicants I knew from last year, and polished my personal statement. I personalized each of the them (150) with at least a couple of program-specific sentences. I sent letters of interest.

As a result, I received 11 invitations and matched into my #4. 

Reflecting on my experiences, I realize that the challenges I have met provided me with the strength and dedication to excel under the most demanding circumstances. I have come so far and still feel like this is only the beginning, which is one of the aspects I love most about the field of medicine. When it comes to my long-term career plans, I am strongly considering a hospitalist role as my ultimate goal. I truly enjoyed Internal Medicine as a specialty during rotations at my medical school for its wide range of conditions to be managed, along with the variety of settings and lifestyle options it offers. William Beaumont Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program had a noticeable focus on critical care and even has a surgical rotation. The area offers lower cost of living and decent infrastructure, plenty of schools and childcare and overall family friendly environment. I am hopeful to join a great team and use my passion, experience and skills to contribute to my program.