At one point or another we all experience unforeseen circumstances which may lead to delays or changes throughout our journeys; but what matters is how we overcome these obstacles and use them to propel us. In this episode, soon to be Internal Medicine Resident Dr. Mishaal Zia shows us how she used her delays and challenges to her advantage and successfully landed her residency position!

As an ethnically Pakistani Canadian citizen, Dr. Mishaal had always dreamed of serving as a physician, which led her to pursue her medical education at the Karachi University in Pakistan. After having graduated in 2017, Dr. Mishaal, who is classified as a Non-US IMG, decided to write her Step 2 CS exam first. Since her medical school program in Pakistan was heavily based on clinical experience, she felt more prepared to do this exam first as compared to the step one. In 2019, she completed her Step one and Step 2 CK exams, both of which she passed. 
Unfortunately, the first time she applied for residency, she received two interviews but did not match into either program. With renewed motivation, she applied a second time after having improved her application package, and this time landed nine interviews eventually leading to her matching at SUNY Upstate Medical University. 
When asked what she did differently during her second match cycle to achieve such a level of success, Dr. Mishaal cited the following:

Though she was not enable to gain any additional clinical experience during her gaps between applications, she worked on improving her personal statement and overall application. She used resources such as the IMG Roadmap course to restructure her application to make it more palatable to program coordinators. 
She developed her virtual interviewing skills. 
She applied for a couple's match along with her husband so they would not have to spend several years apart. 
Dr. Mishaal also stressed the importance of time management, working diligently, taking necessary breaks and managing anxiety during the entire process. 

Now that she has landed her residency position, Dr. Mishaal shared the following as her personal mantras for success:

Strong, in her Muslim faith, Dr. Mishaal believes in working her absolute hardest and leaving the rest to God and His sacred timing. 
The most rewarding parts of the life often follow challenges and come along with immense personal growth. 
Do not let growing pains prevent you from persisting and achieving your goals. Though there may be many obstacles, you always eventually end up where you are meant to be. 
Delays do not determine your journey, what matters is not when you got there, but the fact that you got there!

You can reach out to Dr. Mishaal at mishaal.zia@gmail.com
Listen to the full episode using the following links:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/72-imgroadmap-series-80-dr-mishaal-zia-internal-medicine/id1490731292?i=1000525233863
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1J9ssLvy9Pns8naogWooFX
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mOGMzY2EwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz/episode/ZmNjNDY2YzMtZTk3OC00NjIzLTkwMjktNDU0NTE4NGIwZWNk?sa=X&ved=0CAYQkfYCahcKEwjo25nlp7TxAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQTg

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