When the pandemic started, I was looking for internal medicine clinical experiences all over the United States. I emailed hundreds of hospitals seeking rotations, but every single one of them rejected me. At that time, on social media, I came upon a post of a girl who got her rotation confirmed through Shivani Bhatt charitable foundation (SBCF). So without any further delay, I straightaway approached SBCF. After a few days, I received a response from SBCF, and I was delighted to learn that my husband, Dr. Parth Parmar, and I had been selected for an Observership in the Cardiothoracic Department at Saint Michaels Medical Center under Dr. Nilesh Patel, as well as a Cardiology Outpatient Clinic under the supervision of Dr. Meherwan Joshi.
Then, our rotation was postponed indefinitely due to the travel ban and the second wave of covid. I acquired rotations at other hospitals; however, my USCE at another hospital was abruptly interrupted in the middle of the rotation due to a local surge of covid cases. Since it was mid-August, I needed to complete at least three months of USCE before September. I messaged Dr. Bhatt and Dr. Nilesh Patel regarding my situation. Dr. Patel immediately responded and rescheduled my Observership on short notice. In a new country, when all doors of opportunities are closed, his helping hand was blissful.
Before I came to New Jersey from Kentucky, Dr. Patel, like a family, expressed genuine concern for my stay and journey. During my rotation with Dr. Joshi, I saw a wide range of cardiac patients from various ethnic backgrounds. Besides treating any condition, his up-to-date knowledge, communication skills, and preventive approach were impressive. He taught us the fundamentals of electrocardiography and echocardiography findings very systematically. He also involved us in a few interactive discussions by giving us some exciting topics to read.
This rotation and meeting Dr. Patel has a lifelong impact on me and my career. Furthermore, the Letter of recommendation that I received has helped me fetch more than the expected number of interviews in this match season. Lastly, Dr. Patel and Dr. Joshi never hesitated to give me special tips for the discussion and the match process.
Dr. Shivani's dream of assisting Usmle aspirants is being carried out by the whole SBCF team, including Dr. Bhatt, Dr. Patel, and Dr. Joshi. Kudos for their fantastic effort. Throughout this journey, I felt that Dr Bhatt and Dr Patel guided me just like their own daughter- Dr. Shivani.