Careers for New Americans: Global Professionals, American Dreams

"I graduated magna cum laude at the university, I was a physician, I had an amazing position, and I was not even thirty. I mean, it cannot get better than that."

This was Paola Susan's life in South America before she came to the United States. A native Colombian, Paola was working at one of the largest public hospitals in Chile when she met the American man who would become her husband. Paola left her secured work position at a hospital in Santiago and moved to the Windy City in 2007.

"It was a hard decision to make, but I always thought that one could be the most successful person in the world, but if you do not have anyone to share this success with, it is not worth it," Paola explained. She arrived just in time for the financial crisis, however. She initially planned on pursuing her PhD in the U.S. but the high costs of the programs were discouraging. She attempted to find work in the pharmaceutical and healthcare consulting fields with her dual MD and MBA educational background, but there was no work to find. She had the skills but very unfortunate timing.

"For a long time I didn't do anything, because I didn't have the contacts or anything - until I met Upwardly Global people and they really changed my life. They have helped me a lot, especially with networking." Upwardly Global helped Paola refine her resume and cover letters and connected her with different groups such as the National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives. Paola also volunteered as a researcher for two Chicago medical researchers, building her local reputation.

Paola eventually found work in area hospitals as a Spanish-English Medical Interpreter with Healthcare Languages Services of Chicago. The job draws on her medical background and bilingual-bicultural skills, while also allowing her the time and flexibility to prepare for her U.S. medical licensing exams.

Seeing the doctors in the hospitals and thinking "I should be there" was also a great motivator to relicense quickly. She is currently studying for Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), the first of many stages she will have to successfully complete to become a licensed physician in the U.S.

For Paola, her decision to come to the United States was rooted in love and family. She does not dwell on the sacrifices she has made but looks to the future. She plans on working in pediatrics and still hopes to get her PhD one day. Paola feels that for her, the time, money and energy that licensing requires is a sure investment - one that will one day allow her to resume a fulfilling career as a practicing physician: "If you really, really want it and understand that it's going to be hard, you'll see that it pays off in the end."

Fifteen years ago Rasa Kazlauskaite, then a medical intern form Lithuanian, landed at O'Hare airport eager to learn the difference between residency practice in her native country and the U.S. "I wanted to be able to practice my profession anywhere in the world," said Rasa, now Assistant Professor for the Department of Preventive Medicine and Internal Medicine at Rush University in Chicago. "I believed that medical studies in the United States offered the most universal education," she explained was her motivation to study in the U.S.

In 1991 Dr. Kazlauskaite graduated Magna Cum Laude from the College of Medicine at Vilnius University, one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe. The early nineties were tumultuous years for Lithuania and its people. The small Baltic State, which was non existent on the world maps for over fifty years, was reclaiming its international identity and rediscovering the global community after it declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

"When I arrived to the U.S., I did not know what to expect. There were very few Lithuanians who went through the licensing process or residency programs in the U.S.," Rasa recalled. Upon the advice of one of them, Dr. Irma Kuptel, Rasa joined an ArcVentures course (now - Kaplan University) to prepare for the United States Medical Licensing Examination. "I can't count how many Lithuanian doctors benefited from Irma's advice and used the course notes I took." While a student she worked part time as a pharmacy technician at the Rush University Medical Center. "It was tough, because my first priority was to prepare for examinations. I found new friends, they were kind to provide shelter". For a while, she rented a tiny room for $100 in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the South Side, "My friends recommended me to landlady". She was a student again, and she lived the lifestyle described in numerous classic novels: working for minimal wage, hardly earning enough money to pay rent, having to choose between buying a train pass or food, and spending all evening hours leaning over text books.

However, the first unexpected challenge for Rasa was to master American English. "I thought I knew English before I came to the U.S., but when I arrived there I realized that I have to train my ear and master vocabulary," Rasa said. She strongly recommends that students who are considering continuing their education in a foreign country master language skills before arriving in that foreign country.

"It was not easy competing with the other international students who had an opportunity to study medicine in English in their native countries," the professor admitted. She attended Medical College when Lithuania was still a part of the Soviet Union and any information from the West was highly censored. International publications hardly reached the academic or general public communities. Those were times when every aspect of life was highly politicized and Communist propaganda bled into every academic field. "I chose to study medicine not only because I wanted to help people but because it was the least politicized vocation, even though I had to study the history of Communist Party at medical school," she remembered.

Meeting medical students from the U.S. and foreign doctors while preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Examination helped Rasa build her network and gather information to pave the path for her medical residency. "The ArcVentures class was a discovery for me, it was beneficial not only in aspects of medical training, but also a great networking opportunity," Rasa said.

Sharing experiences and exchanging ideas were invaluable for Rasa. She eagerly listened to advice from anyone, from medical students to prominent doctors. "I received some great help from an American medical residency student. I was telling him of my experience in Lithuania and he would explain how it would be approached in the U.S. Sometimes it made me feel very lost, there were many new things to learn. It is essential to approach everything with the beginners mind and listen to the people," Rasa said.

There were a few significant cultural barriers she had to overcome as well. Modesty is considered of great value in Lithuania, and a specialist who avoids talking about his or her achievements is more respected than one who openly talks about success. "At schools we were taught to be modest and allow your work results to 'speak' for you. Nevertheless when competing with one thousand candidates for the one residency position you have to distinguish yourself," the professor said.

Writing resumes, personal statements and gaining interviewing skills were all very new for this Lithuanian student and she eagerly learned these skills from her friends and other professionals. "Looking back and having trained medical residents, I realize how understanding American culture, leadership skills and resume building skills help to pave your career path."

Communication technologies and the internet have dramatically improved since those days when Rasa was beginning her career. Much more information is accessible on the internet today, and she believes that foreign students should gain experience by doing internships or observances in U.S. hospitals before graduating in their native countries. "Understanding American experience helps competing for residency position," she said, "And that is the toughest part on the path of being licensed as a doctor in the United States."

After she successfully passed the United States Medical Licensing Examinations, she was accepted into residency in Internal Medicine at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan within nine months. During the interview she was asked how she would distinguish herself from other candidates. Rasa's answer was: "I value this opportunity to join your residency program, and I will prove it being the hardest working resident in your program." Her career started to pick up speed: she has joined a Fellowship of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition at the University of Maryland in Baltimore and acquired a Masters of Science in Clinical Research at Rush University in Chicago. She now holds the position of Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine and Internal Medicine at Rush University Medical Center after working for 8 years as a teaching attending physician for the Division of Endocrinology and Department of Internal Medicine at John H. Stroger Jr Hospital of Cook County in Chicago.

"I was looking for a better education and greater opportunities," said Tarek Alkhatib, a dentist from the Dental Dream office in Chicago. Early in his career he set very clear goals for his future path.

Tarek grew up in Amman, the capital city of the small Middle Eastern country Jordan, in a family of engineers and medical doctors. Early on he knew that eventually he would have to choose a career between these two vocational fields. "I did not feel that a physician's profession matched my personality, I chose to be a dentist, which is still working in the medical field," he said.

After his high school graduation in Amman, he continued his studies abroad and acquired a Bachelors Degree in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery at the College of Dentistry at Cairo University in Egypt. After graduation he returned to his homeland and worked in private dental practice for a couple of years.

Although, Jordan's health care system has improved dramatically over the last two decades, there is still a quite common opinion that specialists have greater opportunities in America. This motivated Alkhatib to search for advancement possibilities overseas.

"There were few opportunities in Jordan and financially it was not really feasible. I was thinking of starting a family, and I was looking for the opportunities to accomplish life's goals," he explained his motivation to come to the United States.

While still living in Jordan, he searched online for international dentist schools in the U.S., and his relatives living in Chicago suggested Tarek contact the International Dentist Degree Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago,.

Alkhatib's first step in establishing a dentist career in his new country was to focus on studying for the National Board Examination. "I wanted to pass the Dental Board Exams as fast as I could, since they are the main 'gates' to any dental school. These exams are not easy, and require long hours of studying," he said. English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam did not pose a big challenge for Alkhatib, since all five year dentistry studies in Cairo University are conducted in English. He knew that during an interview process at IDDP the selection committee members were looking not only at his exams scores, but also at his ability to communicate clearly in English. "We need to be able to communicate with the patients," he simply put it.

Before applying for the position at UIC's International Dental School, Alkhatib also found a dental assistants position with Dental Profile offices in Chicago. "It helped me not only to gain an American experience, but when I graduated I was employed by the company and worked there for almost a year," the dentist said.

Coming from a country where the majority of the people speak the same language, share the same traditions and have one religion, he had to learn to adjust to living in a cultural melting pot. "My biggest challenge was not the English language itself, but subtleties of communication," he said. Alkhatib received a good multicultural experience while studying at school where he met professionals from a variety of different world countries.

Before he established himself in Chicago, Alkhatib relied on support and advice from his relatives. His cousin allowed him to stay in his apartment and his parents in Jordan helped financially, but still: "I had to work as an assistant and I also had to take loans to be able to continue education." To achieve his career goals Alkhatib was motivated by his vision of a better and more secure future and the examples of his older fellow students, who went back to school to seek education.

The young professional believes that every foreign specialist should seek education in the U.S. "I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to seek education and to seek to work in a field one knows best in their countries. It may be a log route, it takes time, it is hard, but it will pay off," he said. At school he became Class President and was willing to give advice, motivate future students or share his study literature. "There are people who are willing to help. We just need to look for them," he said.

Currently Alkhatib works at Dental Dreams offices in Chicago and hopes to open his own dental clinic in the future.