Stigmatized??? Yep. Every day of my life. I'm stigmatized in a lot of ways.

I'm fat, therefore, I'm lazy.
I'm white, therefore I'm rich and overpriveleged.
I'm American, therefore, I am spoiled.
I'm shaved bald, tattooed, and pierced, therefore I'm a rebel.
I'm from the South, therefore, I'm stupid.
I'm in a Caribbean med school, therefore, my GPA/MCAT sucked.
I'm a paramedic, therefore I'm an adrenaline junkie who wants to work in ER.


Stop and think about how many stigmas or generalizations you are subject to every day. Or the ones you perpetuate, even! I prefer to judge people based on what I have observed from their behaviors. If you act like I jerk, then I'll assume you're a jerk, and treat you accordingly, meaning I hope you don't spontaneously combust, because I will suddenly develop a spastic urethral stricture that will prohibit me from attempting to save you through application of any liquid at hand.

Anyone who wants to judge me for going to a Carib school as being a substandard physician (when I finally get there!) can take a flying leap. If they really want to make a big deal out of it, I've got a size 11 boot to implant squarely in their rectum at high speed.

Bottom line is, if you think non-US-trained physicians are automatically inferior, then you're the one who is ignorant and I don't need to deal with you. My patients are going to love me, not because of my credentials, but because of my skills. My peers are going to respect me for the same reason. Anyone who doesn't want to, doesn't have to. I'm not going to beg and plead, but they're going to feel like idiots when I can practice circles around them.

There are thousands upon thousands of FMGs in the US practicing medicine in every state, in every specialty, in every way imaginable. If you are so insecure that you think it is going to bother you so much that it will make practicing medicine hell, then don't even start. Find something else, where people will just love you endlessly, like selling puppies, or snow cones, or cotton candy, or whatever. Medicine is not for the weak of stomach or the faint of heart. Period.