Blog - Dr. Christina Nguyễn - USMLE Coach

GOING TO SEE A DOCTOR IN THE US: 10 THINGS TO PREPARE SO THAT THE APPOINTMENT IS NOT “WASTE”

Ho Tro 05/07/2026 No Comments

You have to wait several weeks, even months, to get an appointment with a doctor in the US. However, when it’s time to actually sit in the examination room, you suddenly get confused and forget the most important question you wanted to ask. When the doctor opens his mouth: “What problem did you come in for today?”, you start telling your story, then quickly get distracted by a series of other technical questions. When you finish the examination, step out of the hospital door and sit in the car, you suddenly remember: “Oh, I haven’t had time to ask the doctor about that important thing.” A typical routine medical appointment in the US sometimes only lasts 15–20 minutes. Without careful preparation in advance, you may waste a lot of time waiting but still have to leave without really solving the root of your main health problem. Below

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CANCER IS OFTEN UNAWARE – HERE ARE SCREENING MARKERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Ho Tro 05/07/2026 No Comments

Many people often think: “If the body is not in pain, is not tired, or does not lose weight suddenly, it definitely does not have cancer.” However, the naked truth is that many types of cancer do not cause any obvious symptoms at all in the early stages. By the time the body begins to emit clear warning signals, the disease has sometimes progressed to a late stage. cancer screening helps us find pathogens at a very early stage, when the opportunity for treatment is most effective. With some specific types of cancer such as cervical cancer and colorectal cancer, the screening process also helps doctors detect and promptly treat pre-cancerous lesions before they have a chance to transform into real cancer. However, screening does not mean doing more and more tests is better. The most important thing is to perform the right type of test, at

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5 PARADOXES IF YOU UNDERSTAND EARLIER, YOU COULD HAVE GOED A LOT FASTER

Ho Tro 04/07/2026 No Comments

When I first graduated, I thought life was very simple. I always believe that as long as you work hard and try your best, you will definitely achieve success. But the more I live, experience and work, the more I realize that there are many things that I’ve heard that are extremely paradoxical… but they are absolutely true. These are 5 life paradoxes that I always wish I could understand sooner on my journey. 1. Paradox 1: If you are the best in the group, it’s time to find a new environment Before, I really liked the feeling of being the person who knew the most in a group. The feeling of being approached by others, being recognized by everyone and seeing that you have great value always brings short-term satisfaction. But when I look back at the entire past journey, the periods that helped

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US PREPARES TO TIGHTEN H-1B VISA

Ho Tro 04/07/2026 No Comments

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PREPARES TO TIGHTEN H-1B VISA: WILL VIETNAMESE DOCTORS BE AFFECTED? I just read a hot interview in The New York Times with Mr. Joseph Edlow, the new Director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). According to the interview, he shared: “The Trump administration is planning big changes to the H-1B visa program for high-skilled workers.” Specifically, the new policy will change the way the H-1B visa line is issued. Instead of random selection through a “lottery” as currently (limited to 85,000 slots per year), this visa line will be prioritized for those with higher salaries. The goal is for companies to pay foreign workers better, avoiding hiring foreigners at lower wages than Americans. So will this affect Vietnamese doctors who want to settle in the US after completing their medical residency program? The answer is: No, Vietnamese doctors are absolutely not affected

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MORE THAN 9,600 IMGS MATCHED INTO AMERICAN MEDICAL RESIDENCY IN 2026: WHAT SPECIALTIES HAVE THEY BEEN ADMITTED TO?

Ho Tro 04/07/2026 No Comments

One of the questions I receive the most from medical students and doctors from Vietnam is: “Which specialty should I choose to have the highest chance of Matching?” In fact, on this journey there is absolutely no “easy” specialty. But the real truth is that there are specialties that always expand their recruitment targets for more IMGs than other specialties. According to the official statistical report just published from the organization NRMP Main Residency Match 2026, this is a list of specialties that recorded the highest number of successful IMGs Matching into first-year resident physician positions (PGY-1) during the past selection season. To make it easier for you to follow, the US report will clearly classify international candidates into 2 groups: Non-US IMG: Doctor graduated from medical school outside the US, does not have a green card or US citizenship (visa sponsorship required). US IMG: Doctors who

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10 THINGS I WISH SOMEONE TOLD ME WHEN I STARTED MY AMERICAN MEDICAL REsidency

Ho Tro 04/07/2026 No Comments

Today is the first day of July. For many hospitals in the US, this is the day a new generation of resident doctors officially begins their journey. The blouses are brand new. The employee card is not yet used to swiping. As soon as the pager rang, my heart wanted to stop beating too. 10 years ago, I also walked into the hospital on my first day with the same feeling: proud, excited, but also secretly afraid that people would soon realize I wasn’t as good as they thought. Looking back on that challenging time, here are 10 things I wish someone had told me sooner when I started medical residency in the US. 1. Article 1: You don’t need to know everything, but you must know when to ask No one walks into their first day of residency and instantly becomes a perfect doctor. The danger on this

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Dr. Christina Nguyen's Blog

GOING TO SEE A DOCTOR IN THE US: 10 THINGS TO PREPARE SO THAT THE APPOINTMENT IS NOT “WASTE”

CANCER IS OFTEN UNAWARE – HERE ARE SCREENING MARKERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

5 PARADOXES IF YOU UNDERSTAND EARLIER, YOU COULD HAVE GOED A LOT FASTER

US PREPARES TO TIGHTEN H-1B VISA

MORE THAN 9,600 IMGS MATCHED INTO AMERICAN MEDICAL RESIDENCY IN 2026: WHAT SPECIALTIES HAVE THEY BEEN ADMITTED TO?

10 THINGS I WISH SOMEONE TOLD ME WHEN I STARTED MY AMERICAN MEDICAL REsidency

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