Many years have passed since Dr. Cárdenas graduated from the Universidad de Navarra: “I still have very good memories from the School of Medicine. In the summer of my fourth year I had the opportunity to do an observation rotation at Georgetown University Hospital, which gave me a different perspective on working and how to learn. I was amazed at the resources they had, the way medicine was taught, and above all, the incredible autonomy and maturity of the US students. It was that experience that made me decide to do my residency in the USA,” says Dr. Cárdenas.

“Radiology is a complicated specialty, but by far the most beautiful: I never get bored and I learn every day. From the academic point of view, it's exciting because all the interesting cases end up having imaging tests,” explains Cárdenas.

Regarding those special teachers in our lives, “We have all had teachers and tutors that go by unnoticed; however, there are others who leave a mark. One such teacher, for me, was Dr. Biurrun. I had the opportunity to do a rotation with him in the radiology department of the Hospital Virgen del Camino in Pamplona. He is someone with an extraordinary degree of humanity, and a person who has influenced my decisions.

I also particularly remember my mentor Dr. Pedro Gil. He was in the first class to graduate from the medical school at the Universidad. The first day I met Dr. Gil, he taught me something which I consider to be crucial in the way of organizing my professional and personal life: to distinguish between the urgent and the important. This has helped me to prioritize and never lose perspective – this tip has remained with me for life,” comments Dr. Cárdenas.

How do you go about doing residency in the USA? “To work in the United States, it is necessary to take the USMLE exam, which has three parts or steps. The first step is a multiple choice exam like the MIR, but with questions focused on preclinical and basic science. The second step is divided into two parts: a multiple choice test called Clinical Knowledge, and the second part is an ECOE-like exam called Clinical Skills, which evaluates advanced clinical skills. The third step concerns patient management (outpatient, inpatient, ICU etc.) and some health management issues."

“When the students of this year’s class finish their degree, graduate and become new professionals,” says Dr. Cardenas, as he pulls out a book that was recommended to him many years ago, “I recommend all those facing the MIR to consider a few important ideas from this book: 

• Choose the specialty you like and the hospital where you would like to do your residency.

• Note the average minimum score required to enter this residency program over recent years.

• Use your academic record to calculate the number of correct questions that you would need on the MIR to achieve your objective.

• Repeatedly practice an appropriate number of questions through dedicated months of preparation in order to obtain the score you require. Ignore percentiles, number of correct questions, and other advice from your peers; comparisons are a double-edged sword and do not contribute to your outcome.

• Do sport and rest at least one full day per week.”

Finally, when asked if he plans to return to Spain, Dr. Cárdenas answers: "Eventually, yes".