Abhiram Challa, M.D., started delivering advice and tips for international medical graduates on YouTube because he didn’t want others to muddle down the road to residency like he had.

With 122,000 views of the top-watched entry — that’d be “15 Tips to Maximize Your Uworld Strategy” (to help improve U.S. Medical Education Licensing Examination Step 1 scores) — in the 13-video series, it’s safe to say mission accomplished. As one watcher observed: “Glad to see someone is going into details about the process. It’s super confusing and overwhelming when we just get started.”

Lowering the hurdles international medical students face was a motivating factor for Challa, who graduated from medical school in India, completed internal medicine residency with KU School of Medicine-Wichita last summer and is now doing a one-year fellowship in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology at West Virginia University School of Medicine.

It's quite a long process getting from medical school to residency,” says Challa, who lived in the U.S. until his family moved back to India in his early teens. “There really weren't any resources and information on how to go about this. And I really didn't have anybody I knew that went through the same process.”

International students face multiple challenges — the need for higher exam scores among them — to get into U.S. residencies. For example, Indian medical schools focus more on theory than on clinical experience, and interviewing can be challenging because of cultural differences, Challa says.

Cost is a big factor, too, as graduates must set aside time during and after medical school to study for Step 1 and Step 2 of the USMLE that determines their fates. Students often do unpaid rotations and research in the U.S. to fortify their chances. And when it comes to the exams, they don’t know which topics to concentrate on and which of multiple study guides might serve them best. There’s no single one-size, fits-all approach, but Challa felt compelled to provide a roadmap.

Which is how he came to start the video series — in his parents living room with an iPhone, lights and other equipment bought off the internet, and filming and editing advice gleaned, naturally, from YouTube.

“I didn’t realize until after I started making videos how powerful that platform is to just share information,” he said.

His own study had earned him residency in Kansas, a state that wasn’t unfamiliar to Challa, as his uncle is a gastroenterologist in Topeka, “my home away from home.” He continued the video series after moving to Wichita, with a kitchen table as his studio (look closely, his fridge might peek out).

Challa produced the videos over about 18 months, zeroing in on such topics as “When to Take Each Practice Test” and “Essential Residency Interview Principles.” He replied to numerous online questions and built his knowledge base by conferring with dozens who’d gone through the process. Eventually, he set his camera aside to focus on his more immediate challenge: the clinical and study demands of residency.

“The experience really piqued my interest in medical education,” Challa says. “It’s really gratifying to be able to help someone and have this kind of impact.”

The help was appreciated, with one viewer proclaiming: “This really helped me to stay motivated! It can be tricky sometimes but totally worth it at the end!”

Challa isn’t done with the process himself. Next up, he hopes, is a three-year cardiology fellowship. He’s flipping the usual fellowship order somewhat so he can conduct research and match alongside his wife, Tejasri Polana, who’s pursuing a pediatric residency.

He’s drawn to cardiology by its fast-paced advancements and care. “Patients can get sick really fast. And with that type of critical care, you can make a big impact.”

Watch Dr. Challa

Explore the video series on YouTube.