The journey of APEX Healthcare Performance Group began with one physician, one mentee, and a shared dream of transforming international healthcare professionals into confident U.S. practitioners.
Dr. Dinesh Sethi, himself an International Medical Graduate, is a board-certified internist and geriatrician with over 30 years of experience. Having walked the IMG path himself, he understands firsthand the challenges of transitioning to U.S. healthcare. He started with a simple act of giving back: taking in one International Medical Graduate from his hometown in India. Like many IMGs, this graduate had the knowledge and drive but lacked the U.S. clinical experience needed to match into residency.
That first mentee followed Dr. Sethi through his rounds at Skilled Nursing Facilities in the Rockaways, NY. Under his direct guidance, the IMG learned the nuances of U.S. healthcare: the EMR systems, the communication styles, the expectations of American medicine. Then came the breakthrough: that first mentee matched into residency.
Dr. Sethi's first mentee completed clinical rotations in the Rockaway SNFs, received a strong letter of recommendation, and successfully matched into a U.S. residency program.
The first mentee asked Dr. Sethi to help another IMG. This graduate also came from the same hometown and university. Dr. Sethi agreed, and this second mentee assisted him for nine months. The extended mentorship allowed for deeper learning, more patient interactions, and an even stronger recommendation.
Dr. Sethi realized he had developed something valuable. It was not just medical knowledge transfer, but a complete preparation system for IMGs navigating the U.S. healthcare landscape.
Christine Beltran knows the struggle of finding clinical placements firsthand. During her own MSN and DNP programs, she experienced the complexity and frustration of searching for a quality preceptor. The endless emails, the rejections, the uncertainty of whether she would find a placement in time. That personal experience planted a seed: what if she could help others who face the same challenge?
It started with a single desperate message. A physician from the Philippines with a 10-year gap reached out to Christine, seeking help to find a clinical rotation in Family Medicine. Using her network of physicians, Christine was able to secure one for her. That moment sparked something deeper, a genuine interest in helping healthcare professionals navigate their journey.
Wanting to understand more about the IMG pathway, Christine connected with Dr. Sethi's mentees at one of the SNFs where she worked as an Assistant Director of Nursing. She watched them transform from uncertain graduates into confident clinicians, and she began to see what makes some succeed while others struggle.
Ten years away from medicine. A decade of watching her dream slip further away with each passing year. But she refused to give up. A physician from the Philippines took a chance and reached out to Christine, a complete stranger, because sometimes hope means trying your luck with someone you've never met. Christine believed in her story and used her network of physicians to secure her a rotation. Dr. Sethi, though focused on another mentee at the time, was kind enough to speak with her over the phone and offered guidance that proved invaluable.
If you're reading this and you didn't match, if the gap feels too long, if the odds feel too steep, know this: she was exactly where you are now. She networked when she had no connections. She reached out when she had no guarantees. She kept going when giving up would have been easier.
The Rockaways, New York
When Christine Beltran began her journey as a Director of Nursing at a new facility, with Dr. Sethi as the Medical Director, both saw an extraordinary opportunity. They were not just working together. They were building something transformative.
The facility needed quality improvements. IMGs needed training grounds. The solution was elegant: create a structured clinical rotation program that would develop IMGs while simultaneously elevating facility performance.
For an entire year, they ran monthly cohorts. IMGs rotated through, learned from Dr. Sethi, contributed to patient care, and graduated with the experience they needed. The facility's quality metrics improved. Everyone won, especially the patients and their families.
After a year of successful cohorts, Dr. Sethi and Christine faced a new challenge: the interns needed more rotations and were seeking help connecting them with other physicians who were willing to mentor them.
This was the moment APEX Healthcare Performance Group was born. What started as one physician's gesture of giving back had evolved into a comprehensive healthcare training organization. They formalized their program, expanded their network of partner facilities, and created a scalable model that could help many more international healthcare professionals.
Inspired by the success of medical rotations, Christine developed nursing programs. Today, APEX serves both IMGs and International Nursing Graduates with clinical rotations, leadership training, and career development.
4-week clinical rotations with direct mentorship from Dr. Sethi
Clinical experience and career pathways for international nurses
Growing network of SNFs and clinics providing rotation opportunities
Whether you're an IMG, an international nurse, or a facility looking to partner, your chapter is waiting to be written.