Let’s be honest—if you had told the younger version of me (probably crying into a bowl of 2-minute Maggi noodles while Googling “SOAP vs Match vs SOAP again?”) that she’d one day be mentoring 4,000+ international medical graduates, practicing medicine on her terms, and launching a second-opinion cancer care service, she would’ve laughed… and then asked if she could still do it in pajama pants.
But here we are.
Hi, I’m Vidya—a non-U.S. IMG, mom, hematologist/oncologist, LinkedIn content nerd, real estate investor, 6-days-a-month locum doc, and founder of Empower IMG and ArogyaVidya.com. Also known by many IMGs on WhatsApp as “that older sister who answers your panic-texts during match season.”
Here’s how this all started—and where it’s going.
From Chaos to Coaching: The Accidental Birth of Empower IMG
I didn’t plan to start a global IMG coaching community. It kind of...happened. Throughout residency and fellowship, I was that go-to person. Friends, acquaintances, cousins of neighbors—all calling for guidance: “Hi, you don’t know me, but I’m applying to IM this year. Can you help with my personal statement?” “Also… what even is SOAP?”
I helped because I remembered. I remembered being lost in the system as a non-U.S. IMG, wishing I had someone to ask “dumb” questions to. I remembered how lonely the path felt. I remembered how easy it was to fall into predatory IMG “coaching” scams promising results in exchange for your soul (and your savings).
So when I attended the LGA Summit in 2022 during fellowship and heard someone say, “You don’t have to wait to be an expert to make a difference,” I decided to stop waiting.
Thus began The Underdog Physician Podcast, with another LGA alum. Eventually, our paths diverged—he started his own show, and I…well, I was busy juggling a crumbling marriage, a new oncology job, and trying to parent through a storm.
But rock bottom, as they say, can be a great foundation. Once I found my footing again—with therapy, healing, and a renewed purpose—I picked up the pieces and built Empower IMG.
Fridays, Freedom, and Finding My Flow
In 2023, I began hosting free group coaching sessions on LinkedIn—Friday mornings were sacred. My collaborators included brilliant leaders like Heba Bader, Simone Brown, Kishan Kataria, and MedSynapse. Together, we covered personal statement writing, networking strategies, and the holy grail: how not to burn out before Match Day.
All this while working a 0.75 FTE oncology job—by choice. Why? Because I wanted to be the kind of mom and doctor I wished I had growing up. Financial freedom gave me that luxury—built slowly over 3+ years through stock market investing, real estate, and frugal living (yes, even my Tupperware is frugal).
That space let me play. Dream. Create. So I launched:
- A LinkedIn newsletter
- A 21-Day Match-Ready Challenge (inspired by the 108 Surya Namaskar Challenge)
- A volunteer team spanning continents
- A community that now supports over 4,000+ IMGs across the world
Oh, and somewhere in between, I coached IMG residents applying to heme/onc fellowships, which felt like coming full circle.
From Match Season to Mission: Building ArogyaVidya
If Empower IMG was for the “doctor version” of my younger self, ArogyaVidya is for the daughter in me—the girl who saw loved ones in India struggle with cancer care decisions and had no one to turn to.
Over the years, I’ve quietly reviewed reports and guided many families—friends, neighbors, even strangers—over WhatsApp. “Should we do chemo?” “Is this treatment working?” “Should we get a second opinion?”
But not everyone has a doctor in the family. So I decided to build a bridge.
ArogyaVidya.com is that bridge—offering trusted, accessible cancer second opinions to families in India, especially those overwhelmed by uncertainty.
It’s not just a business. It’s a mission.
Thriving, Not Just Surviving
In 2024, I made another pivot: I became an independent contractor through locums. I now work 6 days a month. That’s right—six.
Why? Because I wanted to stop surviving and start thriving. To be present for my son. To build. To serve. To live. To finally practice medicine on my terms.
What’s Next?
I’m on a mission to empower 100,000 non-U.S. IMGs—not just to match, but to thrive after the match. I want to keep coaching, creating, collaborating—and championing physician entrepreneurs who dare to step off the treadmill.
And I want ArogyaVidya to reach every family who needs it. Because cancer is scary. Confusing. Lonely. And no one should go through it without guidance.
Call to Action: Let’s Pay It Forward
- Know an IMG? Send them to Empower IMG on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidya-kollu-md-026a2340
- Have a loved one navigating cancer in India? Share https://www.arogyavidya.com
- Want to rewrite your own story? You’re not too late. You’re not behind. Start today.
We are more than our degrees. More than our training. We are voices. And I’m so glad Mozibox is giving us a place to share them.
With love (and probably still wearing pajamas),
Dr. Vidya Kollu
