![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Alain-Bezing-STORY.jpg\")
<\/a>Now a senior at UToledo, Alain Bezing moved to the United States in 2014 from a small country in western Africa, where he was a general practitioner and head of a small clinic.<\/p><\/div>\n
Bezing is a senior at The University of Toledo hoping that his plans for advanced degrees in bioengineering give him a competitive edge to practice medicine in America. After earning his bachelor\u2019s degree in 2023, he plans to apply to UToledo\u2019s master\u2019s program in bioengineering and then pursue a doctoral degree in biomedical science.<\/p>\n
Bezing is currently working with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), which assesses the readiness of international medical graduates to enter residency or fellowship programs in the United States.<\/p>\n
He has completed the first of three steps in that process. Once Bezing successfully completes the remaining two, he\u2019ll be eligible to apply to a medical residency program, bringing him one step closer to his dream.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I\u2019m an underdog,\u201d Bezing said. \u201cI\u2019m trying to add more to my application so when I present myself, I\u2019ll not only be ECFMG certified, but I\u2019ll also have a Ph.D. My hope is that will convince them they can bet on me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bezing, who became a U.S. resident in 2017, said practicing medicine in the United States was always a part of his plan, but he acknowledged feeling lost at times, unsure if it was a viable option anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I got to a point and realized I\u2019m not young anymore. I haven\u2019t practiced in a while,\u201d Bezing said. \u201cI had given up on my education and decided to just get a job and move on.\u201d<\/p>\n
But not long after he made that decision, his daughter, Brielle, was born, and his perspective changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I set my expectations low, my kids might not dream big,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dr. Anju R. Gupta, assistant professor in UToledo\u2019s Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, has witnessed Bezing\u2019s diligence and determination. He completed an on-campus co-op in Gupta\u2019s lab in spring 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is one of the hardest working, sincere and detail-oriented students in the lab,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In addition to attending UToledo, Alain works full time as a corrections counselor at the Lucas County Corrections Center. He owns a medical digitalization company, Brilydal Ltd., that helps startups and enterprises with their digital transformation needs, and he is working on a platform called MySelf that he expects to release later this year.<\/p>\n