Blog Archives

Medical School Admissions

Medical school admissions are becoming increasingly competitive, in part, because of the failing U.S. economy. Bright applicants who used to target business school or law degrees are finding those fields unstable and are turning their interest toward medicine. Consequently, stronger candidates are now pursuing a medical career, making professional medical school admissions consulting increasingly important in optimizing medical school applications.

Medical school admissions consulting companies come in a variety of forms. Some are larger companies that focus on admissions to several types of graduate programs – not just medicine. Others are smaller companies that provide a medical focus, but have a pool of consultants of varying quality. Finally, elite companies offer both the medical focus and a highly experienced consultant who works one-on-one with clients. These professionals are ex-admissions officers from respected medical institutions. They have the inside knowledge of how medical admissions work, providing personalized guidance to optimize candidates’ written materials and interview skills. Read more ›

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Medical Residency Admissions: Avoiding Common Essay Pitfalls

Picture, if you will, a residency admissions committee member beneath a halo of light reading applicant essays in her office at midnight. Caffeine on her breath, crumpled white coat next to her desk chair, she is making steady progress on the never-ending stack of applicant files until she picks up a residency personal statement that begins, “I first became interested in Internal Medicine when Grandma was diagnosed with cancer…” Pulling out her hair by the fistful, she tosses the file into the trash. That cancer may not have killed your grandma, but it just might have killed your application. Read more ›

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Medical Residency Interview Advice

Matching to a residency program through the NRMP® (National Resident Matching Program) is a competitive endeavor. Even strong candidates – especially IMGs (international medical graduates) – can have difficulty getting positions in many specialties. Those that do match may not get their top choices, leaving them in suboptimal programs.

Consequently, optimizing your performance during the medical residency interview is critical. But what are residency directors looking for during the interview process?

First, they are seeking someone distinctive. Your goal is to distinguish yourself from all of the other applicants by showcasing your accomplishments. Anyone can say s/he is compassionate or hard working. Fewer candidates can prove it. Read more ›

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Improving Your Medical Residency Application: Tips for Obtaining Optimal Letters of Recommendation

Matching to a residency program through the NRMP® (National Resident Matching Program) is a competitive endeavor. Even top-tier candidates can have difficulty getting PGY-1 (post graduate year one) positions in many specialties. Those that do match may not get their first or second choices, leaving them in suboptimal locations or programs. Consequently, the submission of an excellent residency application is crucial.

The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®) is a centralized program that transmits applications, letters of recommendation (LOR) and other supporting credentials from the applicant to program directors using the Internet. Most residency programs now use ERAS®, although a few use individualized applications. Read more ›

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The Medical Residency Interview: What if You Haven’t Received an Invitation?

Once your ERAS has been submitted, getting into residency kicks into high gear with the interview season. But what if you’ve completed your residency application and yet haven’t been invited to interview?

First of all, realize that residency admissions have become increasingly competitive of late. This is especially true for “lifestyle” specialties like Radiology, Opthalmology, Anesthesia and Dermatology (often termed the “ROAD”). The number of applicants in those fields and others is generally increasing, as the number of medical students continues to increase. Thus, the lack of an invite may just represent overloaded admissions offices. Read more ›

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: