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 ›
Blog Archives
The Residency Match: What Should I Have Done By Now?
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 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. It’s important to get started on your application early so you are ahead of the game.
When I was in residency administration, I was impressed with candidates who submitted their applications early. I also had more time to spend on their materials, as I had not yet been inundated with applications, as I would be later in the season.
ERAS® (Electronic Residency Application System) opens July 1 and candidates can assign their materials to specific programs on September 1. Thus, before July I recommend the following:
- Finalize a draft of your personal statement and ERAS activities section.
- If applying in multiple specialties, tailor a separate personal statement for each specialty.
- Contact your Dean’s office (for US students) or ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) (for IMGs) to ask how to submit your letters of recommendation and photo to them and to get your ERAS token (code to register with ERAS).
- Request all letters of recommendation (excluding your summer rotations). If you are applying in multiple specialties, take advantage of the ability to assign different letters to each program.
- Investigate programs and contact them for special requirements or deadlines.
Getting your application in early can make a difference in how you are perceived by residency directors. To improve your residency candidacy fully, consider working with a professional when it’s time to apply. Because applicants can unknowingly undermine their chances of success with poorly compiled application materials and underdeveloped residency personal statements, a qualified, personalized residency admissions consultant provides a great advantage.
Residency consulting companies come in a variety of forms. Some are bigger businesses that focus on admissions to several types of graduate programs – not just medicine. Others are smaller and 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 highly respected medical institutions. They have the inside knowledge of how residency admissions work, providing individualized guidance to optimize applicants’ personal essays, ERAS® and interview skills.
When choosing a residency admissions consulting company, a candidate should verify the company’s references and research its consultants. It is best if the company does not assign written materials to outside editors who cannot be evaluated. Elite companies that offer both the medical focus and a highly experienced consultant who works one-on-one with clients offer a large advantage for applicants, especially during these competitive times.
Tags: Application Materials, Candidacy, Educational Commission For Foreign Medical Graduates, Electronic Residency Application, Electronic Residency Application System, Eras, Foreign Medical Graduates, International Medical Graduates, Letters Of Recommendation, National Resident Matching Program, Personal Statement, Post Graduate, Residency Directors, Residency Match, Residency Program
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 ›
Tags: Application Tips, Electronic Residency Application, Electronic Residency Application Service, Eras, Letter Writer, Letter Writers, Letters Of Recommendation, National Resident Matching Program, Program Directors, Residency Application Advice, Residency Application Service, Residency Directors, Residency Program, Residency Programs
What is the Scramble?
The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP ®) Scramble is an oftentimes confusing process that tends to generate a lot of questions. The Scramble is a system used to fill unfilled residency positions. Some medical residency programs will have available residency slots even after the NRMP has completed the Match; these positions become available during the Scramble period so that those applicants who did not get a residency position can vie for them.
The Scramble calendar (for 2010) is as follows: Read more ›
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 ›
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
