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Brevity is the Soul of Wit -William Shakespeare

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I’ve been editing a lot of medical school, residency, and fellowship essays over the last few months, and I want to give a shout out to the importance of brevity. I focus on a word count of 750 or fewer for my advisees for a few reasons: 

First, I’ve found that that number is just the right balance of content and streamlining: Over 750 words for an admissions essay lends itself to meandering writing.

Second, your reader is likely stuck reviewing tens or even scores of applications in a short period of time. S/he is looking to spend as little time as possible on your written materials, while still getting a good flavor for your candidacy. Don’t burden your reader with verbiage.

Having trouble being brief? Here’s a helpful trick: Imagine AMCAS or ERAS is charging you $10 per word. How would you keep costs down?

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Why did ERAS crash during SOAP?

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Congrats to all of those who Matched last week! And kudos for those of you who managed to make it through this year’s difficult SOAP.

During SOAP (Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program) last week, the server crashed, leaving many applicants and programs confused and scrambling (no pun intended). The 2019 Match Week and SOAP schedule was, therefore, revised such that all SOAP offer rounds were postponed and limited to Thursday, March 14.

At the time of this writing, it’s unclear what happened. Rumors are that the volume of participants was greater than in past years, leaving ERAS/AAMC unprepared. This might be the case with the opening of many new medical schools and a continued, relative dearth in the number of residency spots available. Read this article for a controversial – but interesting – take on why.

We’ll probably have to wait for this year’s Match numbers for any answers.

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ERAS: How Important is it to Submit on the Early Side?

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On July 5, DO applicants can start applying to AOA-accredited residency programs, so I’ve had a lot of clients ask me about the importance of getting their ERASes in now. This topic is relevant for MD candidates whose submission date is in early September. These are my thoughts:

1. Yes, getting your ERAS in early helps. At the beginning of the season there aren’t as many ERASes to review so, as a former Assistant Residency Director, I recall giving more time and attention to the early applications. I was also impressed by students who could get their materials in promptly.

2. On the other hand, if your application is not in its best shape then submitting early is a mistake. Waiting a week or two is absolutely preferable to submitting a suboptimal ERAS that will be tossed into the “do not invite” pile. Importantly, all osteopathic residency applicants who apply between July 6 and the 14th will display with a July 15 applied date anyway!

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ERAS 2018 Timeline: Don’t Lose the Forest for the Trees

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As many of you well know, September 6 was the date that candidates could start applying to ACGME-accredited residency programs (and September 15 will be the date that ACGME-accredited residency programs start receiving applications). I am a big fan of getting your ERAS in on the early side: It demonstrates commitment, and when I was reviewing applications as an Assistant Residency Director, I found my workload was lighter earlier, allowing me more time to spend on those initial applications.

Having said that, do not over focus on an early application such that your written materials are suboptimal. Every year I encounter panicked candidates who want to submit their poorly written documents simply to get them in, shooting themselves in the proverbial foot.

Find a balance. Yes, submitting early is wise, but not at the expense of your candidacy’s success.
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Are you a Residency Candidate Applying in More than One Specialty? Read this.

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If you’re planning to apply in more than one field, you have a challenging road ahead of you, and you should strategize accordingly. Remember that, although your ERAS activities cannot be individualized to different residency programs, your personal statement and letters of recommendation can. Demonstrating commitment to each field through your essay and letters will be a challenge, so take time to write thoughtfully, and make sure you speak candidly to your faculty recommenders.

Above all: Ensure that you assign the correct specialty-specific documents to the correct programs!

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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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