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Residency Application Help

If you plan to hire me for the Complete Package for Residency Applicants, please do so very soon. The benefits of an early Strategy Session are numerous: I can assist you in furthering your candidacy and avoiding common missteps. Also, getting your written materials polished early will afford you a strong advantage in the residency application process

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Writing Your Own Residency or Medical School Letter of Recommendation: Is it Ethical?

medical school application and residency applicationIt’s not infrequent that an applicant tells me that a letter of recommendation (LOR) writer has asked the candidate to draft his/her own letter because the writer is “too busy.” I notice that medical school and residency applicants are a bit sheepish as they tell me about this arrangement. Have no fear: You are not doing anything unethical. (Here is a piece by the New York Times ethicist Ariel Kaminer regarding this exact topic.)

If a faculty member asks you to write your own letter, not only should you do it, but you should do it with zeal. Make sure you showcase the accomplishments that distinguish you from other candidates and highlight traits that are important for your future career path. Use honest – but bold – adjectives to describe your best qualities.

Remember that the letter writer has final say, so even a busy faculty member might modify the letter. Keeping this fact in mind might alleviate your (unnecessary) guilt and should encourage you to write the strongest letter you can. (It’s harder to go from outstanding to mediocre than from outstanding to excellent.)

 

Contact me for Strategy Sessions and Complete Packages. The latter are very popular this season.

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Compared to the Old Scramble, NRMP’s SOAP Cleans Up the Match

For those interested in a comprehensive explanation of the NRMP’s process for unmatched candidates,here is an article I wrote for Student Doctor Network with a step-by-step approach to theresidency applicationSupplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). Most residency applicants are hopeful about their Match prospects, but if you are not a strong candidate, it’s not a bad idea to understand SOAP early.

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New! Guru On the Go© Stop-Motion Video Series

Make sure to watch the first of the Insider Medical Admissions Guru on the Go© stop motion video series. These under-one-minute videos give you professional admissions tips for free… and they are cool to watch! The first one is geared toward residency applicants, but the graphics are so fun, it’s worth seeing even if you aren’t applying to residency. Check out the video below and subscribe to my Youtube channel to see more in the coming weeks.

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Specialty Blues?

For residency applicants, picking a specialty can be a very stressful process. I remember feeling the weight of my future career on my shoulders before I selected emergency medicine.

This “most-emailed” New York Times article “Follow a Career Passion? Let it Follow You” should make residency applicants feel better about the decision-making process.

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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: