The Best Residency Interview Questions to Ask

As a residency applicant, it’s easy to focus on trying to be the most desirable applicant possible. Remember, though, that you are interviewing the programs just as much as they are interviewing you! You also need to try to learn which programs will be the best fit for you, both in terms of academics/training, and in terms of the environment.

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Interviewing during a pandemic: How to get the most out of Zoom interviews

Our last interview-season post focused on putting your best foot forward as an applicant in a remote residency interview (Zoom, Skype, etc). Today we are talking about how you, as the interviewee, can glean as much information as possible about the programs you are considering, despite the limitations of remote interviewing. It may sound strange, but with a little bit

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Interviewing in the Era of COVID: How to Make a Good Impression Over Zoom

Yes, we know, COVID has changed so many things about life (and work) across the country, and residency interviews may be the next casualty. As we avoid crowds, strangers, and airplanes, it appears that the annual tradition of buying a scratchy black suit and spending your savings flying across the country to schlep around a series of hospitals with a

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Residency Interview Thank You Notes: What you need to know

Originally published 16 October 2016, Updated 27 September 2020 Continuing on our theme of “things I wish I had known when I was interviewing for residency,” let’s talk about thank you notes. Everyone tells you that you need to send thank you notes every time you interview, to every person who interviews. Let’s talk a little bit more about how

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COT Physical Fitness Training Update

Hey everyone! You may have already read my other posts on physical fitness training at COT, and how to prepare. I think it’s important to mention that there has been a shift in how the initial PT test is treated. Several years ago, if you failed the “diagnostic” PT test that you take at the beginning of COT, you might

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What new residents need to know about saving for retirement

Residency brings a lot of firsts: first admission, first discharge, first actual orders, first prescriptions, and for a lot of people, their first real paycheck. When you go through your hospital’s new employee orientation, they’ll talk to you about saving some of that paycheck for retirement. You’ll most likely have at least one option presented by Human Resources, as well as others

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How far from the hospital should I live in residency?

Continuing our theme of housing and home-buying topics for folks who are getting ready to start residency, let’s consider another common question: how far should I live from the hospital?  Of course, as with anything else, it depends. Let’s look at a few of the factors to consider. Commute Time It’s important to remember that as a resident you will

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