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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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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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
» Read moreOriginally 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
» Read moreIt’s been a while (happy July!) but I’m back this week with another residency application tip. Today we are talking about away rotations. I see a fair number of students coming through on away rotations. I think as a student I thought of away rotations as something that could really help me, but as a resident I’ve seen away rotations
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Continuing in our series on things I wish someone had told me when I was applying for residency, let’s talk about residency application dinners. For those who don’t know, the typical residency interview goes like this: Arrive to your hotel in the afternoon. Go to a dinner with the other applicants and the residents (and sometimes some of the faculty).
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It’s been a pretty crazy few weeks out here, so I apologize that you haven’t heard from me much lately. I’m still doing my best to stay on top of comments, though, so please feel free to keep commenting and I’ll try to keep responding! As we approach residency application season again, I think it’s time for another round of
» Read moreI fretted for weeks over the details of my rank list. Should I rank this program #1 or #2? #2 or #3? And do you know what happened then? I, like most of my friends, matched to a program that was not in my top 3, but where I am much happier than I would have been at any of my
» Read moreWhen I was a medical student, I had a really hard time choosing my specialty. I loved everything! I’ve talked to a number of medical students lately who were having the same trouble. After a recent advising meeting with a student, I thought it might be helpful to share some of those thoughts here. Consider these questions a way to
» Read moreWell, it’s that time of year again: NRMP civilian residency match season. It’s the time when thousands of medical students agonize over their rank lists. (For those not familiar with the residency match, a rank list is an applicant’s “wish list” of the programs they would like to go). Every year, students ask for advice on their rank lists. To
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