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 moreHappy Turkey Day, everyone!!! Alright, moving on… When programs are building their rank lists, they want to choose people who want to go there. They want people who will be happy at that program and in that location. So, on top of your regularly scheduled thank-you notes, sometimes it’s helpful to reach out again to a resident or program director at
» Read moreOne of the decisions that I struggled with during interview season was whether or not to bring my family with me on my interviews. My daughter was 18 mos old when I was doing my interview travel which, as parents know, is an unpredictable age. She has always been a pretty calm, happy, easy-to-please kiddo, but you never know what strange
» Read moreOnce you have decided what to wear for your interviews, it’s worth putting some thought into how you pack for your trip. Flying Always pack your suit in your carry-on luggage. A few times a year in each specialty, someone’s bag gets lost and they end up interviewing in the sweatpants they wore on the plane. I’m sure there are people
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