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Letters of Recommendation

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It’s time to start securing your residency letters of recommendation (LOR) if you haven’t already. Remember that your letters have a big impact on your application, and even a mediocre letter can bomb your candidacy.

Don’t be afraid to ask a potential letter-writer if she will write you “a very strong” LOR. It may seem awkward at the time you ask but getting a wimpy letter will be much thornier. If the faculty member says no, hesitates, or tells you in May that she has to plan her Thanksgiving get-together, politely thank her and move on. Although disappointing, acknowledge that she has done you a huge favor. You now have the advantage of substituting a stronger LOR written by someone who likes your clinical work.

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ERAS 2016 Updates

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Here are some ERAS 2016 quick reminders:

1) For International Medical Graduates, ERAS 2016 tokens are available through the ECFMG’s OASIS site now.
2) For those waiting for Board scores, USMLE score reports will not be released during the week of July 4. Score reporting will resume on July 8. Here is the USMLE site for more information.
3) On July 1 MyERAS opens to all applicants.
4) On July 15, DO applicants can begin applying to residency.

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Secondary Essays: Why Do You Want to Attend Our School?

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Secondary essay prompts vary, but there are a few that are standard fare. “Why do you want to attend our school?” is a common topic pre-meds will encounter.

Med school admissions officers want to be assured that you know their institution, are seriously considering it, and will fit in well there. In approaching the “why-our-school” question, do your research on the institution and link something specific about you with the school’s philosophy, curriculum, surrounding patient population, and/or extracurricular programs.

For instance, if you were a teaching assistant for chemistry in college, you might link your use of the Socratic method with a school’s tutorial-based learning. In that way, you demonstrate knowledge of the school, show that you connect well with it, and showcase your accomplishment.

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“Dude, Me Too!”

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Here’s a great article for pre-meds and medical students alike on imposter syndrome by an assistant program director at Georgetown University. This is a great piece to read as you maneuver the medical education and medical admissions processes. You are not alone.

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IMGs (and Others) Participating in the 2016 Match: Sign up for Step 2 CS Immediately

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Here’s an important reminder from the ECFMG® News page:

To participate in the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) Main Residency Match®, international medical students/graduates must have passed all exams required for ECFMG Certification. If you plan to participate in the 2016 Match (in March 2016) and still need to pass Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), you should register now to take the examination.

To help ensure that your result will be available in time to participate in the 2016 Match, you must take Step 2 CS by December 31, 2015. If you do not register now and schedule soon, it is possible that you will not be able to obtain a test date in 2015. At the time of this writing, the earliest available test date at any test center is in October 2015.

The USMLE program also has issued a Scheduling Reminder for Step 2 CS, strongly encouraging medical students/graduates to schedule their exams early to obtain a testing appointment this year.

If you register and schedule now, you can change your scheduled testing appointment (subject to availability) at no cost, provided you give notice of more than 14 days.

Detailed information on the results reporting schedule for Step 2 CS is available on the ECFMG website.

– See more at: http://www.ecfmg.org/news/2015/05/29/reminder-imgs-participating-in-2016-match-should-apply-for-step-2-cs-now/#sthash.DZFNaVTV.dpuf

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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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